Last month I wrote an article for The Truth About Cars where I covered the special models of the Porsche 924. Recounting the various special editions drew into sharp focus the general lack of any performance gains with those models. Sure, some had sway bars and fog lights – two of the best known performance upgrades in the 1980s. But generally speaking, most of the Porsche 924 limited models were just a special color stripes and/or special interior. The 1976 and 1977 World Championship Edition 924 is probably the best example of that, but before it’s completely dismissed as a mega-poser, it’s worth a look if for no other reason than it’s quite the looker:
Tag: 924
Disclaimer: I have a thing for entry level cars. Especially German ones. But labeling the Porsche 924S as entry level is selling this car short. Sure, it could be considered the lesser Porsche for a period of the company’s history, but this car served as the basis for some of the greats, like the 924 Carrera GT, 944 Turbo and the final evolution of the four-cylinder transaxle Porsche, the 968. Given their affordability brings with it a problem, namely owners who neglect these vehicles. This 1987 924S for sale in Florida is not one of those neglected examples, rather a stunning piece finished in Guards Red with the proper 5-speed manual gearbox.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 Porsche 924S on eBay
3 CommentsIt’s easy to overlook the importance to Porsche of the 924 model, but it was a significant and successful model – purists be damned. Not only did it make Porsche a viable company so that those precious air-cooled dinosaurs could be produced, but it laid the platform for many enthusiast favorites down the road both inside and outside of Germany. Of course, the most tangible benefit was the later 944 and 944 Turbo spawned from the bones of the 924, but highly prized models from other manufacturers were also influenced; the Mazda RX-7 was a blatant copy for example, but you can also see aspects of the 924 seep in to the Toyota Supra and Nissan 300ZX designs later in the 1980s.
Like its similarly revolutionary big brother 928, for some time the market did not recognize the importance or the significance of these designs. But while the 928’s needle has begun to head up the tach, the lowly 924 remains an absolute budget bargain for classic Porsche fans. One model that has gained some appreciation of late is the 924 Turbo. Though the technology was relatively primitive compared to more recent turbocharged mills, the 931 packed a potent punch in the early 1980s. Even in detuned American-market form, the 924 Turbo had nearly 150 horsepower from the pedestrian but heavily revised Volkswagen 2.0 liter at the same time that a 5.0 liter Corvette hit the market with 180 lazy horses. The Turbo was upgraded over its relatively short life span too, and models like this 1980 came equipped with a sport package that included 16″ forged wheels, upgraded 4-wheel disc brakes and a sport suspension:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1980 Porsche 924 Turbo on eBay
Comments closedAs a habit, we try not to write up project cars. There are other sites that do that and a project car takes a specific subset of fanatics to be really interested. Most will turn their heads, unwilling to front the cash to complete the build. Some might be interested but have neither the skills, the resources, the time or the space to undertake the project. And, to be honest, most project cars are complete headaches – basket cases that were hastily thrown together or require enough reverse engineering that you’re better off starting from scratch. But once in a while one comes along that is both so cool and unique that it justifies a second look and disregarding the angels of our better nature who chant not-so-softly into our ears “DON’T DO IT!“: