During my childhood, I remember seeing an advertisement for a Porsche 928 that said “it’s about as fast as you can go without having to eat airline food.” If you were a businessman in Germany in the 1980s, there were few better options in a country with no federally mandated speed limit than this car. Even today, the 928’s capability seems almost modern, especially when it comes to the S4 version with the 5.0 liter V8. This 928S4 for sale in California is a lightly used example, having covered less than 40,000 miles in 27 years.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 Porsche 928S4 on eBay
Year: 1987
Model: 928S4
Engine: 5.0 liter V8
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Mileage: 38,079 mi
Price: Reserve auction
Offered for sale is a beautiful, 38k original mile, mechanically strong, two owner 1987 Porsche 928 S4, finished is its factory correct and ceaselessly tasteful Diamond Blue Metallic over Navy Blue leather. Ordered new by its original owner in Columbus, Ohio, he would own the car for the ensuing 24 years, always keeping it garaged and maintained and always using it as a weekend driver. In 2011 he sold the car to an acquaintance, a gentleman with a large Porsche collection that owned a regional automotive parts franchise. The second owner had known of the car for years, as he’d sold many of the parts it needed for routine maintenance. In the two plus years he owned the car, he rarely put many miles it, and consequently the original 38k miles showing on the odometer is correct and documentable via Carfax and the car’s stamped service booklet.
When the 928 first hit the showroom floor, it was absolutely the car to have. As Porsche’s first seriously expensive GT car, the 928 drew the ire of Porsche enthusiasts worldwide upon its announcement. But as soon as they realized it wasn’t built to replace the beloved 911 (just to compliment it in an enthusiast’s garage), opinions changed. A big V8 Autobahn bomber, the 928 was far more civilized than the 911, boasting big comfortable seats, power everything, usually an automatic transmission and all the Star Wars/Reagan era futuristic design elements that a successful 1980’s man could ask for. From Cannes to Beverly Hills, if you were somebody you would have walked into a dealership and bought a 928 S4. Whether making a vacation trip from Milan to Monaco or Los Angeles to San Francisco on business, the 928 was (and arguably still could be), the car of choice, providing a wonderful drive quality without frustrating your wife. It’s a true GT cruiser; extremely comfortable with a V8 that has great torque, making smooth, enjoyable driving effortless. Furthermore, in following with Porsche’s legendary legacy, the handling is great and the looks are timeless.
The Diamond Blue Metallic finish is in excellent condition, deep, lustrous and marred only by the most negligible of imperfections, none of which are significant enough to register in the pictures. The car’s body is entirely straight, free of dings or evidence of body work, and all of the panel fits and gaps are consistent and factory correct. The glass and rubber is excellent original shape, as are the original alloy wheels, wrapped in tires with plenty of remaining tread. The car’s interior is equally as clean, the navy leather seats and carpets showing only minimal wear. The power sunroof, power seats, power windows, power rear hatch locking device and all of the other electronics work exactly as they should, and the car retains its original, functional Blaupunkt Reno radio. For that matter, everything on the car is stock – it hasn’t been modified in any way.
The car is also excellent mechanically, feeling like a tight, well-maintained, 38k mile example should. Despite its low miles, the car was always regularly driven and serviced and always garaged and professionally detailed. It starts effortlessly, producing a low rumble to announce its 316hp 5.0L V8. It’s smooth through all of the gears, pulling with incredible force when asked. With its quiet cabin and even drive quality, it’s very easy to look down at your gauges on the freeway and realize you’re doing 95mph when you assumed you were only a hair over 70. Despite the fact it’s a front engine V8, it’s still a Porsche and it performs with poise in the canyons as well as on the freeway.
This is an excellent opportunity at one of the lowest mileage 928s on the market. With vintage Porsches appreciating faster than any other marque (save for Ferrari), the outlandish numbers that 356s and 911s have been realizing have made the 928 a legitimate and unique collector’s car. Tasteful colors, impeccable condition, low miles, 5.0L engine, etc. etc…if you’ve been looking for one, it would be hard to find a better example. We want this car to go to great home and would be happy to further discuss it and answer any questions, so please feel free to email us or call us at 805-202-4557. You can also visit us online at GoodmanReed.
Goodman Reed Motorcars
We’ve always had an appreciation for classic European cars and over the years have created an eclectic personal collection. We only buy cars that we’d personally be interested in owning and generally only sell them to make room for other acquisitions. That time has come for this Porsche (if the price is right, of course – this isn’t a fire sale). We try to give accurate descriptions of the cars we’re selling, but we’re enthusiasts, not experts, and we encourage and are happy to help facilitate personal or professional inspections. But please do so before bidding, as the alternative harms our ability to make sales to other interested parties who have done their proper due diligence before bidding.
For U.S. buyers a 10% non-refundable deposit is required within 3 days of the auction’s end, the balance to be paid within 7 days of the auction’s end. Foreign buyers must pay in full within 7 business days of the auction’s end. Buyer is responsible for shipping, however we’d be more that happy to help with recommendations and arrangements. The car is listed locally and we reserve the right to end the auction at any time should it sell prior to auction’s end. Thanks for your interest.
These grand tourers languished for years at the bottom of the market, but they are getting the respect they finally deserve. Find a good one and be prepared to shell out a decent sum. A sorted one in good shape with low mileage like this should bring strong money. The high end for these S4s seems to be around the mid $30,000 range. I’d suspect this one should bring somewhere around $25,000 at a minimum.
-Paul
First Porsche I ever drove was a ’78 928 5 speed (and Pasha interior!) when I was 16 years old. To say that it completely reprogrammed my feelings of what a proper GT should drive like would be an understatement. I thought that my ’85 Trans Am was all that and a bag of chips but this 8 years older 928 simply blew my mind. I’ve had a permanent spot on my bucket list for the 928 ever since. This one is beautiful and looks very well maintained and cared for.
Anyone have a sense or number on the ration of automatics to manuals that were sold in the US? It seems like most of the S4’s I see for sale are slushboxes.
Exact production figures don’t seem to be available, but the 928’s Wikipedia page says estimates are somewhere between 15-20% of 928s were made with a manual transmission.