“But it's not a 911!” would have been the common term heard upon the Porsche944’s release to market in 1982. With the general public and motoring press’ only real experience of a front engined Porsche up until this point being the slightly underwhelming predecessor to the 944, the 924, it’s understandable why many people would have had their reservations about the all new front engined model trying to make a storm in the sports car world.

But they needn't have worried, as the all new improved 944 was nothing short of an excellent car. A faster, more comfortable and more equipped evolution of the 924, the 944 sported a 2.5 litre four cylinder engine (effectively half of the thumping 5.0 v8used in the 928) chosen for its blend of efficiency and performance, the 944 was good for 60 in under 9 seconds and proved to be an excellent dynamic drive when out on the road.

What resulted with the 944, was the one of the most successful Porsches ever made to this day. Manufacturing around 163,000 units, the 944 was the most successful up until the introduction of the Porsche Boxster. No mean feat for the radical new comer with its engine at the wrong end!
 

First registered for the road in November of 1984, this uber cool German performance piece found some fame behind the lens of a camera at the hands of its previous owner, who had a series documenting work performed on the car on the youtube channel “Pedal Box”. The videos are still present on the channel, and can be used to view various mechanical works being undertaken on the vehicle.

The Porsche was then purchased by its current owner some time around the start of the first UK lockdown as a way to keep occupied, thus continuing the pattern of subtly upgrading the mechanicals of the car to help maintain and improve its performance, they are now looking to move the car on to a new loving home.

The 944 benefits from the accompaniment of a comprehensive history file, in which, we find several invoices and receipts for the hoards of servicing work and mechanical upgrades that have been performed on the car, Many of these invoices originate from Design911 and GT One LTD, both specialists workshops who are nothing short of experts with the Porsche marque.

The car also possesses its most recent MOT certificate which is valid until July of 2022. Being a 1984 model, the 944 is just 2 years away from being classed as a historic vehicle, at which point it will be able to be registered as MOT and tax exempt by filling out the relevant DVLA paperwork.

The correct V5 registration documents are also present with the vehicle.

A prime example of that famed Porsche design and quality, the cabin of this 944 presents very well and is in remarkably clean shape. A true party piece being the original factory Porsche script seating, bordered with a rich black leather, the inserts of the sculpted body hugging seats, front and rear, are coated in a contrasting fabric stamped with the marque’s name. Both the leather and the fabric within are of a great standard and are distinctly lacking in wear, with just a minor tear to be seen on the drivers seat back bolster.

Protruding from the centre of the car, we find the excellent control panel flowing into the centre console. A wonderful piece of 1980’s design, bursting with bold, black and yellow gauges and switchgear, all in great condition. Within this we also find an upgraded aftermarket radio head unit, which much like the rest of the interior pieces, is of a good, clean quality. The iconic Porsche steering wheel still looks factory fresh with fresh black leather of a brilliant standard.

The early style, square dashboard and main gauge cluster mirror are in excellent order, the black plastics of the dash piece still rich with colour however showing some cracking courtesy but a protective mat placed over the top by the current owner to protect it from further sun damage and cracking at the hands of harsh sunlight.

At the sides, we find 2 well trimmed door panels. A mix of matching black leather and plastic that present very well and suit the high quality the rest of the cabin displays itself in. Down below sits a plush black carpet which drapes itself across throughout the interior and into the rear cargo area, which as to be expected is in great shape, and still holds a full size spare wheel and its retractable parcel shelf, which fully functions with ease.

For those who favour the bold, this 944 is certainly the right tool for the job. Boasting a two tone GULF racing style blue and orange paint job, this certainly stands out among the dull silvers and blacks of modern day traffic. A far cry from the original champagne silver style paint scheme the car left the factory with all those decades ago.

Whilst the car itself does indeed present well from the outside, with the pale blue and orange paintwork still possessing a great shine, it could ideally benefit from some light recommissioning work. Courtesy of some new sills, welded in by GT One LTD, the 944 is incredibly solid, however there are some minor signs of surface rust and some blemishing and cracks making themselves known on the paintwork, most notably at the front end and rear drivers side corner.

Up front the all important and quintessentially 1980’s pop up headlights work well and function with ease, really setting the car off when up and on. All around the glass work including the signature large rear tailgate piece are in remarkably clean condition and present excellently, and owing to new electric window runners, both front window pieces function fully as well. It should be noted that the car also possesses a grey fitted outdoor protective cover made by Concours Autoproducts.

The car sits on a set of 4 real 16” BBS alloy wheels, whilst not original to the car, these are believed to be period correct for this era of vehicle. The wheels themselves are in great shape and are housed on Toyo Proxes tyres.

If the brilliant GULF paint job wasn't enough to get you off your feet, the mechanical side of things certainly will do. Starting under the bonnet, where we find a great example of Porsche’s 2.5 litre powerhouse that has benefitted from an important cambelt and water pump change, alongside an oil and filter service, new HT leads, ignition coil, distributor cap and arm, 2 cam position sensors, a replacement radiator and thermostat and a full belt replacement.

As a result of this rather extensive maintenance, the engine fires into life with ease, with a beautiful tone being produced from the newly installed, upgraded Dansk stainless exhaust system running from the manifold back.

On the road, the 944 is reported to provide a wonderful dynamic drive, with plenty of power on tap at request. The drive is reportedly made so good courtesy of the linear throttle actuator that has been fitted to the car, which in the words of the current owner, transforms the driving experience. The car is still accompanied by its original non linear throttle actuator along with a host of other spare parts including an original speedometer.

There will be no worries about coming to a stop in this 944 as it has been fitted with EBC grooved and slotted discs and EBC yellowstuff pads up front. The handbrake system has also been extensively refurbished by GT One LTD as this had been a prior MOT failure.

There would have been a point in time in which the phrase Porsche 944 would have been swept under the rug by many Porsche enthusiasts. It’s rather great to report that those days are long gone, with the 944 finally getting the recognition it deserves as a great usable driver's car, with bundles of character and style. As a result good examples are becoming more and more sought after and harder to find.

What we have here is a mechanically sound early example, boasting subtle performance upgrades and extensive mechanical servicing history. With a bold and unique paint job to really stand out in the crowd.

With a long mot, solid bodywork and a cambelt and water pump change, this 944 is one to be jumped into and enjoyed for many years to come.


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