1991 Porsche 928 S4

First registered in March 1991 and the subject of a full ‘glass out’ respray in 2016, this stunning Porsche 928 S4 is finished in the unusual, but attractive, colour of Samtrot (Velvet Red) metallic. Backed up by a matching burgundy interior, there’s further good news in that it’s had a lot of money spent on freshening up that cockpit, too.

The previous owner bought the car on a bit of a whim to tick a 928 off his Bucket List. He kept it very well maintained and there is a ring binder full of invoices and a very well stamped maintenance booklet to prove it. Just last summer he also had the wheels refurbished and shod with matching Michelin tyres.

Our vendor, the car’s 10th owner, bought the car from us only a few months ago after visiting to look at an E-Type and spotting this Porsche. When the Jaguar’s price went too high, he put in a bid on this 928 and won.

As well as a collector of sports cars, our vendor has also been racing historic single-seaters for many years, with some success too in Monoposto and Formula Junior classes.

He drove the 928 home from The Market HQ to Stroud in Gloucestershire and has driven it locally a few times, but sadly he’s since received a diagnosis which means that he needs to focus on his health rather than maintaining and improving his collection of sports cars and racing cars, so the 928 has to go.

He’s given it a fresh MOT and has identified a few things that need sorting out - air conditioning not working, heater valve stuck and one of the cooling fans not getting power - and was looking forward to getting the car back to top condition, but now hasn’t the time to work on it.

GCR Central, the independent Porsche specialists, resprayed the car in late 2016 at a cost of almost £5,000. A proper job that saw all the glass being removed before the paint was applied, the respray was carried out in the car’s original colour of Samtrot Metallic. The boss, a man who regular readers will know by now is not the easiest man in the world to please, rates the work as “a solid nine out of ten”, which is high praise indeed.

The shutlines are tight and even, the flanks are free of ripples, and the whole vehicle hangs together very well indeed. You want more proof? Well, how about the fact that the headlamps rise and fall as they should, as do the electric windows? Or that the sunroof opens and closes as it should and seals tightly? This is, as you can see for yourself, a very well-maintained example indeed.

July 2020 saw the 17-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels being refurbished by GCR Central. Both tailgate dampers were replaced at the same time along with four matching Michelin PS2 tyres fitted. All-in-all, the work set the owner back £1,400.

As we will never tire of explaining, our 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.

Work to do is, as you’ve probably gathered by now, minimal. The front number plate is cracked, there is a tiny area of rust on the underside of the boot lid, the rear windscreen wiper doesn’t work, and the offside front indicator lenses has an almost invisible crack in it.

But, the fact that that is the extent of the work that is needed says it all, doesn’t it?

The front seats were refurbished in 2017 by Classic Car Services, work that also included refurbishing the door cards and steering wheel. Clearly only lightly used since then, it still looks fabulous – and if you’re not completely sold on the hue can we point out that if you’re buying a period sports car then period colour schemes like this are an important part of that experience. (It’s also subdued compared to many Porsches of the period, some of which are, shall we say, ‘striking’ in their intensity and colour.)

Over the years we’ve come to use the condition of the seats in a 928 as something of a shortcut to understand how well it has been maintained; if they adjust as they should electrically then we can be fairly confident that it’s had the right money spent in the right places at the right time.

These work perfectly, which is a big tick for its overall condition, as are the burgundy door cards, with their twin speakers and contrasting cream inserts, which are in great shape.

The switches and dials are gloriously minimal and serve to remind us that you really don’t need much in a car like this, a car that was a top-of-the-range supercar driven by the great and the good, back in the day.

As you’ll have correctly assumed, the boot and cabin floors are all solid too, and the carpets that lie above them are all decent.

Interior problems are, like those of the exterior, minor. The electric boot release makes all the right noises but doesn’t do much else. However, it does open on the key, something that leads us to think that the problem might not be too complicated to resolve.

