1994 Porsche 928 GTS

Imported from a private collection in Japan and showing just 44,000kms (or around 27,300 miles) on the odometer, ‘M217 GMW’ is in an excellent condition and much better than most of the Porsche 928s you see being offered on the auction circuit.

Finished in Amethyst Metallic and fitted with the 5.4-litre engine and automatic gearbox, it ticks all the right boxes as a high-speed inter-continental grand tourer that’ll cosset you every bit as much as it will thrill you and your three passengers.

As a last-of-the-line GTS it also features the Porsche Cup door mirrors, flared rear wings, and Cup II alloy wheels. Of more interest to the enthusiastic driver are the ‘Big Black’ front brakes that help rein in the 345bhp and 369lb.ft of torque the later engine delivers. 

This 928 shows why Porsche became a byword for build quality back in the day. Still featuring razor-sharp shutlines and ripple-free flanks even after three decades, this is what you get when meticulous engineering meets the sort of fastidious curation you’d expect to see in a classic car collection in Japan.

Amethyst Metallic is an unusual colour to see a 928 finished in but it is also one that works well for a model whose aim was to shift four well-heeled folk across a continent in time for dinner rather than haring around a race track with its brakes on fire.

Not that you’d be able to get these bad boys to catch light easily; with the GTS ‘Big Black’ option fitted as standard behind those Cup II 17-inch alloy wheels, we doubt you’re going to ever find yourself in need of more braking power.

The wheels, which are in fine fettle, are fitted with a matching set of Yokohama Euro tyres. It looks like they’ve still got decent tread on them, but they have degraded with age and the front ones, at least, are date-stamped 2011. Their condition also triggered MoT advisories for each corner and given the car’s performance this should be one of the first jobs on your (short) To Do list.

The lamp lenses are free of chips and cracks, the headlamps pop up as they should, the badges are bright and clear, and the overall presentation is very, very good.

As for flaws, the windscreen has a chip in it, albeit way over on the passenger side and therefore not an issue for the MoT. That’s it.

The grey leather interior is every bit as good as the coachwork. Free of rips, tears and other damage, while the front seats show gentle creasing and a few light cracks to the surface, everything else is still excellent and looks virtually untouched. 

The front seats are electrically adjustable and still every bit as comfortable and supportive as they’ve ever been, while the two individual rear seats are in an even better condition. 

As you can see, the latter are divided by the transmission tunnel and a wide armrest, something that will either add a great deal of comfort for your adult passengers - or act as an effective wall to separate warring children.

Leather is also used to trim the dashboard, centre console, door cards, gearknob, handbrake lever, and rear quarter panels. It is all in a very good condition.

The headlining is clean and taut and free of damage too, the carpets are very good, and the dashboard is still clear and legible.

Toys are sparse compared to today’s offerings, but Porsche designed luxury in back then so while electric windows and seats plus air-conditioning might seem like poverty spec compared to today’s bloated offerings, you can at least rest assured that the first owner’s money went into top-flight engineering rather than bolted-on fripperies.

It’s lovely to see the original Porsche headunit still in place, but less so to see the aftermarket Pioneer Carrozzeria CD-multichanger and control, especially given their prominence. Originality is where the money lies these days, so you might like to consider having it carefully removed. After all, with a V8 under the bonnet to play with, who needs CDs anyway?

The tool kit in the boot is so clean that it may well be unused, and it’s much the same case for the carpet; we know we keep banging on about how well owners in Japan look after their cars, but you’ve got to admit this is all mightily impressive for a thirty-year-old car, isn’t it?

If you could sort the somewhat scruffy minor controls that sit either side of the steering wheel you’d be left with a cockpit that’s defied the years as effectively as the bodywork. 

Given how well the Porsche appears to have been looked after it won’t come as a surprise to see that it idles perfectly.

The engine bay is neat but a bit grubby, and while you’ve got the bonnet popped you could fit the air filter properly as the nearside is skewwhiff and doesn’t seat properly.

The underside looks rock solid and in need of nothing other than regular power-washing to keep it looking this good. 

The 928’s MoT certificate is valid until February 2025, and while it threw up a few advisories, brake discs accounted for most of the points, with a couple of oil leaks and some play in the steering forming the remainder (other than the tyres we’ve already mentioned).

As is so often the case with imported cars, especially ones that have spent their lives in a collection, paperwork is minimal. This might also account for any lack of servicing paperwork; the Sultan of Brunei’s name has been mentioned, and while there’s nothing in the file to confirm this, if it is true we would imagine he had his own people to look after his cars rather than booking them into the nearest main dealer…

Cars that have spent their lives in Japan tend to be in a much better condition than cars that have lived in Europe thanks to a winning combination of no-salt winters and diligent curation. 

Given this one was also in a private collection out there, you can multiply this one’s appeal by a factor of at least two. 

Dial in the fact it’s also a last-of-the-line GTS and you can see why we think this one’s going to attract an awful lot of attention.

Which will be reflected in its value. 

We estimate the final hammer will fall somewhere between £39,000 and £42,000. Not cheap then, but after you’ve fitted some tyres and sorted out the advisories, you’ll be left with one of the very best Porsche 928s on the planet.

And that’s priceless – and likely to be reflected in future residuals.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located with the seller in Rushden. 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’.