1989 Porsche 944 2.7

Welcome to our latest auction, this time for a Porsche 944 fitted with the rare 2.7-litre engine. First registered on the 17th of January 1989, and only made for one year, it is finished in Linen Metallic with a blue half-leather interior complete with Porsche script cloth inserts.

With 154,000 miles on the clock and a new MOT certificate, this is a well-sorted example that would be ideal for the enthusiastic driver looking for somewhere safe to put their money while being able to exercise their DIY skills sorting out the few niggles that remain.

Bought as a gift for his mother, sadly, her ill health is forcing its reluctant sale. Being offered with a sensible estimate and no reserve, it will sell from the very first bid, no matter how derisory. So, what have you got to lose? After all, we’ve all got plenty of time on our hands right now, and wouldn’t you rather use that time to fettle your very own Porsche?

The car’s bodywork was restored a few years ago, receiving new inner and outer sills and a respray. The work was done well, and it still looks grand. The panel fit is good, and the doors align well. Key pieces of trim, including the lovely OE rear spoiler, are present and correct and looking good.

Speaking of which, there are no dents, dinks or ripples in any of the panels, and while there are a few stonechips, they’re minor and in no way detract from the car’s overall presentation.

A new sunroof seal has been fitted along with new gears and arms, so the huge and very welcome sunroof continues to seal tightly and effectively and works as it should.

The 944 is still fitted with the original 15-inch ‘tele-dial’ alloy wheels, which have been refurbished and fitted with matching tyres, all of which still have plenty of tread on them.

As we will never tyre 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 do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Work to do is minimal: there is one mark on one of the rims and a small curb scar on the nearside front wheel, only 2 small rust bubbles on the passenger rear panel. No other obvious signs of rust on the car.

Both jacking points appear solid.

Oh, and it was declared a Cat C a few years ago due to minor panel damage which has been subsequently repaired.

The 944 still features its original half-leather, dark blue ‘Tombstone’ interior complete with Porsche Script cloth inserts. It all looks to be in very good shape and wears its 150,000 miles more lightly than most of its contemporaries would, with only moderate creasing to the seats and one point of wear.

The rest of the interior is much the same; only lightly patinated, it looks far better than any interior with this mileage and three decades behind it has any right to. The 944 has clearly been loved and carefully curated over its lifetime – well, that and Porsche’s legendary durability, obviously.

It has retained the factory fitted Porsche immobiliser, plus the original Alpine headunit. The latter now plays through upgraded door speakers, which sound great, the covers for which are in the glove-box - you choose whether to fit them or not!!! The door cards themselves are very good.

The carpets are clean and free of damage and have been refreshed with a new set of screw and push clips. They are also now protected with new floor mats. The boot carpet is very clean and tidy, and examining the boot floor shows only solid, painted metal.

The odometer is sticking but the clock is working – and the latter is a very rare thing to see in a 944 as enthusiasts will confirm. The gearknob and steering wheel look to be the originals; both are patinated, so we can see the car’s new owner might want to keep a watching brief for good replacements.

The passenger’s seat also has a small hole in the cloth of the seat base, and the outer bolster on the driver’s seat has worn thorough. Both could be professionally repaired at only moderate cost if the new owner decides they can’t live with them as they are.

Other work to do includes the usual 944 idiosyncrasies: there are a few cracks in the dashboard, the driver’s side window gets a little stuck when going up and down, the central locking doesn’t work and nor do two of the interior lights. The car also needs a new headlining, which will cost the new owner around £55 from Southbound Trimmers in Hampshire, plus fitting.

The subject of much recent mechanical work, the Porsche benefits from the following having been carried out: all the ABS sensors have been cleaned, with each sensor removed, cleaned and then re-attached; new bonnet and boot gas struts have been fitted; new rubber hatch pin receivers have been bought and installed along with a new hatch tailgate lever; a new throttle cable has been fitted; and an upgraded throttle cam response has been fitted. The original throttle cam has been retained and will be supplied with the car.

A recent service saw new spark plugs being fitted along with fresh engine oil and a filter, and a change of power steering fluid, coolant and brake fluid.

The engine bay is very clean and tidy, and the owner tells us that the Porsche starts well and drives as it should.

The 944’s MOT certificate expires in February 2021. The car comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the recent work that has been done to it as well as two keys, the original owner’s handbook, and the OE red leather storage wallet with the usual bumf inside.

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 in recent years to the very highest standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

NB. We know that many of you will be limiting your social exposure over the coming days and weeks, so if you’d rather not see the car in person, please contact the seller and he can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like concentrated on.

Or, even better, why not contact the seller with your mobile number and we can set up a WhatsApp video call? You get to direct him in real-time, giving you a virtual personal viewing experience while maintaining the lockdown. We like to call it ‘The Market’s 2020 Vision’…

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, but new enough to benefit from the sort of reliability and safety features like anti-lock brakes we’ve all come to take for granted. Most are still fairly cheap too, adding to their already considerable appeal.

Ah, we hear you ask: but how cheap? Well, at a time when the very best Porsche 944 is still going for in excess of £30,000 we think this one will sell for between £5,000 and £8,000. In the car world that is known as having your cake and eating it; this is, remember, a strong and solid example of a much-loved classic sportscar that drives well and only needs some minor fettling to bring it back to rude good health.

And, best of all, it’s being offered with no reserve, so will sell from the very first bid.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Cheshire; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.