Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1984 Porsche 944.
Over the years I have owned many Porsche road cars including 28 911s, a 912, a Boxster S, a 914, and a 914/6. All of them were amazing cars and delivered on the Porsche promise of performance, quality, and reliability, but the Porsche I owned most recently was a 1984 Porsche 944.
That 944 was a car that I had wanted to buy for years but it always seemed that another air cooled Porsche got in the way bumping the 944 out of the running. Then I got a call from my friend Peter Lombardo who told me that he had a 1984 Porsche 944 for sale and that I might like it. I saw the car and realized that it was completely original, in a great color combination, and had service records from new. I bought the car from Peter on the spot and after having the timing belt, water pump, and engine mounts replaced, drove it cross country to Monterey Car Week with my best friend Trent.
As you can see from the above links to the story of the trip with the car, did not miss a beat and performed faultlessly. My takeaway was that the 944 was everything I wanted in a Porsche road car: it was fun to drive, comfortable, had enough room to hold a week’s worth of clothes for the two of us, and made for a great adventure. In a lot of ways the 944 was a better road car for a cross country trip than any of the various 911 cars I have owned, yet still felt like a Porsche in every way. Some idiots will tell you that a 944 is not a real Porsche and my answer to them is that since Porsche said it was a Porsche, who was I to disagree with the company. I ended up selling the car at the end of Monterey Car Week to the (then) head of Pirelli Motorsports, and in many ways wish I had kept it. Happily you can still find nice examples of the 944 on the market, and this AutoHunter Spotlight is one of those.
The seller of this 1984 Porsche 944 states that it is an all original Guards Red over a tan vinyl and cloth interior and has covered a total of only 33,732 miles from new.
The exterior of this 944 is stated to be in its original paint and features contrasting black accent trim and badging. Equipment includes fog lamps, pop-up headlights, an integrated rear spoiler, and a polished exhaust outlet. It rides on its factory 15-inch “Cookie Cutter” wheels wrapped in 215/60 Bridgestone Winter Radial tires.
The interior of the car has its original tan vinyl and cloth bucket seats, matched to the door panels, carpeting, and Porsche-branded floor mats. Amenities include air conditioning, a Blaupunkt AM/FM/cassette radio, an analog clock, and power windows. Instrumentation consists of an optimistic 170-mph speedometer, a 6,500-rpm tachometer, and auxiliary gauges for the fuel level, coolant temperature, and instantaneous fuel economy. The five-digit mechanical odometer reads 33,732 miles, which according to the selling dealer is accurate and is backed up by the car’s last mileage figure of 33,130 miles on the CARFAX report dated August 2012.
The engine compartment and the underside of the car also look to be in excellent condition, being clean and rust free. There is some slight surface rust on the muffler, but this is common and nothing I would worry about. The dealer states that this 944 received a recent oil change and inspection per the selling dealer. A sticker in the engine compartment states that the timing belt and water pump were changed in 2006. Personally, I might take a look at the belt condition and replace it not due to the mileage, but the age of the belt as rubber does wear down over time and it is an inexpensive service item.
The CARFAX report for this 944 shows no history of accidents or damage. The vehicle passed a New York safety inspection in June 2021. The sale includes documentation from the original point of sale, two sets of keys, owner’s booklets, toolkit, and a folder filled with service records.
If I were to buy another 944 this is one that I would seriously consider. I personally like cars from this era that are original and not restored, as you are buying the car the way it was built originally and a car is only original once. This truly looks to be a great example of the first generation 944 and one I would happily park in my garage. Finding a 944 this original is getting harder and harder and I would bid on this one if I were in the market for one of these great Porsches.
The auction for this 1984 Porsche 944 with 33,000 original miles ends Thursday, February 22, 2024 at 11:45 a.m. (MST)
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery
