Even though you’ll always get the “why didn’t you buy a 911” look from people, I’ve always been a fan of the Porsche 944 as a stand alone entity. Sure, it isn’t quite as iconic as its rear-engined sibling, but this was one of the best handling cars to hit the pavement and they are a relative bargain on the used market today. The Turbo S debuted in 1988 with the M44/52 engine with 250 horsepower, Koni adjustable shock absorbers, harder bushings and larger diameter anti-roll bars. Larger front brakes from the 928S4 were also fitted and ABS was standard. This Turbo S for sale in Georgia has 67,000 miles on the clock and comes equipped with what could best be described as a very ’80s themed interior.
1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S on eBay
1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S Silver Rose Edition (1 of 339). Absolutely beautiful, garage kept, meticulously maintained 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S Silver Rose Edition with 67K original miles. One meticulous owner with documentation including original window sticker, stamped factory maintenance book, all keys, and scores an 80 on AutoCheck (normal score range 24-50). Could be considered extremely close to a “10” interior, exterior, and mechanically. One minor ding in the front valence and minor sand blasting of rocker panel behind front wheels and and ahead of rear wheels on both sides of car (see pictures). Everything functions as it should including A/C, Heat, Sunroof, etc. She was just serviced and completely gone through by Technica Motorsports in Atlanta. Belts, Rollers, Tensioner, Water Pump, Oil and filter change, Transaxle fluid change, Hood Shocks, H4 Headlight upgrade with 55/100w bulbs, etc. No paintwork or damage history, factory paint is untouched, please see detailed Paint Meter results.
Car will come with either Polished Club Sport Wheels or Refinished Club Sport Wheels, buyer’s choice, either set is perfect with new tires in proper factory sizing (225/50-16 and 245/45-16). I am a long time PCA member and have owned a 356B, 911’s, 928S4, 930’s, 944 Turbos, and a 996 GT2. I am a connoisseur of unique automobiles and I personally buy and sell 5-10 cars per year (hence the dealer’s license). I fully disclose every known detail about my cars so that there are never any surprises. I have exported several automobiles and I will gladly assist overseas buyers.
The last 944 Turbo S we featured had 35,000 miles and sold for $21,000. With almost double the mileage, can this car bring $20,000? Maybe $17,000 to $18,000 would be more realistic. But there might be someone out there looking for the best 944 they can find, and given that this car was owned by a Porsche enthusiast and PCA member certainly has its merits. Personally, this color combination isn’t my favorite, but the 944 is one of those bucket list cars for me. A Turbo S in this kind of condition would certainly be high on my shopping list when the time came.
-Paul
Back around 1994 Champion Porsche had one like this with just under 10K miles on consignment for one of their better clients. It was slightly modded (chip, exhaust) but was flawless and they wanted $25K. I test drove it and to this day it remains one of the best cars I’ve ever driven. I truly regret not pulling the trigger on it right then and there. I ended up picking up a 968 a couple of years later, and while the 968 was a fantastic car, it didn’t have the raw power of the Turbo S. The 944 Turbo S is a definite bucket list car for me and hopefully I can pick one up in the next few years before they all are a) beaten to a pulp or b) priced out of my range.
This is in my home town, too bad I don’t have 18k laying around. Love the interior.
Kudos to the seller for using the paint meter to verify original paint.
It’s a unique color combination and one that is sure to be polarizing. The interior shouldn’t matter to someone who plans on keeping the car for a long time. If the plan is to sell it again in a short time period, it could be a problem.
Now to a pet peeve. Why do people saddle their cars with cheap tires? Worn out Michelins are better than brand new Fuzions, Kumhos, etc… Any time I look at a car with cheap tires on it, I automatically assume I will have to replace all four and reduce my offer accordingly. It has led to some unpleasant conversations with the seller, but I’ve been burned one too many times on this.
As to the price, he’s way too high. There are plenty of cars out there to choose from if you’re willing to spend a little time. And yes, you can get a 911 for his $20k asking price. I peg it more along the lines of the $15,000 range.
KevinR – two points:
1) I run Kuhmos on my wife’s Subaru Outback. They’re fine tires and do everything easily as well as the factory Bridgestones AND are more quiet and much cheaper. They’ve come a long way in the past few years, and I’m not sure that the reputation you indicated is fair.
2) 944 Turbos – and specifically Turbo S and 89 (Turbo S spec) cars are appreciating, and a good model, such as this one, is marketing at more than 15 but probably less than 20 K. Throw in that this is the special color for the S, and it’s a no brainer and probably a better value than an E30 M3. Best of all, it has the correct polished Turbo S wheels – most are long gone. It’s only missing the Sport seat option – something my father has on his 89 White/White Turbo and those seats make the ride!
YMMV.
Sorry Carter, but my mileage does vary on Kumhos. I’m glad they have worked out for you. In my encounters with them, they have had problems with balance and roundness and showed strange wear patterns. Switch over to a Michelin or a Continental and the problems disappeared. But really, if a seller is asking for all of the money when selling a car, how do they justify installing a set of bargain price tires?
Back to this particular car: either this car or its twin was offered for sale about a year ago, from the same area of Georgia. If memory serves, the asking price was about the same then too.
I tried to edit, but apparently it didn’t take the changes…
I started with what I thought was a more realistic final value ($17,500) for this car if everything was right. Then I deducted the cost of a full set of tires, some cosmetic repairs, a little extra for those unexpected things that inevitably crop up, and 7% sales tax since I am a Georgia resident and the seller is a licensed used car dealer.
Okay, time for me to back up a little. I did some online checking and the correct rear tire size for a 944 Turbo S (245/45R 16) in a street compound has apparently been discontinued by almost all tire manufacturers. Excluding R compound tires, the only street tires I could find were manufactured by… Fuzion. My apologies.
Given that revelation, I would raise my estimate to the $16,000 range.
I thought these were more like $10k cars than $20k?
At this price I would rather buy a mine 80s era 911? No? You can get a perfect 911 SC for around $17k at the higher end. Strangely it would also be more reliable and more fun as well, at least more fun to me.
Ive seen 968s for this price but not 944s.
@miek: this is a 944 Turbo S, not a regular turbo. The 911SC may be more your cup of tea but I wouldn’t compare the two. The 911SC is in another league altogether, below this car. The price is right and it will start climbing as these become more scarce. There are people out there (I’m not one of them) that believe the only true Porsche is a rear engined Porsche. This car is not for them. I have driven plenty of 911s and I wouldn’t hesitate in choosing this 944 over a 911SC or even a newer Carrera. The performance numbers for these cars is more comparable to the 911 Turbo than the regular 911.