1990 Porsche 944 S2

Here’s something you don’t see every day.

A one-owner-from-new 1990 Porsche 944 S2 with main dealer stamps up to and including 1996, and Porsche specialist stamps thereafter.

It may have 154,000 miles on the clock, but it’s really only in the UK that people consider anything over 100,000 miles to be some sort of unmitigated risk. 

Our European and American cousins, people who occupy far larger land masses, routinely cover much greater distances and attach much more significance to a car’s condition, history and provenance than its mileage. 

The long-term owner has had the car properly maintained and serviced throughout his thirty-four years of ownership but has used the car only sparingly over the last fifteen or so years – the car’s mileage was 140,000 in 2010. 

In addition to fat files of bills, receipts and invoices going back through the years there are some more recent items attesting to work done in the last two or three years.

Some of this includes heavy lifting to sort out corrosion and other body work issues, including the welding in of new plates on the front wheel arches, the sills and the front facing aspects of the rear wheel arches.

The lower front valance has been repaired and resprayed. The front wheel arches and the sills have also been resprayed and treated with a stone chip protection coating.

The roof has been resprayed. The car had the brake calipers overhauled in 2020; new bonnet struts, battery and rear tyres fitted in 2021; and an interim service was carried out in 2022.

The car’s MoT certificate is valid until 8.2.25.

We have driven the car and can report that it feels impressively lively, capable and well screwed-together. It handles very well indeed and picks up pace with plenty of enthusiasm.

We felt that the clutch was, perhaps, a little juddery. We’re not mechanics, so we don’t know.

In short, it’s not perfect, but it is really very good for its age and mileage.

The bodywork is in very reasonable condition, unsurprisingly given the work done to it recently.

The panel gaps and shut-lines are crisp, consistent and even, although the bonnet lid seems a little less tightly adjacent to the surrounding bodywork on the nearside.

There are a few stone chips and spots of micro-blistering on the bonnet, plus a small, shallow indentation right at the front of it.

The doors close with all the heft and precision we have come to expect and demand of Porsche. 

The rear-facing aspects of the rear wheel arches will need looking at some point, and there is some flaking visible at the base of the n/s/r wheel arch. 

The wheels are a bit of a curate’s egg: they’re good in parts. 

The nearside rear has some significant alloy corrosion, and there are a couple of spots of nascent corrosion on its offside counterpart.

The n/s/f wheel has some scuffs and kerb marks, but its offside counterpart has survived pretty much unscathed.

The Guards Red paintwork is something of a mixed bag, too. 

Obviously, it’s very good where the car has been recently resprayed, but has a few scuffs, scratches and stone chips in evidence elsewhere.

There are some cracks to the lenses on the o/s/f lights and indicator.

Elsewhere, the lights, lenses, badging and trim have held up well.

The rear spoiler is solid, firm and unfaded.

This car truly enters time-warp territory when you get inside. 

The impressive interior defiantly belies its age and practically laughs at loud at its mileage.

The grey leather seats, front and back, have barely more than a few light creases to show for their years of faithful service, let alone any ingrained patina or signs of use and abuse.

The carpets and mats are following the same script, as are the door cards and headlining.

There are one or two frayed stitches on the steering wheel and there’s a split to the leather on the gear lever gaiter. Some of the leather on the gear knob has worn away.

A knob is missing from the Blaupunkt ‘Symphony’ head unit and one or two other dashboard buttons are now missing their original black paint.

We didn’t press every button, flick every switch or twiddle every knob, but those we did press, flick and twiddle responded in a timely, faithful and predictable fashion.

The rear luggage area is also in very good order and contains a space-saver wheel and some tools.

The engine bay is particularly clean, shiny, dry and tidy. 

The undersides look to have plenty of structural integrity. 

This car comes with excellent single-owner provenance and a well-documented service, maintenance, care and repair history.

It comes with a V5, a clear HPI report and a full set of manuals, guides and handbooks. 

One owner from new.

All the main dealer and specialist stamps you could hope for. 

Plenty of recent heavy lifting on expensive jobs.

A time-defying interior.

We think there are many years of highly rewarding pedigree motoring fun to be had from this car yet.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £10,000 - £15,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, 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, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.