Porsche’s 928 was the factory’s attempt to replace the 911; obviously that ploy didn’t work, but the 911’s persistence does not subtract from what is a bona fide luxury grand tourer. The saga began in the early 1970s. America had evolved into the most important market for Porsche, and management aimed to capture drivers who needed four seats and a more civilized approach to motoring than the sporty 911. The new 928 was on the sketch pads by 1971. As the idea was refined, a fuel-hungry water-cooled engine and conventional layout was in sight. At about that moment, sales of the 911 were waning. Whether Porsche read that signal correctly is a matter of debate, but management decided the 911’s popularity had peaked and the 928 should replace it. In fact, the oil crisis probably had more impact on sales than was comprehended. In hindsight, forging ahead with an expensive, powerful car when gas prices had skyrocketed was courageous, if rationally dubious. But enthusiasts can celebrate this “mistake” as it brought a spectacular vehicle to our ecosystem. Here on eBay is a Euro-delivery 1983 Porsche 928S looking for a new owner. Bidding has reached $4570, reserve not met. The car will require a trailering from Indio, California. Notably, the title is branded “rebuilt/rebuildable/reconstructed”.
If a 928 is on your bucket list, time spent researching production years and variants is time well spent. Valuation can vary according to engine, delivery location, gearbox, and other features. This car has the 4.7 liter V8 engine introduced in 1980; Euro-spec cars were considerably more powerful at 290 hp versus American versions at about 235. Differences in intake manifolds, camshafts, compression ratios, and pollution and emissions controls were responsible for that considerable advantage, and likely why the original owner of this car went to the trouble of importing it to the US. This example is equipped with Porsche’s optional four-speed automatic. The seller believes the odometer reading of 12,428 miles is original. No photo of the odometer is supplied, nor is there mention of documentation accompanying the sale to buttress the mileage reading. The car does run but hasn’t been driven in years.
The car was apparently stored outside, which didn’t do the interior any good. Other than the sun damage to both the front and rear seats, a vermin attacked the front passenger seat, the steering wheel is cracked, and the carpets are faded. When these cars are in good fettle, the ergonomics are superb and the driving experience is even better.
The paint is shot, with peeling clear coat. The body is fairly straight but the video shows a dent in the front bumper and I don’t like the rearward gap in the driver’s door. No underside photos are supplied. While the current bid might have a tiny bit of upside, the seller might want to consider releasing the reserve soon – these cars can be profoundly expensive to restore. What would you pay for a derelict 928S?
Gap in the door? Accident. Vermin got the front seat? Paint is shot? Hasn’t run in ages? It’s definitely going to be a project, and not a cheap or easy one. Hopefully the price stays low enough to actually take a reasonable swing at refurbishing this car. Otherwise, it’s for parts.
I owned a euro-spec 928 for 5 years, and enjoyed the car. It was at the back of a used car lot, and had not been driven for a year or 2. It had fairly high kms, but ran OK, and needed recommissioning. The dealer had taken it in trade, and wanted to get rid of it as the winter approached. I paid about $5K for it. It had decent driver-quality paint and interior. I changed the fluids, brakes, tires, filters and a full tune-up costing about $2K total. Some parts are specific to the euro model, but a friend in the Porsche parts business had several wrecked euro 928s. I made a little money on it when I sold it.
The car here is too far gone. Decent paint, body, and interior work alone will cost far more than the car will ever be worth. The real deal breaker is the branded title, which makes the ride challenging to insure and cuts the value alot. This car is a parts ride, although not a very good one.
Who’s the U-boat commander?
There is nothing Euro on that car.
Headlightrs?
side front light?
bumperets?
rear fog light is there, but they would have removed that.
I had a well taken car of one and it was a nice car to own…I had 2 very bad ones since, and my desire for a 928 is GONE! Bad taste in my mouth…
The VIN indicates it was delivered RoW and the seller claims 310 hp, which is optimistic even for a Euro spec. The seller also says he removed several parts. It would have been smart to back up the mileage claim in the listing. Caveat emptor.
I had a euro 83 928. I believe this is the low HP spec engine because it has a vacuum advance distributor. My 83 had digital ignition with no vacuum advance. 83 was also the first year for the Mercedes 4-speed automatic in Europe. America got it in 84. Either way this car has many needs.
Derelict with an automatic, Arf ! I remember pricing an auto box for one of these in maybe 98 ? For a customer & price was about $13k new. Overall 911s were deemed obsolete by the 928 but you know progress doesn’t necessarily march forward.
Years ago , I saw an ad for one of these, hot rodding attempt had been to replace the engine and transmission with an LT1 with auto trans , it wasn’t running and in shambles …
I guess a cheap 928 gets pretty expensive in no time !
YOLO
Thank you BF for dumping my somewhat long reply to get me to resign in.
Sold for $5100