Porsche 944 Lux

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Porsche introduced the 944 in 1982, using the 924 as a starting point but radically improving the car in many areas. 

This included ditching the old VW engine and replacing it with a new 2.5-litre straight-four that was effectively half of the 5.0-litre V8 in the 928 supercar. Producing 163bhp and with bags of torque, it could propel the 944 to 137mph.

With its front engine, rear transaxle layout, the 944 was a fabulously well balanced machine that had the measure of the contemporary 911 in many respects. In mid-1985 it underwent its first significant changes including cleaned up front end styling; a new 'oval' dash and new door panels; an upgraded alternator; increased oil sump capacity; new front and rear cast aluminum control arms and semi-trailing arms; a larger fuel tank and revisions in the mounting of the transaxle to reduce noise and vibration.

This October 1988 example was supplied new by Chariots of St Albans to Nitronics Ltd of Harlow and has had just three further owners since. The vendor has owned the car for 18 years, an invoice showing that he bought it from Cridfords Of Weybridge for £9,750 in February 1996 when it had some 57,000 miles on the clock and a full Porsche service history with 8 stamps in the book.

The vendor then proceeded to use the car daily, clocking up some 13,000 miles per year for the next 11 years which saw the odometer tick round to 193,000 miles. It was always regularly serviced by his local garage but the book was no longer stamped.

By 2007 the 944 was starting to look a little tired so it was handed over to The Porsche Shop in Halesowen with the instructions to make it as close to new again as possible. A large number of bills on file show that the car was more or less dismantled and completely rebuilt. This included a glass-out respray during which the colour was changed from dark blue to dark silver grey; a full interior retrim in black leather; new dashboard; new brakes, suspension and driveshafts; rebuilt engine and gearbox; new clutch; refurbished wheels plus a host of other minor items, the bill for this lot coming to £14,887.

Since the work was completed the car has only clocked up around 7,000 miles and was treated to a new cam belt just a few hundred miles ago. The mileometer stopped working at 199,677 miles but the vendor doubts that the car has covered even 1,000 miles since then. Said to drive beautifully, it has a current tax disc and is MOTd until September.

Only reluctantly being sold due to the advancing years of its long-term owner, this fully revitalised sportscar now only needs a caring new owner to continue to cherish it in the manner to which it has become accustomed.