Porsche 928: You Know You Want To
Very early, very pretty 928 is uber desirable and potentially an investment too
But the Porsche 928, 36 years after its victory, remains the only performance car to have won the accolade. Given how strongly environmental credentials are now pushed in the competition, it seems unlikely that something with speed and driver enjoyment at the forefront will win again. Fingers crossed for the BMW i8 in 2015.
This 928 is especially exciting as it comes from 1978, making it one of the earliest cars from the ECOTY triumph year. Look, it still has the sticker in the rear window. Furthermore, as one of the first cars it is unembellished with the addenda of the later S4, GTS and such like. They were certainly fine cars but they lack the purity of the first 928s and trade prettiness for a more aggressive appearance. When you see a 928 like this one and appreciate how crisp, modern and just right the basic design is, that seems rather a shame.
But if the exterior doesn't date the car, the inside will. Wow! Don't stare at the interior pics too long, they will make your eyes hurt. There's probably an image of Ferdinand Porsche in the 'pasha' upholstery/optical illusion somewhere too. But it looks very presentable, and the seller assures us that everything is original bar the luggage cover.
In fact the vendor appears extremely knowledgeable and passionate about 928s, which is always a positive sign. As is the fact they own another one (!). It has been maintained at specialists, the history is detailed and they even go to mention the lack of nearside wing mirror and sunroof for the best 928 profile.
The advert also states that the 928 is 'cruelly overshadowed by another car from the Porsche family stable'. Damn right too. This 1974 S had covered 178,000 miles and is still £40K. There's a 1978 Carrera, admittedly restored and with some upgraded components, at £60K. The T-reg 928 is £14,995. Very different cars, granted, but surely the 928 is due its turn in the sun soon? The early models like this one especially so.
And if £15K is too much for a 928, there are more affordable cars out there (with fair warning about potentially ruinous running costs). This 1986 manual has a tamer colour combo, lots of recent work and a very tempting £6K asking price. At the other end of the scale there are low mileage cars above £30K and GTS 5.4s are comfortably over £20,000 now too.
But there's just something about the Guards Red one. It's the originality, the teledial wheels, the upholstery and the sticker. It's a 928 how the 928 was meant to be and a hugely alluring car as a result.
PORSCHE 928
Price: £14,995
Why you should: An old and desirable Porsche that doesn't cost a fortune
Why you shouldn't: There are faster 928s, and cheaper ones too
See the original advert here.
These early 237 bhp 4.5 litre cars are pretty relaxed in a straight line. The later 928S was the first one that could really be regarded a high performance car even by the standards of the day. This example with the three-speed auto would manage roughly BMW 320D performance, which makes it eminently usable for keeping up with the traffic, and of course while making a much nicer sound. And still looking like a spaceship. of sorts. Also if you park one next to a current bloater 991 or Panamera it now looks like a pleasingly pocket-sized thing, whereas when it was new it looked enormous.
Nevertheless I think if I ever reel in a 928 it would have to be at least an S2 or a manual GT.
Yes, I do.
It looks absolutely stunning and I think the seller is right about this being the nicest shape - no rear spoiler or passenger door mirror.
The S4 is obviously the most competent but its wing was the least attractive.
I don't particularly like auto boxes though so perhaps foolishly I would go for the manual blue S2 in the classifieds mentioned in the article. At least its spoiler is the small one...
A friend of my dad's was a Porsche dealer in the 1980s and he once let my dad take me for a spin in his S2. The interior felt totally space age, the windscreen vast and the V8 sounded ridiculously exciting to one brought up on a diet of 4 cyl engines. The icing on the cake, however, was when I opened the glove box. It was stuffed full of £50 notes which spilled out over the floor. Most of the remainder of the drive was left trying to put them all back.
Much prefer the shape of the 928 to the 911, it is a way sexier/cooler/awesome looking car in my eyes.
People need to be banned from posting pictures and advertising them for sale just in case I make a decision that ends up with my family living in a carboard box
However, its an old car and takes a lot of looking after, parts aren't particularly cheap either, I had a new radiator and clutch during my ownership and those two items alone cost the best part of £2k, plus fitting.
I probably wouldn't have one again, but thats a personal thing as I don't really have the room to work on it, and old cars and damp cold mornings are not particularly enjoyable.
It's been in various Porker mags over the years and my brother in law now has it. Don't think it has much more than 20,000 miles.
It's a cracking car and truly iconic of the period.
This isn't the earliest in the UK, I know that car, it was the first imported and still one owner from new. It's silver and immaculate. If you want to see it and around 50 other 928s come along to Tilford Green in Surrey on 4th October as John is usually there.
The 928 doesn't compare with the desirability and therefore prices to the 911 of the same vintage, this one is priced at the very top and more although it does appear to be in very good condition from the pictures.
The 1986 car mentioned is regarded as possibly the best by some being lighter and less complex than the later S4 but it has some of the nice S4 bits like the brakes and it is nearly as powerful.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff