When it comes to Porsche, the 911 is probably the most iconic classic car that comes to mind, but if its practicality you’re after, look no further than the Porsche 944.
Perhaps the finest GT car that that has ever been produced, this compact but sporty coupe was first introduced in 1981 and during its 10 year run went through quite a few evolutions, each even better than the last. The 944 was based on the basic body structure, interior, suspension and brakes from its predecessor the 924/924 Turbo, resulting in a popular sports car with outstanding, award-winning handling. In fact, buyers had to join a two and a half year waiting list just to get their hands on one of these high performance road cars. The wait was worth it to own such a refined, comfortable car, which proved itself to be a pleasure to drive both on the road and cross-country.
Beautiful lines, striking contours, classy interior, swooping dashboard and impressive road presence made this such a great looking car, with fantastic performance characteristics to boot. Buyers fell for the hidden pop-up headlights, flared wheel arches and fantastic chassis of the exterior whilst appreciating the superior comfort provided in the cabin. When it was first introduced, the Porsche 944 was fitted with a 150 horsepower, 2.5 litre, inline four-cylinder engine; while not considered particularly powerful by today’s standards, this car’s stopping power was much improved compared to the 924 that came before it. It handled like a dream, largely due to the near-perfect balance, predictable oversteer and a low drag coefficient achieved by the body design.
The 944 was Porsche’s 4th model line and was the most successful car line in their history, that is until the Boxter and 911 (997) Carrera came along. The total number of cars that were produced as part of the Porsche 944 family reached a staggering 163,192, however few have survived. This is in part down to the high maintenance costs and the fact that gear boxes that are mounted towards the back generally tend to make servicing more expensive and difficult. There are still some wonderful examples of this classic around though, if you wish to own a little bit of Porsche history for yourself.
For more articles like this, receive our weekly e-newsletter, including partner deals and all things motoring, register your email below.
Please note: You cannot subscribe to Smart-Motoring unless you put a tick in the checkbox below to indicate have read and agreed to our privacy policy.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.