1987 Porsche 928 S4

First registered in May 1988, ‘E709 CTU’ is a Series 4 Porsche 928 fitted with the five-litre V8 engine that deploys its 320bhp to the rear axle via an automatic gearbox.

Supplied new by Dingle Garages of Llandudno Junction on the day Perfect by Fairground Attraction was number one, the odometer still reads just 91,000 miles.

Only for sale because the seller finds himself with two parking spaces and three cars, he’s so enamoured with it that he’s bought a 1:18 scale replica to console himself.

Finished in Black (or Schwarz, paint code L700), the 928 reeks of menace – and it’s not subdued menace, either; with no extraneous decorations to get in the way the 928’s purposeful-yet-aerodynamic shape is free to shine.

And shine it does; black might be a helluva risky colour for an older car but when it shines as brightly as it does here there’s no finer hue because, with only a few obvious flaws, the impression it gives is good.

As are the panels, whose shutlines are still as tight and consistent as you could hope for. It all hangs together very convincingly, especially when you factor in the use of different materials, something that would magnify any problems with either colour or alignment. Porsche nailed it here though, and the car’s subsequent owners have maintained it well.

The lamp lenses are all good too, as are the badges and decals. The headlamps also pop up and down as they should, and the huge rear spoiler is as attractive as it is effective.

There’s a factory-fitted metal sunroof too, and this not only slides fore and aft, it also seals tightly when it is closed.

Nor does the good news end there; as regular watchers will know we prize matching tyres very highly and these do indeed match.

They’re Toyo Proxes too, a good name that’re fitted to some very good 16-inch alloy wheels. Free of scuffs and dinks, the lack of kerbing damage again speaks volumes as to the quality of curation the Porsche has enjoyed over the years.

Plus, 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.

As for work to do, the most obvious are the cracks to the front bumper which the vendor had a quote of £500 to fix along with the door below*. The nearside front wing and door are also scuffed, and the nearside front wing also has a small dent in it.

We also noticed a bubble under the seal at the base of the nearside rear window, a small dent on the nearside front wing, some lacquer loss to some of the wheels, some perished rubber seals, the windscreen has started to delaminate at the offside top corner, and the *finish to the driver’s door frame isn’t as good as elsewhere.

And while the front tyres do have decent tread left on them, they’re eight years old now, so will need replacing soon.

A Jaguar of this era would be stuffed full of wood and leather and chrome but that’s not the German way and while there is leather – and very nice leather at that – there’s no wood or chrome or, indeed, any other fripperies.

Because Porsche is a design-led company so what there is is flawlessly ergonomic – and very reliable.

And, to eyes used to modern cars, there doesn’t seem to be much in there but the 928 dates back to a time when luxury was engineered in rather than bolted on. Besides, what else do you really need apart from air-conditioning, electric seats, windows and mirrors, central locking, and pop-up headlamps?

Apart from ruched leather.

Like big hair and shoulder pads, nothing screams 1980s like ruched leather – and if you’re going to buy a car of this era then you might as well go all in, eh?

The black and white colour scheme is very of-the-period while neatly side-stepping some of the more lurid colours the firm offered back then: Kermit Green leather, anyone?

As for its condition, the front seats show little more than gentle creasing. Still comfortable and offering excellent lateral support via those pronounced bolsters, the seller tells us they still adjust nice and smoothly at the touch of a button.

The rear seats, individual formed and wonderfully snug as a result, are in an even better condition but then they fold down to provide extra luggage space and a larger boot, which is how most folk tend to leave ‘em in day-to-day use.

The door cards continue the colour scheme, which helps alleviate any gloominess the cabin might otherwise suffer from. They are in a good condition, albeit with a loose armrest and a broken speaker grille on the driver’s door. (There’s another broken speaker grille in the boot, too.)

The headunit, which is a Blaupunkt Hamburg, provides further proof that a previous owner wasn’t afraid to spend money on it.

The carpets are good too, and the ones we lifted showed nothing other than clean, solid metal underneath.

The black vinyl headlining looks to be in good shape too being taut and free of damage.

The boot contains an indoor car cover embroidered with the Porsche logo, which is another nice touch. As is the solid boot floor, which looks like it’s probably the original as it still has the specification sheet stuck to it.

There’s also a red space-saver spare wheel, an air compressor, and the factory toolkit. It all looks good but the interior boot release doesn’t work, so you must use the key

As for other work you might like to do, the air-conditioning needs recharging and the seats would benefit from being cleaned and fed. Other than that (and the issues we mentioned earlier) we’d be tempted to leave the rest alone because what little wear it shows is nothing more than a pleasing patina.

