Originally intended to replace the legendary 911, the Porsche 928 never achieved its ultimate goal but instead became one of the finest sports GT cars of the 1970s and 1980s, powered by a punchy V8 engine and with impressive levels of grip couple to superb handling and steering.
It was a serious long-distance grand-touring car that could also tackle twisting B-roads with ease, thanks to super-direct steering, 50/50 weight distribution and a clever Weissach rear axle that aided that balance.
Porsche continuously developed the 928 throughout its life and in 1987 launched the S4 with a vastly improved interior equipment and a new 5.0-litre version of the V8 engine developing 306bhp.
1988 saw further development with the launch of the ClubSport model in Europe featuring a more powerful uprated 5.0-litre V8 with 340bhp, a 5-speed manual gearbox with dog-leg first gear, weight reductions, a wider track, twin exhausts and a limited slip diff.
It was LHD-only, but in order to homologate the car for UK competition Porsche Cars (GB) decided to make its own equivalent.
Interior trim aside, the S4 SE was almost identical to the ClubSport and is today the most collectable 928 ever made. 42 were built, but two set aside for competition, so there were 40 road cars in total – of which only 17 are known to survive. And here is one of the very best of them.
The car come with a complete history file containing all of its original books and papers and a fully stamped service record.
It was delivered new to Williams F1 driver Tom Belso, who owned the car for 24 years, registering it in the name of his company in 1990. It had two further keepers before the vendor purchased the car in June 2016 from independent Porsche 928 specialists Tech9 Motorsport.
Phil Hindley, Tech9's owner, personally oversaw the refurbishment of the car, including a bare metal respray, partial interior refurb and engine refresh, with invoices totalling £25,000 on file.
Under the vendor’s ownership the car has been used sparingly on dry summer day and kept in a climate-controlled garage. It comes with stacks of invoices and old MOT and old tax discs showing the registration number 15 TOM.
The car is sold with a UK V5C in the name of the existing keeper and an MOT certificate valid until May 2024, which was passed with some minor advisories that the vendor will attend to before the car is delivered to its next owner.
inside, the 928 is in lovely condition and presents very well indeed, with a brand-new headlining, lovely clean carpets and a fault-free dashboard with no cracks or damage. The door trims and boot area are also in exceptional condition.
The cabin is trimmed in a black velour and leather mix and the seats are in good overall order, though the original red pinstripes have faded in places and there are a couple of cracks to the piping in the leather bolsters.
To make the car concours you may want to refinish them, but as they are, they lend the car a charming and very gentle patina.
Finished in classic Guards Red, the 928 is flawlessly presented with an excellent paint finish and no marks or deterioration, having covered less than 1,500 miles since a £25K restoration, bare metal respray and refit.
The wonderfully quirky roll-up headlights are in fine fettle and all of the specific SE badges are present and correct.
The glass, the trim, the wheels and all of the ancillary components are in superb order, whilst a set of matching Continental SportContact tyres all round sets off the appearance of a truly beautiful and well cared for car.
This one really is something special - and it looks it.
Power comes from a 5.0-litre version of Porsche’s V8, which in SE guise develops 320bhp.
It sounds wonderful, thanks in no small part to a stainless sports exhaust system, while the Getrag five-speed manual transmission (complete with dog-leg first) is a joy to use, with a firm and positive shift.
The car has covered less than 1500 miles since its comprehensive restoration and according to the vendor is in absolutely fabulous mechanical order.
He reports that it drives brilliantly, is devilishly fast and has no known faults.
Don’t ever confuse this car with a standard 928 - it's much, much more than that.
By virtue of its rarity alone and also the fact that it's probably the best iteration of the 928 that Porsche ever made, it’s something very special indeed and it's not a model you’ll come across on the market very often – if at all ever again.
Here, then, is a very, very rare opportunity to buy one of the most fascinating and special Porsches ever produced, and with a fascinating history all of its own.
Notice to bidders
This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion. Photos and listing descriptions are for guidance purposes only*.** Car & Classic do not warrant listing accuracy. Full inspection is recommended. Viewings are at the seller’s discretion. Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased.*
UK-registered cars and motorbikes on Car & Classic are run through an online HPI check. On the HPI report, this vehicle shows no insurance database markers for damage or theft. It is currently not covered by a finance agreement.
A non-refundable buyer’s deposit is payable on this item, refer to FAQs and T&Cs for the applicable percentage.
Car & Classic's secure payment system protects buyers and sellers. At the end of the auction, the winning bidder transfers payment into a third-party escrow account. Once the transfer of the vehicle is complete, both parties confirm they are happy with the sale and the money is released to the seller.
1988 Porsche 928 S4 SE
About Max Bids
The max bid process allows you to bid without any hassle.
Enter your maximum bid and we will then bid on your behalf to ensure you're the highest bidder - just enough to keep you in the lead and only up until your maximum.
Anti-sniping
C&C prevent auction snipers from bidding in the last seconds to win an auction.
Auctions are extended by 3-minutes if anyone bids within the last 2 minutes to allow other bidders to react and counter-bid.
Auto-bidding increments
If your maximum bid is equal to or below the reserve price, your maximum bid will be applied in full if you are the highest bidder.
If you are the highest bidder and place a maximum bid above the reserve, we will automatically put in the reserve as your first bid.
Once the reserve has been met, Car & Classic will make sure you are the highest bidder using only the bidding increments stated below.
We will keep you in the lead up until your maximum bid OR the increment closest to your maximum bid, providing your maximum bid is enough to cover the increment value.
Bid Amount
Increment
£0 to £10,000
£100.00
£10,000 to £50,000
£250.00
£50,000 to £100,000
£500.00
£100,000+
£1000.00
Automatically outbid immediately
When you place a max bid and are outbid immediately that means that another bidder has placed a max bid limit which is higher than yours. You can bid again and we will use our automatic bid system to try and get you as the highest bidder.
Matching max bids
When there are two max bids of the same value, the one placed first remains the lead bidder.
What are pre-bids?
A pre-bid means you’re able to place a bid before the official start of the auction.
You will be notified whether or not you are the highest bidder when the auction starts.
Problem with your bid
Bids are contractually binding. To help protect you, we have some rules in place if we think it's been mistyped. Please check and amend what you have entered.
