1986 Porsche 924S

Finished in Zermatt Silver with a black cloth interior, ‘C660 DYK’ is said to be an “exceptionally original and low mileage” and “extraordinary” Porsche 924S.

Supplied new to its first owner, a Harley Street doctor, by Charles Follett in April 1986, it’s still showing just 32,964 miles on the odometer. 

But, as we all know, low miles don’t always equal quality, to which the seller countered that he’s only the third owner, that it has one of the most comprehensive history files he’s ever seen, and boasts “100% original” paint and panels.

Heck, he said, it's even got the original key fob and leather pouch that stop ‘em rattling in your pocket.

Perhaps we should remove the quotation marks, eh?

The seller tells us that the paintwork and underlying panels are all the originals, which explains the consistent shutlines and impeccable panel alignment; Porsche might have decided to go for the mass-market SUV in recent years but back-in-the-day it still built the best-engineered sportscars in the world.

Zermatt Silver (Porsche colour code LY7L) is a great colour too and, again, the fact this one looks as good as it does after almost four decades speaks volumes as to the factory QC and the quality of its care ever since.

Mind you, the owner did splash out on having the paintwork professionally polished and then sealed – and getting it done to this standard wouldn’t have been cheap.

The original teledial alloy wheels have been refurbished in the correct silver factory finish for a 924 of this vintage. Having escaped the current trend for fitting inappropriately large wheels to classic sportscars, the recently restored 15-inch rims are also fitted with a matching set of 195/65R15 Pirelli Cinturato P1 tyres. 

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The rest of the bodywork checks out, too. The bumpers are straight and fit well. They’re free of scuffs and scrapes too, as are the door mirrors. 

The light lenses are bright and free of damage, the rear spoiler is the Porsche original, and the headlamps pop up and down as they should.

The badges are correct, the side window glass is free of chips and cracks, and the large sunroof, which is hinged at the front and can be completely removed and stored in a bag in the boot, fits well. 

As for flaws, the windscreen is starting to delaminate, the rear screen has a chip in it, there some corrosion on the front valance, and the trim on the offside door is a bit scruffy.

And yet, we think even this could be seen as a positive because rather than tarting it up for sale, the seller chose to leave it as it is; a car is only original once, and this way the new owner can decide the direction they want to take it.

The thing that struck us when we first opened the doors is not how well it is preserved - although it is very well preserved indeed - but how well finished it all is.

Take a look at the centre console, for example, which is edged on either side with neatly cut and beautifully bound carpet – and a similar piece sits around the gearlever and hide gaiter.

The seat material has a subtle Porsche logo throughout it. There’s a leather-trimmed steering wheel too, plus a precision to the controls that this one’s fastidious curation has preserved.

This might have been Porsche’s cheapest model but the 924 is every inch the thoroughbred its siblings were.

Let’s go back to the seats, which aren’t only beautifully designed but look like they’ve scarcely been sat on. Almost completely free of even light creases, we’ve seen worse on a three-year-old car, never mind one that’s streaking towards its fifth decade.

The rear seats are even better, something the lack of legroom back there will have contributed to. They also fold down to create a luggage platform, which is almost certainly going to be more useful unless your children are very young.

The instruments, which are split between the dashboard and the centre console, are crystal-clear and offer the driver all the information they could hope for. 

The switches are still crisp and vivid too, and music comes via a gorgeous Blaupunkt Canberra headunit whose face can be removed as a precaution against theft.

Door cards, headlining, and carpets are all excellent and the dashboard is free of cracks. But then you’d guessed all that by now, hadn’t you?

You could probably take a stab at the condition of the space saver wheel too, eh? (Likely never used, obvs.) It lives in the (very nicely presented) boot alongside the original jack, tool kit, and the bag Porsche provided to store the removable sunroof in. 

The retractable luggage cover is present and correct too, something that’s becoming increasingly rare to see. The metal floor is, of course, utterly solid.

It’s all ridiculously clean and we can’t see a single thing that would bother even the most demanding of owners.

The 2.5-litre engine, which Porsche also used in the 944, starts very well and idles with good oil pressure and a healthy charge to the battery. It also revs well when provoked, and makes nothing but the right noises, especially from the exhaust.

The seller reports that it “drives very, very well”, singling out the brakes for praise after having had the calipers refurbished.

Last serviced by Auto A&E Limited on the 5th of May 2022, there are invoices on file for previous work.

The underside of the bonnet features new sound insulating mats, and the new struts allow you to admire it without fear of the bonnet crashing down on your head.

The rest of the engine bay is very good, and accessibility is excellent, which bodes well for home servicing if you’re a bit of a tinkerer. (And why not? After all, this might be a well-engineered sportscar but it’s also a simple one at heart.)

If you are looking for a gentle job to familiarize yourself then you could work your way through the underbonnet area changing the rusty fasteners and washers for new ones. It’s not that they’re bad, you understand, more that everything else is so good that they stand out more than they otherwise might.

Unless, like the seller, you prize originality above all else, in which case you could leave them as they are.

The underside is, as you’ll have seen from the online MoT history, very good indeed with nothing more than the usual smattering of light surface rust on suspension components and the like. The floors, wheelarches, and sills all look very good.

The 924’s MoT certificate is valid until May 2025, and the only advisory on this year’s ticket, the one that ruined its clear run since 2010, was for a numberplate bulb. 

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear and the 924 comes with two keys as well as the fob and leather pouch we mentioned in the introduction.

Oh, and remember the history file we talked about? Well, it really is a cracker, containing the book pack and wallet, the instructions for the Blaupunkt Canberra headunit, and a load of expired MoT certificates and tax discs plus invoices for routine servicing and maintenance work over the years. 

NB: The registration number shown in the photos does not come with the car and it will be provided with the number ‘C660 DYK’.

But, if you do fancy buying it, you can speak to Bonhams about circa. £20,000 for it; just think, if you bought the pair, you’d be putting what is arguably the best example of the breed in your garage with what is inarguably the best numberplate.

If you’re in the market for a Porsche 924 or 924S, then your time has come because we doubt you’ll find better than this, a fact you’ll be able to confirm if you’ve been looking for a while and have been disappointed with what you’ve found.

With a guide price of between £15,000 and £18,000, we think this collector-quality, investment-grade example offers astonishing value for money; currently somewhat unloved, the 924 must be due for a realignment in the near future and the market will always value the best of its kind.

Throw in the same sort of sum for the very best numberplate money can buy and you’d have a unique combination.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am- 12pm or 2pm-4pm. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.