Porsche struggled to develop a more economical sports car to place in their dealerships in the seventies. The company first took a beating from enthusiasts with the 914. Their criticisms were that the car was more Volkswagen than Porsche and that the styling of the car was lukewarm at best even though the 914 was a true mid-engined sports car, albeit underpowered. Like a child that repeatedly touches a hot stove, Porsche tried a slightly different formula after the 914 was phased out of production in 1976. Their second attempt would be more of a GT car. When Porsche partnered with Audi to build the economical 924, purists once again wailed over the front engine layout, the quirky looks, and the car’s glaring quality issues. Nevertheless, Porsche continued on and slowly evolved the 924 into an acceptable sportscar. Examples like this 1979 Porsche 924 Sebring Edition are finally gaining a bit of respect and starting to appreciate in the marketplace. Would you like to own a special edition Porsche at a bargain price?
In mid-1976, Porsche introduced a very different car than what the world had come to expect from the automaker. With an Audi-produced inline four-cylinder engine in the front belting out 95 horsepower and transmission mounted forward of the rear axle, the 924 was a 2+2 hatchback that was built more for touring than for cornering. From the start, there were build quality issues, vibrations from the engine annoyed customers, and the ride on freeways could charitably be called “stiff.” Customers in the United States were only given a four-speed manual transmission, while Europeans were gifted with a rather lethargic three-speed automatic as an option. If you wanted air conditioning, it could either be added at the port or the dealer.
While the 924 was a mild sales success, continuing issues helped to sully the car’s reputation among enthusiasts. Porsche ploddingly continued to improve the car over the next few years. Horsepower was bumped up, the harsh ride was somewhat tamed, and the aesthetics of the car were enhanced with paint, trim, and interior options. A rainbow of exterior colors helped to draw customers into showrooms. Porsche also offered many special edition versions of the 924 to enhance sales.
The 924 you see here is one of the rare Sebring editions. The automaker offered this version of the 924 for two reasons. The first was to celebrate the Porsche 935’s win at the Sebring, Florida 12-hour race. Winning Sebring is no small feat. Not only is the race 12 hours long, but it is also a torture test due to the course’s high speeds, tight turns, and abysmal track surface. Serious racing teams consider Sebring a shake-down race to help spot any weaknesses before competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. So Porsche had every right to celebrate a win by producing 1,295 of these 924s. The other reason was that sales of the 924 had slowed and the company needed some excitement in the showrooms.
The example you see here is very complete and original and is claimed to have just 40,167 miles on the odometer. Believe it or not, that is pretty much all we are told by the seller. Being a 1979 model means that it is equipped with a new for that year five-speed manual transmission. The car also still wears its original tartan-style seat inserts with black vinyl bolsters. It also has the pinstripes and decals exclusive to the Sebring. The driver’s seat does have tears in it, and the car exhibits signs of sun damage here and there. The good news is that some small repairs and detailing would go a long way in enhancing the value of this car. While 924s have been at the lower end of Porsche values, the rising tide of 356 and 911 prices have given these cars new luster in the eyes of Porsche enthusiasts. The Sebring cars are one of the most sought-after 924s, and it would be hard to find another in better condition.
If you are in the market for a collectible Porsche and the prices of 911s have got you down, then fear not. This 1979 Porsche 924 Sebring edition is for sale on Facebook Marketplace in Plymouth, Wisconsin for a reasonable $9,000. Thanks to Jeff C. for this interesting tip!
Having owned a modified ’77 for several years I can say it was one of the best all around.cars we’ve ever owned. Fun to drive, comfortable, good long trip car with good balance that with minor suspension adjustments was also good on the autocross courses. The original ’77 engine was a bit weak but the previous owner of our car got hold of a ’78 European special edition engine that had a lot more zip than the original. The crew chief also liked the big trunk space for grocery getting.
More…. The AC in our car was installed at the factory. It is true that dealer installed units were available but most of the cars in our PCA region were factory installed. As for rough Sebring, we run there 4 to 6 times a year and it’s it’s still bumpy. Track was going to smooth things out on the course but IMSA and many other organizations rallyed against it. As our cars are extremely stiff I almost wish they had smoothed out the track but the big guys won out by not wanting to mess with history.
Dad bought one new in 1978. Everybody drove either malaise sedans or a tin can import and this car was treated like some kind of spaceship had landed in town. Hard to believe now that this car turned heads.
When I was in California two weeks ago,my friend
Gordon let me drive his 924 S.Drove from Eueka to Crecent-
City & was surprised at how well it handled.
Sold Porsches at a dealerships in Baton Rouge and Concord, CA, in the 80s … the plaid interiors at first look ridiculous but they tend to grow on you … and the wilder the better – the 944 Turbo S was a great performing car – if you could stand the interior … :)
The 924 model was a great handling car that morphed into 924 Carrera GT then 944 then 944 Turbo, etc. We left the 911 to history when these were introduced. 928 the same, so beyond a 911.
A 924 was my first Porsche and I loved it. I always felt that if it had been sold by either Audi and/or VW it would have had a much better reception by people who mattered for new cars sales – those who wouldn’t consider a “Porsche” if it wasn’t a clattery rear engined Beetle derivative! Ironic but your sentence in the write-up about the car being more VW and Porsche was also absolutely true about the 356 which put Porsche on the map in the first place!!
I see it has seatbelts in the back. I had a 1979 924 but it didn’t have seatbelts in back. Was that specific to the Sebring or were those added later?