Porsche 928 S4 Auto

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Launched in 1978, the Porsche 928 was aimed squarely at the international jet set and still fuels your cataloguer’s fantasies of storming across Europe with a bootful of dodgy diamonds and a sultry French model in the passenger seat.

Looking positively futuristic even today, the 928 was initially fitted with a front-mounted 4.5-litre all-alloy V8 driving the rear wheels via a three-speed automatic transaxle for perfect 50:50 weight distribution. With 240bhp on tap, it could scorch to 60 in under 7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 143mph.

The radically simple teardrop body shape was mainly galvanised steel but with weight-saving aluminium doors, front wings and bonnet and polyurethane bumpers. Other innovations included a Weissach axle that passively steered the rear wheels in throttle-off cornering for greater road-holding.

It was so well received that it won the 1978 European Car of the Year Award, the only sports car ever to have won this award which usually goes to more humdrum saloons. It is also the car design that McLaren F1 designer Gordon Murray once said that he admired above all others.

As time went on the 928 grew ever more powerful and the S4 version that came out in 1987 had a 5-litre V8 that produced 316bhp, cutting the 0-60 dash to 5.6 seconds and raising the top speed to 168mph. The styling was also subtly updated with smoother nose and tail treatments that gave the car an even cleaner, sleeker look.

First registered in December 1990, this 928 S4 has covered some 150,000 miles to date with a good history comprising 13 stamps in the book up to 133,878 miles in April 2004, most by Porsche main agents or specialists. Subsequent servicing is recorded on various invoices on file including a large service at Ramus Porsche in April 2015 that included all the standard service items plus replacement of the water cooling radiator and the air conditioning condenser at a cost of £2,265 at a recorded mileage of 147,965.

Supplied with an MOT valid until the end of July 2016, it was driven some 100 miles to the sale and also comes with 11 old MOTs back to January 2007 at 139,905 miles. It also retains all its original handbooks. Appearing to be in fair condition all round with electrically adjustable cream leather sports seats, it has the usual localised fading of the paintwork here and there which is typical with red cars of this era.

These 928s really are quite amazing machines and look like no other car before or since with inspired styling that will never go out of date. Considering that it was Porsche’s flagship model for almost two decades, with all the engineering integrity and supercar performance that this implies, it is amazing how affordable they are today – a situation that is already changing rapidly. Another one to buy now while you can still afford to, perhaps?

PS: For a fantastic 1977 feature by Car and Driver on the launch of the 928, copy and paste this link into your browser. It is far too long really and Setright is frankly incomprehensible, so just read Davis instead. And if you only read one bit, make it page 55 where Davis has dinner with Dr Fuhrmann by mistake. Absolute gold dust!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B97kYsc-KykpTmxXc3ZYVlZGck0/edit