1989 Porsche 944 Turbo

First registered in June 1989, this Satin Black Metallic (LY9Y) Porsche 944 Turbo is fully loaded with the Sport Group suspension option plus a 40% locking rear differential, air-conditioning, ABS and leather sports seats among many others.

Ed Watson, the well-known car restorer, owned it for around six years before selling it to the vendor in June 2021. He’s continued the rolling restoration that Ed started, lavishing money and time on it with work that includes a paint refresh, which helps explain why it looks so good.

It’s been recently serviced too, with new front and rear dampers and camshaft drive belts. It’s now running well and being sold with a very sensible guide price, making this one for the discerning Porsche enthusiast on a budget.

It’s had two new front wings plus fresh paint on the bonnet and front panel in the past two years, so while black is one of the worst colours for highlighting blemishes and dinks, this one looks terrific, doesn’t it?

It’s got good panel alignment plus the sort of tight shutlines Porsche are known for. No real dents or dinks either. It presents well, even close up.

The rubber spoiler on the boot lid is in good shape, and the headlamps pop up and down as they should.

The wheels have been refurbished and are fitted with new Toyo Proxes all round.

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. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Flaws? Well, apart from the usual smattering of stonechips every car collects as it racks up the miles, some of the ancillaries like the wiper arms and door handles could do with tidying up. The factory sunroof doesn’t sit quite flush, either.

The windscreen is starting to delaminate too, but replacing that is a while off yet.

The leather on the front seats has been re-Connolised while it’s been in the vendor’s hands, but even taking that into account there’s no denying the quality of the white leather interior. Simple and yet supremely ergonomic, the quality of the fixtures and fittings means it’s weathered the past three decades with impressive aplomb.

The seats not only look good; they are still comfortable and supportive. The rear seats are even better, but then given the lack of legroom back there we’d be surprised if they’ve ever seen much use.

The seller tells us that all the electrical items all work as they should, including the instruments and switches. The door cards and headlining are in fine shape, while the white carpets are decent and protected by black overmats.

The air-conditioning system was re-gassed in January 2023 so blows nice and cold.

There’s a factory metal sunroof too, which tilts to flood the cabin with light – and given it’s so big it covers most of the roof area, it makes a huge difference when it’s open.

The original headunit has been replaced by a modern JVC CD player.

There is some work to do inside, but not much. One of the switch panels has some cracks in it (#188) and there are some stains on the carpet (e.g. #193).

The camshaft drive belts have been replaced only recently, along with the water pump and balance belts. New front and rear dampers too, plus oil and air filters, fresh oil, and new spark plugs.

More recently, the seller spent more than £1,400 with Ed Watson & Co. (yes, the same chap he bought it from) sorting out a few minor niggles and giving it an oil and filter change.

As you can see, it starts perfectly, revs nicely, and settles into a steady tickover without fuss. The Custom Chrome Racing exhaust sounds great too, balancing the competing demands of civility and sportiness very well. The instruments show good oil pressure and a good charge from the alternator.

The engine bay is tidy enough that it could left as it is, although we can see most wanting to freshen it up a little.

The underside looks good and there’s been no mention of structural corrosion during the annual MoT inspection since 2008, which presumably prompted the replacement of the sills in 2009.

The 944’s MoT certificate is valid until November 2023 and, even with 165,000 on the clock, it was issued with no advisories. Who says Porsche durability is an urban myth?

Mind you, the history file contains a well-stamped service history booklet, lots of old invoices for prior maintenance and repairs, and a thick wad of old MoT certificates, so it’s probably not surprising it sailed through.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clean.

Oh, and the cherished numberplate will come with the car.

Many think that cars like the Porsche 944 Turbo 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.

That the 944 Turbo is renowned as one of the best handling cars in the world, even now, is the icing on the cake.

Ah, we hear you ask: but how much will it take to make it mine?

Well, the answer is somewhere between £10,000 and £15,000 but you’ll only know the true cost of ownership after selling it and few marques maintain their value like Porsche.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, 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’.