1989 Porsche 944 2.7 Lux

This car is well-known among Porsche Club of Great Britain afficionados.

More importantly, they think very highly of it, and we’re talking about people who go to bed at night wearing Porsche pyjamas.

In fact, they said it is, ’Very well presented and fully restored’, although it retains plenty or originality and authenticity, particularly on the inside.

The outside looks as sumptuously good as it does in no small part to a full, glass-out respray at a cost of £13,000.

The car starts, runs and stops with plenty of competence and eagerness, and it handles with all the balance and agility for which the model is justifiably lauded. 

It feels very taut, tight and well screwed together.

Gunther and Wolfgang must have been very proud of themselves when they waved this one a tearful goodbye from the end of the Neckarsulm production line.

The best news of all is that it appears to have had the good fortune to be owned by a succession of exceptionally diligent and conscientious curators ever since: folks who didn’t shy away from spending the right money with the right people at the right time.

Consequently, it is in exceptionally fine fettle and must surely be one of the very best examples out there.

Supplied new by Coopers of Exeter on 1st January 1989, the car came in the magificent colour of Velvet Red with a Burgundy interior and matching velvet pinstripe.

Items ticked on the options list included headlamp washers, white front fog lights, an alarm system, and ABS braking. 

The bodywork on this 944 2.7-litre Lux is devoid of any dinks, dents, dimples, creases, ripples or folds of any consequence that we can discern.

The shut-lines and panel gaps are as crisp and even as anything King Wenceslas ever looked out upon, and the doors close with all the Teutonic heft and gravitas we’ve come to expect from the marque.  

The Velvet Red paintwork has plenty of shine and lustre. It has evidently been applied to a very high standard by people who knew what they were doing. 

The colour itself is glorious deep, rich shade of red. 

We couldn’t decide whether to look at it or lick it. 

Even standard scratches and stone chips are more noticeable for their absence than their presence on this car.

We found a few stone chips in the usual places – the ‘nose’ of the car, front valance, the leading edge of the bonnet, and the forward-facing aspects of the wheel arches. 

After (very) close inspection we spotted a small patch of micro-blistering to the nearside of the front badge; some scratches on the n/s/f corner; and some paint chips to the edge of the driver’s door.

The ‘Tele-Dial’ wheels appear to have avoided any encounters with kerbs or other roadside obstacles and the matching Goodyear tyres look to have plenty of useful life and service left in them.

The pop-up headlights pop up. 

The sun roof lets in the sun and keeps out the rain.

All lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings are in very good order. 

Even the bits of trim that have a tendency to fade to grey, the rear spoiler for example, have stoically resisted the temptation to do so.

In short, it’s all very good indeed.

If you think the exterior looks good (and you’re right, it does), wait until you see the inside.

It is squeaky clean, minty fresh and must surely have a portrait of a decrepit version of itself gathering dust in an attic somewhere. 

The ‘Burgundy’ colour palette helps create a warm and inviting ambience, and it has survived changing tastes and fashions very well, we think.

Given some of the interiors Porsche indulged in for their front-engined cars -migraine-inducing Pasha-pattern upholstery springs to mind - this feels like a very classy and understated place in which to spend some quality time.

The upholstery has weathered the vicissitudes of time and use with commendable resilience.

Yes, there’s a little light creasing around the bolsters, but that’s to be expected when you’re approaching your 40s. 

The pinstripe fabric is excellent and the seats, front and back, are comfortable, supportive and fully functional.

As ever, the rear seats don’t look as if they’ve ever been asked to support the weight of anything significantly heavier than a Panama hat or a handbag.

The door cards are following the same script, as are the carpets and mats, although the red hue has faded a little in places.

We noticed a very small crack to the dashboard above the steering wheel, and a little of the piping around the driver’s seat squab has deformed slightly.

The headlining is decent too, save for a couple of bits of loose trim around the tailgate.

As far as we’re aware, all buttons, knobs, dials, gauges, switches and levers do as they’re told without hesitation, repetition or deviation.

The boot is in unimpeachable condition and is every bit as good as the rest of it.

It comes with a Porsche air compressor (which looks brand new), some tools and a space-saver spare.

Everything visible in the engine bay is present, correct, clean, dry and orderly.

We’d give it 5 stars on a food hygiene report, never mind a mechanic’s survey. 

The undersides of the car reflect both the car’s low mileage and the level and quality of curation it’s received.

Everything looks to have oodles of structural integrity. 

We’ve seen absolutely nothing to make us frown, tut or otherwise question the car’s honesty or character.

The car comes with more history than the Ashmolean Museum and a collection of stamps that would put Stanley Gibbons to shame.

The service book is bristling with inky imprints from respected main dealers and specialists.

There are all sorts of invoices, receipts and bills attesting to work carried out over the years.

Among the more recent, important and expensive was a major belts service courtesy of respected Porsche specialists, Parr of West Sussex. 

The car has covered fewer than 250 miles since then. 

The car comes with its original pack of books and manuals, a sales brochure for a 944 in the same colour, a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, full sets of keys, a recent HPI report, and an MoT certificate - with no advisories whatsoever - that’s valid until 14th July 2026.

With the introduction of the 944, 928 and 968, Porsche gave their European rivals a firm slap around both cheeks with a Teutonic duelling glove and invited them to rise to a whole new challenge.

Of those who accepted it, few if any succeeded in matching the standards set by the Zuffenhausen marque.

Today, a properly sorted and fettled 944 remains a true driver’s car and can still impress with its exquisite balance, handling and roadholding – all of which can be viscerally felt and enjoyed through the car’s wholly analogue controls.

This rare 2.7-litre Lux model is in absolutely exemplary condition – dynamically, mechanically and aesthetically.

If you’re holding out in the hope of a better one coming along, prepare yourself for a very long wait indeed.

We’re confident to offer this fine car for auction with an estimate of £15,000 - £18,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET 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’.