1987 Porsche 944 Lux

We like cars with an interesting history and this lovely 944 Lux that we are offering for sale has certainly been on some adventures.

We believe the car’s first owner was a Conservative MP who kept the car at his French holiday home. Lucky for some! What joy piloting this able sportscar on some of France’s empty back roads. Subsequently we gather the 944 spent some time in South Africa.

On its return the car was featured in a specialist Porsche magazine.

Our seller, an avid and enthusiastic collector of both cars and motorbikes, acquired the Porsche around twelve years ago. A keen driver, it was easy to see the attraction.

As the paperwork accompanying the car will attest, the car has had a huge amount of money spent on it over the last decade, not only on the bodywork but also on the car’s mechanicals.

Our seller reports that the car drives really well, pulling strongly in all gears and should you find an empty runway or happen to be passing through Germany on a derestricted autobahn, will comfortably reach 150mph.

So, why the sale? A recent move to a period country house without garaging is forcing our seller to reduce his collection, so sadly the 944 has to go.

Not long after buying the 944, the car needed some work to the sills. Entrusted to an allegedly reputable bodyshop, some £8,400 was spent on what was supposed to be a full body restoration. However, the company failed to do a proper job, falling into receivership.

Never fear, as the car was then consigned to RBW Sports and Classics who did the job properly. They took their time, the result undoubtedly worth waiting for. More big bills… Very few miles have been covered since.

The paintwork has a deep lustre too it and polishes up really well. We do notice some black marks on the front nearside wing, which you can see in our pictures. The same is visible on the front bumper above the nearside indicator.

The windscreen surround, rubbers and door handles do show their age and the perfectionist may wish to address these areas.

There’s a pop-up sunroof for that wind in the hair feeling.

The Porsche Teledial wheels do bear the scars of a life well lived and would benefit from a refurb. Tyres have plenty of tread.

Although spending a small fortune on the 944, our seller never managed to get round to the interior. It was on his list… It is probably fair to say that the cockpit is somewhat tired.

The driver’s seat is the most obvious area in need of attention, though all the seat covers are faded with time. A specialist upholsterer may be able to affect a repair, though new seat covers are probably the order of the day.

Carpets are grubby and would benefit from a good steam clean. There’s work needed up top to sort out the headlining too.

The dash, delightfully analogue, houses clear instrumentation and the switchgear is all easy to operate.

Tunes are courtesy of a ‘Pure’ radio/CD player with Bluetooth connectivity.

The glass hatch lifts to reveal a reasonable sized boot. In conjunction with the back seats, there is ample space for holiday luggage. Under the floor lurks a space saver tyre. The underside of the floor covering is in poor condition and may need replacing.

We also note some corrosion to the boot latches on the tailgate.

We always include plenty of photographs of a car’s undersides and that is the case here. Pause a while and take a look. It all looks to be in good shape, with very little signs of any surface corrosion. Oh, and let’s not forget the sills were replaced.

Under that sculptured bonnet sits that powerful yet refined 2.5-litre engine. The bay itself could do with a little tidying up, but mechanically we are told all is well.

Our seller enthuses about the way the 944 drives, the engine revving freely, the gearbox sweet and clutch light. A true driver’s car without a doubt.

The 944 comes complete with its original book pack, with the manual, warranty information and most importantly the service book.

The latter sports a plethora of stamps, main dealer in the car’s early years, specialists later on. Old MoT certificates and tax discs are also among the documentation which includes a raft of invoices. It is worth spending some time studying the more recent bills, but if you haven’t time, we will attempt to sum up the work carried out.

EMC Engines, Motor Sport engineers par excellence based in Birmingham, have looked after the 944’s mechanicals since our seller bought the car.

• October 2012 – All belts replaced including cambelt. New clutch. New thermostat, second-hand radiator fitted. Service including plugs. New tyres fitted. Cost £1,731.92

• September 2020 – Replace fuel pipes. New starter motor. New Bosch fuel pump. New water header tank and replacement battery. Cost £2,106.60

• November 2020 – Extensive brake work including new pads and discs front and rear. Calliper work. New hoses. New clutch master cylinder. Cost £2073.07

• December 2020 – Various electrical work. New laminated windscreen. New sunroof seal. Cost £2,366.37

• January 2021 – New speakers and grille. Windscreen wiper work. Welding, underseal and MoT test. Cost £1,390.24

That’s over £7,500 spent recently…

The 944 was put through an MoT test in February of this year which it passed with no advisories. All the work carried out was undoubtedly worthwhile.

The MoT history shows the car was off the road from 2011 until 2021.

We think the Porsche 944 may well be the sweet spot of the classic car world. It is old enough to be granted classic status, yet still feels modern to drive and is simple enough to repair should the need arise.

Subject to an enormous amount of expense over the last decade, all that remains is for the car’s next owner to bring the interior up to scratch, not a difficult or expensive task. The hard work has already been done.

The 944 is undoubtedly one of the great driver’s cars from Porsche and offers much more predictable handling than 911s of the same ilk. Oh, and prices are far more affordable than 911s too, though for how much longer we wonder. Surely now is the time to buy.

We estimate that the car will sell for between £8,000 and £12,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, 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’.