1983 Porsche 928 S

Highlights


∙Genuine 84k from new
∙Repainted Meteor Grey 
∙Originally owned by Porsche Cars GB

The Background

Without the 928, Porsche may well have not made it past the end of the 1970s.
It was a car born out of a need to evolve. In the 1970s, Porsche had concerns that the 911, its flagship, was reaching the end of its lifecycle. Certainly, there had been a decline in sales of the model to suggest as much. 
Something had to be done, and Porsche’s managing director Ernst Fuhrmann, was confident he had the answer. Porsche would build a grand tourer. A car that would be the perfect blend of sports car performance and of the luxury found in executive saloons. It would be bigger, it would be more conventional in construction and it would be the car to pick from where the 911 would leave off. 
This presented a challenge for Ferdinand Porsche, but he and his team were determined to meet it. As such, the 928 became a significant point in Porsche’s history as it was the first ‘clean sheet’ car the company would design. Remember, the 356 evolved from the Beetle, and the 911 from the 356. 
Various ideas were floated, such as a mid-engine layout. However, in the end Porsche settled on the conventional front-engine, rear-wheel drive arrangement. And the engine, a V8, was of Porsche design.
The resulting car was a long, low sports grand tourer that could, at a push, seat four. Early cars boasted 237bhp from the naturally-aspirated 4.5 V8, upped to 4.7-litres and 310bhp for 1983. But it wasn’t the power that sold the 928 - it was the looks. The sleek, fuss-free, bumperless design was like nothing else. It used aluminium wings, bonnet and doors and had circular pop-up lights. It was a spaceship in 1978, and still is today. 
History, and contemporary Porsche showrooms tell us the 928 didn’t take over from the 911. Instead, it did something more significant. It bolstered and expanded the Porsche range, it demonstrated what it could do with, quite literally, a clean sheet of paper. The 928 was, make no mistake, a hugely important car. 

The History

This example has been in the hands of its current owner since he bought it from a used car dealership in 1996. He even still has the sales receipt from when he bought it 25 years ago.
A 928 S, it has the later, more powerful engine, which in this case is coupled to an automatic transmission. 
When the vendor bought the car, it was pale metallic blue, but he had it repainted Meteor Grey as that was his favourite 928 colour. It has been used as an occasional car throughout his ownership and has covered just 84,000 miles from new. 
Looking further into its past, there are five previous keepers. The first is recorded as Porsche Cars GB, which owned the car for the first two years of its life, suggesting it was a company car or demonstrator. It then passed into the hands of its second owner, which was a business in Croydon, Surrey. The service history is patchy through the Eighties, but the current keeper has had it maintained by a well-regarded Porsche specialist throughout his ownership, most recently with a full service and cambelt change earlier this year.

The Paperwork

There’s quite a bit of paperwork with the 928, including a V5 in the owner’s name and an MOT valid until January 2022. 
The original handbook and service book are included, along with a folder containing all manner of bills and receipts from the vendor’s ownership, including a couple of bills for major maintenance. They build up a record of a car that has been loved and maintained with no expense spared, with most of the work carried out by a Porsche specialist in South-East London.

The Exterior

The owner’s choice of Meteor Grey is a good one – it really sets off the 928’s otherworldly styling brilliantly, and it’s in fine condition, too. It’s not perfect – there are a couple of scuffs on the rear bumper, a small bubble under the paint on the bonnet and a few very, very minor marks, but overall it’s in superb order and the underside looks incredibly solid. 
Those trademark ‘eyes on stalks’ headlights work perfectly, too, and are a wonderful feature and party piece – if you take it to a show, expect to be asked to demonstrate them a few times. 
The alloy wheels are in good order as is all of the glass, though the owner reports that the rear screen wiper doesn’t currently operate. 

The Interior

Open the door and you’re met by a cabin that’s just as space age as the exterior – with some unusual features such as rear sun visors to stop the glare from that vast glass hatch and some really peculiar placement of the switchgear. Headlight controls down by the driver’s side door sill? Of course – where else would you expect to find them?
It’s wonderful, though, and the blue leather, carpets and dash come with a wonderful Eighties vibe.
There’s a bit of damage to the leather on the side of the driver’s seat, caused by sunlight perishing the leather and causing it to split. It’s repairable, though, and well worth doing as the rest of the cabin has a very lightly careworn patina that is truly charming. To retrim the car completely would ruin some of its aura, and it’s in mostly good order. 
The vendor reports that the speedometer isn’t working, but that the odometer is operating correctly. He’s never got around to fixing it as he uses GPS instead. 