The Porsche’s service and maintenance record is very good:

• 17.03.1990 and 8,751 miles – service by Ian Anthony of Wilmslow including brake fluid
• 30.05.1991 and 18,089 miles – service by Merlin Manchester
• 21.02.1992 and 25,045 miles – service by Strattons of Wilmslow including brake fluid
• 21.06.1993 and 33,875 miles – service by JCT600
• 12.05.1994 and (unknown) miles – service by Strattons of Wilmslow including brake fluid
• 16.09.1994 and 47,869 miles – service by Evans Halshaw including brake fluid
• 25.09.1995 and 53,041 miles – service by Evans Halshaw
• 13.09.2002 and 62,857 miles – service by AFN Porsche
• 27.10.2008 and 70,628 miles – service plus miscellaneous work by JZM at a cost of £2,410
• 15.05.2009 and 72,748 miles – service by GT One Ltd including brake fluid, and transmission oil and filter
• 04.05.2010 and 76,542 miles – service by GT One Ltd including brake discs, pads, and fresh fluid
• 18.05.2011 and 79,378 miles – service by GT One Ltd
• 23.04.2012 and 81,713 miles – service by GT One Ltd
• 17.04.2013 and 84,226 miles – service by GT One Ltd
• 19.03.2015 and 88,127 miles – service by Arun Limited
• 15.10.2015 and 88,218 miles – service by (unreadable) including cambelts and waterpump
• 10.10.2016 and 88,743 miles – service by ProMAX Motorsport
• 24.11.2016 and 88,810 miles – new radiator by Radtec Racing Radiators and ProMAX Motorsport
• 07.07.2018 and (unknown) miles – service and miscellaneous work by 928 Spares including Polybushes at a cost of almost £3,000
• 03.10.2020 and 89,680 miles – service and miscellaneous work by 928 Spares including new cambelt, waterpump, and tensioner and much more at a cost of £4,761
• 07.11.2022 and 89,903 miles – new odometer and miscellaneous work including the gearbox by CavendishPorscha at a cost of just over £700
• 27.09.2023 and 90,751 miles – service by CavendishPorscha including brake fluid, sparkplugs, cambelt and tensioner at a cost of just over £2,000

As you can see, all this hard work (and money – lots of money as we’ll see in a moment) has paid off because the 928 fires into life with enthusiasm. It revs very well too but is equally happy when idling. Both states show good oil pressure and there are no warning lights on the dashboard to spoil the party.

It’s a civilized engine from within the cabin, which is in line with its role as a grand tourer par excellence. The mood picks up a little when you lift the bonnet, but the real symphony takes place at the blunt end where the exhaust note (via a single tailpipe mind…) sends a shiver down the spine.

The seller’s been to France twice in it, once to Le Mans in convoy with a mate in his 911. He says the 928 got far more attention and raved about how comfortable it is; he’s six foot and says it’s the most comfortable car he’s ever driven.

He’s also full of praise for the gearbox work CavendishPorscha carried out: “Kickdown works very well, and the gears are always there when you need them.”

Cosmetically the engine bay is a little scruffy. Not so horrible you will actually need to do anything about it but if you’re looking for an excuse to escape the family over the holiday period – and let’s face it, you will – then popping out to the garage to further protect your investment makes more sense than offering to nip to the shop for some ice and an extension cord. (Well, it is almost Christmas and no one does it better than Robert Earl Keen.)

The underside looks good and strong, something the man from the ministry confirms as no MoT tester has ever mentioned structural corrosion. It’s well protected by underseal too and the only negative is some very light scratches to a plastic undertray.

The 928’s MoT certificate, which is valid until March 2025, was issued with no advisories, just like so many before.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the history file also includes the stamped service history booklet, the Porsche book pack, and a bunch of old invoices and MoT certificates.

All-in-all, £24,000 of work has been carried out on the old girl over the years, which is quite something, eh?

It’s also considerably more than our estimate of between £13,000 and £17,000, which we think offers great value given how good this example of one of the greatest Grand Touring cars ever built is.

But don’t just take our word for it; if you’re looking for an independent, third-party assessment of its condition then Simon of CavendishPorscha would be happy to talk about the car and give you his unbiased opinion.

Can’t say fairer than that, can we?

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 ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.