1990 Porsche 944 S2

First registered on 30 May 1990 at Chariots Porsche St Albans, this Porsche 944 S2 with the 3-litre engine and standard 5-speed manual transmission has had 10 previous owners who have diligently maintained the car but have also enjoyed using it. It’s no garage queen but equally, 138,000 miles is not a huge mileage for a 30+ year old car.

The 11th owner and vendor is a financier and classic car broker - operating between the UK, Switzerland and Italy - who seeks out the best examples for his clients, but this is a car that he bought for his own collection back in November 2018.

Having only used the car on good weather days and keeping it garaged otherwise, the vendor is now spending most of his time abroad and can no longer enjoy it and give it the use it deserves.

We've have had the good fortune to drive this particular car and were very impressed. There were no rattles or knocks, the steering was straight – even under reasonably heavy braking – and the engine still pulls well. It’s in terrific nick, for a 30+ year-old car, those Germans certainly made ‘em well!

This 944 S2 is painted in what must be the most popular and desirable Porsche colour - the classic Guards Red - which is guaranteed to turn heads as it passes. What isn’t so great about this finish is that it oxidises and fades over time, requiring successive owners to keep it covered and regularly polished to maintain the lustre.

The exterior of this example is very strong and although the bonnet bears the almost imperceptibly fine scratching and swirls of regular polishing, the odd bit of bird-lime lacquer burn and a few small stone chips here and there on the nose, there is very little to find fault with in the 30-year old paint.

Across the body, there are just a couple of small areas that are starting to bubble and it’s the usual areas along the lower third of the flanks. The first is above the offside sill just in front of the driver’s door and the other is above the nearside sill by the rear wheel arch.

There is nothing, though, that is visible until you get within touching distance and overall this is a fabulous looking car, from its characteristic pop-up front headlamps (which function well) to the rubber spoiler at the rear.

The Porsche sits on its original equipment 16-inch Design 90 cast alloy wheels, which present in excellent condition and are fitted with matching Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres dated 2006-8 but still looking in good order with sufficient tread depth.

Good quality matching tyres are an infallible sign of a car that has been looked after by a mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the money to keep the car in the very best condition; as such, we use them as something of a ‘shortcut’ when assessing a car’s likely overall mechanical condition – and they’ve never let us down.

The interior of this 944 S2 is mostly black. Black vinyl covers the door cards, dash and centre console and the main body of the seats which have black and white pinstriped velour facings.

There is a small patch of wear in the vinyl on the driver’s seat side bolster (when isn’t there?) and the velour at the top of the rear seats has faded a little under the greenhouse effect of the rear hatch glass, but otherwise the upholstery is in a good condition.

There is a modern Alpine CD stereo fitted, along with a Parrot Bluetooth hands-free kit which both pump out through Blaupunkt speakers. So far as we’ve been able to test, all electrical and interior equipment works as it should with the exception of the digital clock’s liquid crystal display which has failed.

The black carpeting appears very clean and tidy throughout - like it has been replaced fairly recently. The front and rear footwells are further protected by not just one set of overmats but two!

Up above, there’s no headlining as such but the detachable roof panel and internal surrounds are covered in black vinyl, which appears in a good condition.

The bonnet lifts and holds nicely on its struts and exposes a very clean and tidy engine bay. There’s the usual oxidation of the coatings on the cam cover and manifolds, and light surface rust on the brake servo housing but other than that this is a remarkably rust free engine compartment. Clearly looked after, there are signs of recent renewal to various hoses and cables.

Underneath the car, there is good underseal across the floor pans and other than the usual surface rust on some of the structural members, exhaust and mechanicals there are few signs of any corrosion. There was a welding repair carried out to the nearside rear substructure by the axle in 2018 but nothing that has been identified since.

Inside the large glass dome of the rear hatch, which is held up well by the gas struts, the boot carpets and linings look like new and the roller-blind load space cover is intact and functional. Under the carpet is the battery, replaced in 2019, a Vredestein collapsible spare tyre and a scissor jack. Inside the car is a tyre compressor and first aid kit, should they be needed.

The 944 has a current MOT valid until February 2022 which it passed with no advisories. The combination of the online history and paper copies shows near annual testing going back to the year 2000 and validates the current mileage.

The car comes with a large and well organised binder containing expired MOTs, old tax discs, operating instructions for the Alpine stereo, garage bills and invoices dating back to May 1993, original driver’s manual and the service booklet with 21 vehicle service stamps including Official Porsche Centre servicing to 2000.

Stamped service history:

Aug 1990 - 2,135 - Chariots Porsche St Albans

Apr 1992 - 13,116 - Chariots Porsche St Albans

May 1993 - 18,737 - AFN Porsche Reading

Jul 1994 - 23,246 - AFN Porsche Reading

Sep 1995 - 32,127 - AFN Porsche Reading

Sep 1996 - 43,357 - AFN Porsche Reading

Sep 1997 - 57,482 - AFN Porsche Reading

Sep 1998 - 72,076 - AFN Porsche Reading

Sep 1999 - 84,603 - AFN Porsche Reading

Sep 2000 - 91,148 - AFN Porsche Reading

Feb 2002 - 96,041 - Wilshers Hertfordshire

Jan 2004 - 102,504 - Wilshers Hertfordshire

Jan 2005 - 105,541 - Wilshers Hertfordshire

Mar 2006 - 108,098 - Gantspeed Lincolnshire

Jan 2007 - 114,021 - PCT Porsche Specialist Coventry

Feb 2008 - 120,696 - KP Classic Staffordshire

Nov 2008 - 123,667 - Sherwood Restorations Notts

Oct 2009 - 127,612 - Redhead Auto Kent

Jun 2013 - 135,974 - Dryclough Lane Halifax

Jul 2017 - 137,490 - Dryclough Lane Halifax

Jul 2018 - 137,660 - Dryclough Lane Halifax

Also with the car is a copy of the November 2009 ‘911 & Porsche World’ Magazine in which this car featured as a ‘Tried and Tested’ subject by an independent Porsche inspector.

Many argue that cars like the Porsche 944 are the sweet spot of the classic car world; old enough to be largely analogue in their response and repairability yet still new enough to benefit from the sort of reliability and safety features we’ve all come to take for granted.

Plus, as a late model S2, it’s got the power the chassis deserves and nearly a decade of experience building it - so any production foibles would have been ironed out long before this one rolled off the line.

Compared to the contemporary 911 (964), they’re an absolute bargain and we think this one - a very strong and solid example which starts and drives well - will sell for between £8,000 to £12,000.

The 944 is a much-loved classic sports car and this one appears to demand very little of its new owner other than continued care and enjoyable driving.

Inspection is always encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.