The instrument binnacle is lightly cracked but the dashboard is fine, so repairing or replacing it shouldn’t be too expensive. The aerial looks to be unplugged.

If you’re really looking for something to keep you busy (and God knows, most of us are these days…) then you might like to track down an OE stereo to replace the more modern Kenwood CD/radio head unit that’s currently fitted.

The service history is excellent, comprising:

• 01.07.1991 and 2,098 miles – service by Evans Halshaw, Warwick

• 03.12.1991 and 7,342 miles – service by Evans Halshaw, Warwick

• 09.06.1992 and 11,771 miles – service by Evans Halshaw, Warwick

• 17.12.1992 and 18,532 miles – oil change by Evans Halshaw, Warwick

• 20.07.1993 and 23,604 miles – service plus fresh coolant, brake fluid, and gearbox oil and filter by Evans Halshaw, Warwick

• 13.02.1995 and 31,098 miles – service by Chariots of St Albans

• 29.02.1996 and 43,110 miles – service by H.R. Owen

• 15.01.1997 and 54,484 miles – fresh coolant, brake fluid, and gearbox oil and filter by AFN Porsche at a cost of over £2,000

• 16.09.1997 and 66,387 miles – service by AFN Porsche

• 22.04.1998 and 77,943 miles – service by AFN Porsche

• 30.10.1998 and 90,331 miles – service by AFN Reading

• 22.05.2000 and 94,825 miles – service by Heritage of Brentwood

• 28.03.2002 and 100,471 miles – service and a new cambelt by Lancaster Colchester

• 15.06.2016 and 110,922 miles – service, fresh coolant, and brake fluid by Autoumbau Porsche. This, plus some other fettling, saw the eventual bill top £1,800.

• 05.04.2019 and 111,136 miles – service by GCR Central, Porsche specialists plus new power-steering fluid and coolant.

• 19.01.2021 – new camshaft drive belt by Auto2000, Porsche specialists

As you can see, it starts perfectly, ticks over wonderfully, and revs like a demon. Few cars are as spine-tingling as this, and this is a very good example of the breed.

The engine bay is a little grubby but then we’re very much on the OCD end of that particular scale. The underside is strong, which even we would have to admit is far more important than a beautifully detailed engine, even if both camps might like to apply a coat of decent underseal to the underside, if for no other reason than to hide the small amount of overspray that spoils its appearance.

The Porsche’s MOT certificate, which is valid until July 2022, was gained without a single advisory point, something it’s no stranger to over the years.

It has a number of expired MOT certificates plus a ring binder of invoices and bills from folk like AFN of Guildford to confirm the work that has been done to it. It also still has its original owner’s handbook, that very well stamped service history, the rest of the book pack, and the soft storage wallet.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

Most people think they’d be better off buying an immaculate Porsche 928, preferably one that is well under the (entirely arbitrary) 100,000-mile mark. But, given the current complexities that life is throwing at us and the associated financial uncertainty, you really might be better off investing a lot less into something you can dribble money into as and when it becomes available.

Which is not to say that this is an old dog, because it most certainly isn’t - in fact it’s one of the better ones we’ve seen. Its bodywork is in excellent condition and mechanically it seems pretty sound - running and driving well - and it has had a lot of work done recently that will benefit the next owner for a number of years.

The vendor has identified a few things to fix, but none of them are particularly urgent or challenging and feels that with just a little work, someone will have a very, very nice car on their hands.

The Porsche 928 has recently been identified by a number of classic car commentators as one to buy soon before asking prices go the way of its rear-engined brethren. This uncommon colour isn’t going to be to everyone’s taste, but we know of collectors who are starting to look for the less obvious colours as better future investments.

We think this 928 S4 will sell for between £15,000 and £19,000 - which isn’t bad for a car which combines a highly desirable marque with a highly desirable engine configuration. It’s being sold with NO RESERVE too, so there’s a cracking chance of bagging a bargain.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; our offices are open Mon-Fri 9.00 am to 5.00 pm.  To arrange an appointment 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, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.