The Mechanics

What’s hugely important here is that the 928 has just had a full service and cambelt courtesy of a specialist – that’s terrific news for the next owner and means that one of the biggest and most complex jobs is out of the way and that it’ll be good for many thousands of miles before it needs doing again.
So instead, you can just jump in and enjoy it, and what’s not to like about a wuffly V8 with plenty of power? It sounds fabulous, fires up straight away and holds a steady idle. 
According to the owner, it drives absolutely spot-on and he has been using it a lot more this year than in the previous few, happy in the knowledge that it has had a cambelt change. 

The Appeal

Interest in 928s is on the rise, and good examples are starting to attract some proper collector attention. It’s a car that deserves that, too, as it is such an important model in Porsche’s history, as well as being a wonderful, weird and delightful car to own and drive. 
This is a great example. It’s not concours, but it’s a very smart one and is brimming with charm. As a usable, enjoyable classic that’s only going to go up in value, it’s a great choice. 

Notice to bidders

Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.

As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the seller's discretion.

Please see our FAQ's here and our Terms & Conditions here

Please see our FAQs here and our Terms & Conditions here

Vehicle specification
  • Year 1983
  • Make Porsche
  • Model 928 S
  • Colour Grey
  • Odometer 84,131 Miles
  • Engine size 4664
Auction Details
  • Seller Type Private
  • Location Buckinghamshire
  • Country United Kingdom
Bidding history
22 bids
  • mc•••• £11,250 09/07/21
  • th•••• £11,000 09/07/21
  • Mo•••• £10,750 09/07/21
  • mc•••• £10,500 09/07/21
  • th•••• £10,000 09/07/21
  • mc•••• £9,900 09/07/21
  • Je•••• £9,700 09/07/21
  • da•••• £9,500 09/07/21
  • th•••• £9,200 09/07/21
  • To•••• £9,000 09/07/21
Message C&C Auction Team

The gallery

The safest way to buy a classic car online

Car & Classic's secure payment system protects buyers and sellers. At the end of the auction, the winning bidder transfers payment into a third-party escrow account. Once the transfer of the vehicle is complete, both parties confirm they are happy with the sale and the money is released to the seller. More about buying with us
Safe, secure payment process

About Max Bids

The max bid process allows you to bid without any hassle.

Enter your maximum bid and we will then bid on your behalf to ensure you're the highest bidder - just enough to keep you in the lead and only up until your maximum.

Anti-sniping

Car & Classic prevent auction snipers from bidding in the last seconds to win an auction.

Auctions are extended by 3 minutes if anyone bids within the last 2 minutes to allow other bidders to react and counter-bid.

Auto-bidding increments

  • If your maximum bid is equal to or below the reserve price, your maximum bid will be applied in full if you are the highest bidder.
  • If you are the highest bidder and place a maximum bid above the reserve, we will automatically put in the reserve as your first bid.
    • Once the reserve has been met, Car & Classic will make sure you are the highest bidder using only the bidding increments stated below.
    • We will keep you in the lead up until your maximum bid OR the increment closest to your maximum bid, providing your maximum bid is enough to cover the increment value.

Bid Amount Increment
£0 to £9,999 £100.00
£10,000 to £49,999 £250.00
£50,000 to £99,999 £500.00
£100,000 + £1,000.00

Automatically outbid immediately

When you place a max bid and are outbid immediately that means that another bidder has placed a max bid limit which is higher than yours.

You can bid again and we will use our automatic bid system to try and get you as the highest bidder.

Matching max bids

When there are two max bids of the same value, the one placed first remains the lead bidder.

Pre-authorisation

We may hold a pre-authorisation charge on your card until the end of the auction when the hold will be cancelled. If you win, we'll take a security deposit which counts towards the payment for the vehicle and isn't any extra cost to you.

What are pre-bids?

A pre-bid means you're able to place a bid before the official start of the auction.
You will be notified whether or not you are the highest bidder when the auction starts.

Problem with your bid

Bids are contractually binding. To help protect you, we have some rules in place if we think it's been mistyped. Please check and amend what you have entered.