1989 Porsche 928 S4 (Ordered new for the Royal Brunei Collection)

Highlights

• Special order for the Royal Family of Brunei, owned by Prince Jefri
• One UK owner since import in 2015
• Comprehensively recommissioned 
• Just 5,555Km on the clock, verified by MOT history
• Superb condition inside and out 

Overview

Originally intended as the car to replace the iconic 911, the 928 had some awfully big boots to fill when it was launched in 1978. Of course, history tells us that the 911 is still in production as the 928 failed to capture the public’s imagination at the time. However, amongst connoisseurs and experts (particularly car designers), the 928 is revered and spoken of with hushed admiration. As a forward-looking grand tourer, it is almost without parallel.

The coolly futuristic styling of this 2+2 has stood the test of time extremely well, it still looks like a vision of the future and draws admiring glances wherever it goes. Matching those incredible looks and the luxuriously appointed interior, Porsche decided that the mechanicals needed to be equally advanced, so a relatively large capacity water-cooled V8 was developed, along with a transaxle layout and advanced ‘Weissach’ rear axle (which sort of acts as passive rear steering) – all of which combined to make the 928 a superb grand tourer and very fine handling sports car.

What makes this S4 model such a unique example, besides the incredible low mileage and exceptional condition, is the fact that it was built as a special order for the Royal Family of Brunei – as confirmed by the paperwork and onboard plaque. So you’ll never see another quite like this, making it a brilliant collector’s piece and one of the rarest performance cars on the planet.

With the vendor telling us that the car was comprehensively recommissioned, it’s little wonder that it presents so well. If you’ve always wanted to park a prime example of retro-futuristic teutonic tech on your driveway, there can’t be many better ways to do it than this glorious coupé. With such low mileage and a recent recomisioning, this is as close as you’ll come to being able to buy a brand spanking new 928 S4. Also it has pop-ups, which as we all know are knuckle-bitingly cool.

History and documentation

• Originally a special order for the Royal Family of Brunei, with the original owner being listed in the service book as Prince Jefri of Brunei
• First registered in the UK on the 19th May 2015
• One UK owner
• Complete with two keys, two large folders of history dating back decades, as well as the original Porsche book pack
• HPI clear (checked April 2024)
• VIN: WPOZZZ92ZKS841232
• Just 5,555Km on the clock, verified by the MOT history
• Current MOT to 24th March 2025

Interior

• Rich red leather upholstery, with contrast black piping to the seats
• The seats all look to be in fine condition, with a little warm patina from age and light use, but no sagging, cracking or damage we could identify
• The rear bench is split into two deep bucket seats, with a large, lidded storage area between them
• Electrically operated front seats with memory function
• Similarly, the door cards, rear side panels and boot lining panels all show very well, with no notable marks or scuffs
• Smart black carpeting and floor mats grace the floors, showing no signs of threading or wear and being in very good condition
• Electric windows and door mirrors
• Electrically operated sunroof
• Air conditioning
• Multi speaker sound system with period Sony radio/cassette head unit
• Engraved plaque on the centre console confirming the car’s history as a special order for the Royal Family of Brunei
• All of the instruments and switchgear elements present in very fine fettle, with barely any wear in evidence
• The dashboard and other internal trim pieces all display well, looking almost new and showing no signs or warping or cracking
• We’re assured by the vendor that everything in the cabin works just as it should, with no problems or issues to report
• At the rear, the boot space is truly practical and commodious, with a couple of large in-built storage pockets and a handy cargo net to stop your bags from sliding about

Exterior

• Lovely, smooth metallic black paintwork which gleams and shimmers beautifully – we didn’t see any significant marks or blemishes at all
• The paintwork appears to still be in good order – we can’t see any obvious scuffs in the usual places like door mirror casings or the corners of bumpers
• As with all 928s, the doors, wings and bonnet are aluminium, to keep the overall weight down and lower the centre of gravity
• We’re told all of the external trim and body seals were replaced during the restoration, as well as the headlights and side lights, and everything certainly looks to be in tip-top condition
• The classic S4 rear wing is present and correct, with no UV damage, warping or cracking we could see
• Looking underneath, the floor pans and sills look very solid and clean, with no notable corrosion or damage to see
• The original Porsche 16-inch alloy wheels have been refurbished and present very nicely, with no kerb damage, lacquer peel or corrosion we could discern
• The wheels are wrapped in a matched set of Continental ContiSport Contact tyres that appear to be in very good order, with good tread and no sidewall damage on show
• Pop-up lights! Which as we all know are the epitome of cool. We may already have mentioned this…

Mechanical 

• 4,957cc 90-degree, 32v V8 which delivers 315hp to the rear wheels
• Automatic transmission
• Weissach rear axle with double wishbone set-up
• Cruise control
• Sports exhaust, with rear silencer delete
• As part of the recommisioning, the vendor tells us that a lot of mechanical maintenance was undertaken, including installing a new radiator and battery
• Under the bonnet, the engine bay is exceptionally clean, with no signs of leaks or overheating
• We’re told by the vendor that the car drives just as it should, with no known mechanical issues

Summary

The 928’s star is very much on the rise amongst collector’s and aficionado, and with good reason. It’s a stunning machine, beautifully built, endlessly capable and very forward thinking for its time. Heck, to this day it remains one of the finest grand tourers every built.

Add to that this example’s unbelievably low mileage, superb condition, excellent specification and unique history and you have a machine that should equally delight enthusiasts and speculators. It’s rare for something this rare in this kind of condition to become available, so make sure you don’t miss out on this 80s gem.

And have we mentioned the pop-up lights?

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in Chester-le-Street, County Durham.