I recently read an article on Hagerty’s site which indicated that they were expecting values on some of the German performance cars from the 1980s to continue to increase in value. Certainly, we’ve seen this first hand from the explosion of values in the 911 and M3 market through the continuing appreciation of models like the M5, M6, Quattro and GTi. In the middle of all of those vehicles lies the no longer secret 944 Turbo. Faster than most of the equivalent competition yet comfortable, relatively easy to maintain and economical, the 944 Turbo has long been considered a massive value on the used market. For about 1/3 of the investment even a average Quattro or M3, you get the best performance, a still fairly modern looking interior and classic lines outside. But days of affordability in the 951 market appear to be numbered, as Hagerty has recorded sharply increasing values in the Turbo lineup. While condition 3 and 4 cars – the most common – have been slowly increasing, there’s been a Alp-esque rise to the best examples. Condition 2 cars now peak at around $18,000 – about double what they were 3 years ago. Move to the best condition examples, and you’re looking at a projected market price in excess of $30,000. That’s for the early cars, too – keep in mind, if you move to the later “S” or 1989 models, add a few thousand to the value right off the bat. But not everyone needs a show car, and the 944 Turbo remains a fantastic value as a classic driver if you look for an unmolested and clean example:
Tag: 944 Turbo
While there are faster cars, cheaper cars, flashier cars and cars that are easier to drive at the limit, few manage to be quite the combination of speed for dollar input as the 944 Turbo. Naturally almost perfectly balanced and with seemingly endless amounts of tunability and tweaking, the 944 Turbo is effectively now a 35 year old design that somehow still seems fresh. Every time I see a new 944 Turbo build I smile, as each time they just seem so naturally suited to the track-biased modifications. Today’s example is no exception and comes from a group who recently have been doing many of the best looking track builds, Motor Werks Racing. They’ve turned up these 944s and then dressed them in period livery that makes for one heck of a great looking package: