I quite like the 924. But apparently not many do. Maybe it could have been different.
You can not mention the Porsche 924 without someone promptly asking whether that’s “the one with the Audi engine”. As if that explained everything you need to know about why the poor 924 is not worth wasting your time with. You’d be wrong. Especially considering the amount of money you could actually settle for as your absolute bargain entry fee into the exclusive Porsche club.
Take it into your consideration that the 924 is one of the most important cars in Porsche history. Many have forgotten this, but in fact the 924 was a huge sales success for Porsche: 150,000 cars sold between 1976 and 1986 was at the time a great success for the then rather small manufacturer in Stuttgart. Thus, the 924 actually became nothing less than the basis (economically) for the further development of the 911, which we today take for granted.
Sure, the 924 was originally designed by Porsche for VAG, where it was supposed to be sold as an Audi. As you are probably well aware this was not the first time the two had worked together, and also their first car, the VW-Porsche 914, should be lauded for its qualities. Including its sales success. But after the oil crisis, interest in a 914 replacement cooled somewhat at VAG, and Porsche bought back their own almost-finished project – in a complicated deal that included the new Porsche continuing to use various parts from VAG as well as being built in the former NSU plant in Neckarsulm. VAG itself instead opted for a coupe version of the Golf, the Scirocco, which would be far cheaper to build than the front-engined transaxle-924 that was the real successor to the 914. Even when shelved by VAG Porsche could still see a meaning in the project 924, not least because they also had 928 waiting behind the scenes – the 911’s supposed replacement. The reasoning was that the 924 and 928 were a perfect symbiosis in the new Seventies generation of front-engined and water-cooled Porsches.
Granted, the 924 was not a perfect car when it came on the market in 1976: it was expensive, poorly equipped (including only four forward gears in the beginning – if you did not settle for the automatic gearbox with only three!), had a slightly coarse-grained engine and was on paper not terribly fast. On the other hans its driving characteristics received fabulous praise, its quality as well – and its design (by Dutchman Harm Lagaay), modernity and even its economy as well. So my contention is that it was more reputable in its day than it is today, with the 911 taking the accolades as being the classic Porsche in a nutshell. Incidentally, and as usual for Porsche, the 924 was continuously developed and improved and the various criticisms were less year after year. But the 924 is still often judged on the weaknesses of the first model years.
Could it have gone differently for the 924? Yes, in fact I think so: The thing is that actually the Porsche 928 was ready to go to market at about the same time as the 924, but nonetheless, Porsche chose the small model first. My question is: What if they had done the opposite? The 928 was a big bet from Porsche, unlike the 924 completely self-constructed from a blank sheet of paper and filled to the brim with new thinking and technology. Indeed it was received with enthusiasm and praise by professionals and even won the Car of the Year in Europe title in 1978 – as the only sports car ever. It was a huge step forward for Porsche and the sports car as such.
Therefore I think that if Porsche had reversed the order and launched the 928 first and shortly after let the 924 loose as the obvious little brother to the accomplished luxury sports car, then the 924 would to a much greater extent have been considered a worthy family member. No one could miss that the 924 shared the new and modern concept of the bigger car as well as some of the qualities – only at a much, much lower price. I trust there would have been a greater understanding of its cost-conscious choice of donor engine and other technology, and more focus on the fact that despite this, it shared many virtues with the big brother. With which it would even today been seen more reputable.
But they didn’t, which is why the 924 is supremely at the bottom of the Porsche hierarchy today. Well, many even think it does not belong there at all. What do you think: Does it? Could it be different? Or couldn’t you care less, because you simply love driving your 924 whatever people think?
