Autotrader Find: Pristine 1987 Porsche 944 Turbo Coupe

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In the Porsche world, the 944 has become something of the forgotten son, with many examples falling into disrepair and prices dropping to used economy car levels. But some 944 models have been preserved — and this one has been preserved better than nearly all. It’s a 1984 944 Turbo — known to enthusiasts as the "951" — and it’s absolutely pristine.

Offered with just 39,375 miles by Cars Dawydiak in San Francisco, this 944 Turbo is finished in Guards Red with Porsche’s famous phone dial wheels and a black leather interior. It’s listed for $29,500, which makes it one of the most expensive Porsche 944 models currently for sale on Autotrader — but, naturally, it’s also one of the best, with an apparently flawless exterior and an interior that shows only light wear.

According to the Carfax report, this 951 was sold new in Indiana in 1987 and moved to Michigan soon after, staying there until 2013. At that point, it moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where it’s stayed ever since. Clearly, the second owner in Michigan did a good job preserving it, and surely never took it out during harsh Michigan winters.

For those of you who don’t know much about the 944 Turbo, it was the "entry level" Porsche throughout the 1980s, between the earlier 924 and the later 968. The 944 was the most common of the three, and Porsche even offered a convertible version — but the Turbo was the one to have, as it boasted an impressive 217 horsepower and could do zero to 60 in under six seconds. Find a Porsche 944 for sale

Doug DeMuro is an automotive journalist who has written for many online and magazine publications. He once owned a Nissan Cube and a Ferrari 360 Modena. At the same time.

8 COMMENTS

vimadan May 15, 2018 At 12:48 pm

Amazing cars, 50/50 weight distribution, timeless looks, prototypical coke-bottle silhouette. It’s a shame that they haven’t seen the appreciation of the air-cooled 911’s of similar vintage but make no mistake, these are incredible cars. I always wanted one, should have dove in when good examples were available in the $14-19K range, they are approaching double that now.

BTW, typo in the last sentence of the first paragraph “It’s a 1984 944 Turbo”. It is, as you’ve noted elsewhere, a 1987 model. The Turbo didn’t come into existence, at least in the US market, until the 1986 model year.