1985 Porsche 944

This grey Porsche 944 is matched with black leather interior. It has ticked up 136,500 miles on the odometer. The car has previously been registered overseas and it has had seven prior keepers. The vendor purchased this car 11 months ago from an auction site. It was previously owned by a Porsche collector. However, when the vendor purchased this motor, it had been somewhat neglected as it had not been driven for 5-6 years. While mechanically it ran fine, it required some cosmetic attention. The car underwent a compression test to the engine and all 4 cylinders were shown to work well. As a vote of confidence, the owner uses this car fairly regularly, driving it to work twice or three times per week. That’s a 20+ mile round trip (with periods of sitting in traffic) and the car does not overheat, which is a positive sign! As the photos show, the car shows evidence of rust on the chassis so it would benefit from further restoration, at some point.

The electrics generally work well and the vendor confirms that the pop-up headlights work as they should. The only issue he flagged is that he doesn’t trust the fuel gauge, as it doesn’t show anything until the car is warmed up. The car comes with a Continental radio with Bluetooth; it comes with a factory fitted sunroof which is working well, electric windows, electric side mirrors and leather upholstery (which was an optional extra).

The 944 has a distinct and iconic design that embodies 80s styling. The aerodynamic body features a low-slung, wedge-shape that emphasises its sporty nature. The front fascia showcases a prominent and angular design with pop-up headlights, which were a defining feature of this model. The front bumper is integrated into the body and houses fog lights, though the lower third of the front bumper has picked up some blemishes. The front grille is relatively small and positioned low on the nose. The wheels are in tidy order throughout and the arches are flared, giving the car a more aggressive and muscular appearance. The car also comes with winter tires. At the back of the car, the rear bumper is integrated into the body and has a scuff towards the underside, and houses the exhaust outlet. It also features a prominent rear spoiler to provide additional downforce and enhanced stability at higher speeds.

The interior includes iconic 80s features, like the leather wrapped (fairly minimalist) steering wheel, the instrument cluster and the door cards. Generally the interior is in fine order, with the gear stick being the main giveaway of the car’s age due to some wear on the leather finish. There is also a small scuff to the headlining. The front seats have a light patina as one might expect, but the vendor confirms that the electric windows and sound system work well. The boot is home to the spare wheel and looks tidy. While there are some minor blemishes to the dash, crucially there is no major crack which can be an issue for the 944. There is also a piece of trim missing – it is a small cap on the left side, close to the air vents. The vendor tried to replace it but was unable to find a replacement part in the UK.

This 944’s 2.5 litre, naturally-aspirated Inline 4-cylinder engine produces a maximum power of 150 bhp. At the point of manufacture, Porsche stated that the 944 could get from 0 to 60mph in just 8.3 seconds. The car also has a nearly even front to rear weight distribution (50.7% front/49.3% rear) courtesy of the rear transaxle balancing out the engine in the front. There’s some evidence of rust and corrosion to the exhaust, chassis and rear diff, so it would likely benefit from getting up on the ramp for some further exploration. Under the bonnet looks very clean and tidy; everything looks dry and appears to be in its right and proper place.

As mentioned, the car was registered overseas and has had seven prior keepers. The vendor has installed new dampeners to the suspension (Bilstein B6 shock absorbers); he’s changed the brake discs, brake lights, the master cylinder, and installed new brake cylinders as the rubber disk was leaking. He also installed new spark plugs in the car. There was some rust around one of connection points to the tail lights, so that was cleaned up and replaced, too. The car has a new battery, the horn was replaced and it had its oil and coolant sensors changed, as the vendor didn’t want to risk anything. The rear window has also benefited from new rubber seals and a new gear automator. The logbook is fairly well populated; just with a gap from the mid 2000s through to the 2010s. In 2017, the car had just shy of £1600 spent on it, including a new water pump and refurbishing of the callipers. Being conservative, it looks as if somewhere between £5000-£6000 has been spent on the car over the years.

The car’s last service was on 24th February where the work to the brakes was done, along with routine maintenance, like a filter and oil change. Before that, the last service was 2021. Before that the car was in a garage for a while. It was not used so it was not serviced. The car comes with an active MoT (taken at 135,711 miles), which is valid through to February next year. It came with a few advisories including: mention of surface rust on the offside rear panel, rust to the rear exhaust and slight wear to the nearside steering rack.

This car is a great balance between originality with usable, well-sorted mechanicals and electrics, with the opportunity to make some cosmetic improvements, for those who are interested in a project. The 944 is light weight and has the purity of an early version; at less than 1200kg, it’s lighter than all but the smallest modern hatchbacks. That iconic 80s styling inside and out is such a treat, too.

We think a prospective buyer will have to part with somewhere between £5,000 - £7,000 to take this car home.

Viewing is always encouraged, within government guidelines of course. The car is located with the vendor in Weybridge, Surrey and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’