We’ve written about the Porsche 924 a couple of times here at ViaRETRO – Claus Ebberfield speculated on whether it would have been more respected had it followed the mighty 928 rather than preceded it, and we featured a 924S as a Prime Find back in November 2020, so the background to the introduction of the 924 is well covered in both those pieces.
As the second Porsche / VW-Audi collaboration – the first being the controversial (in its day) mid-engined 914, the 924 was much better received for its stylish lines compared to the push-me/pull you styling of the 914, and while both cars were praised for their handling, they also shared a particular criticism, a perceived lack of high-speed performance. This was especially true in the US, where the 924’s already modest 123bhp output was strangled by US emissions regulations to the point where output was a mere 95bhp.
With the 914, this was addressed with the launch of the 914-6, and these have in recent years become very in demand and therefore expensive. In the 924’s case, performance upgrades began with the 924 Turbo and ended with the race-developed Carrera GTS, the ultimate 924 that was as fast as it looked, with NACA bonnet duct, flared wheel arches and spoilers front and rear.
It was the 924 Turbo, introduced in 1978, which elevated the 924 into the serious performance car bracket, thanks to a 45bhp power increase that raised top speed by nearly 20mph, a five-speed gearbox and uprated suspension. The 924 Turbo could now hit 140mph and cover the 0-60mph sprint in just 7 seconds – all this from a 2-litre, four-cylinder engine, and pitching the Porsche against the likes of the Ferrari 308GT4, TVR Taimar Turbo, Audi Quattro and the Lotus Esprit.
Externally, the Turbo differed only subtly from the base car, with a line of air-ducts across the front of the bonnet as well as a NACA air-duct on the bonnet lid, a small rear-spoiler attached to the glass hatchback window, a full-length coachline down each side and a unique set of alloys, all giving the 924 Turbo a much more purposeful look, if not as aggressive as the later Carrera GT.
Other upgrades included as standard electric windows, tinted glass, a National Panasonic, computerised, stereo radio/cassette player, a rear wiper, high-pressure headlamp washers, a heated and electrically-adjustable exterior mirror, and the leather trimmed steering wheel from its 911 Turbo big brother.
Already a popular car in standard form, the 924 Turbo was very well-received by the motoring press. Bill Boddy of Motor Sport rated it very highly, summarising the car as “not perfect, but it supremely fast, extraordinarily economical in relation to its performance, practical, comfortable and at times even very exciting” in a March 1980 test.
Motor magazine also lavished praise on the car, specifically it’s combination of high performance with (relatively)good fuel economy, as well as its build quality. Both magazines did criticise the Turbo lag – something the 924 had in common with just about all turbo models in those early days of turbocharging on road cars – as well as the ventilation and aspects of the gearchange but considered these “minor flaws in an otherwise a superb machine”.
Porsche built 152,082 924’s between its introduction in November 1975 and production ending in 1988. Of these, 13,616 were Turbo’s, only 9% of the total, but while relatively rare, there are a decent number about, with 77 currently on UK roads and another 201 SORN, and surely many more in Germany. As values rise, the number on our roads will surely follow, although they can currently be bought for well under our usual theoretical £20k budget.
All of this brings us to our Prime Find for this week, which is a 1980 924 Turbo that goes under the hammer with CCA Auctions as part of their September 24th sale. Finished in Onyx Metallic – a deep green – with a brown pin-stripe interior and green carpeting, this 924 Turbo doesn’t shout about its performance. I quite like the exterior colour, am less convinced by the interior, but overall it is a smart-looking car.
CCA always accompany their lot entries with a condition report which, albeit that it’s put together by the vendor themselves, gives a rough idea of the general state of the car beyond what you can see in the photographs. Across all the categories, covering bodywork, interior, engine, electrics, running gear and transmission, the vendor has rated their car either 3 or 4 stars out of 5, scoring a total of 100/135 points, meaning it is in either Good or Very Good condition throughout.
Certainly the photos which we have borrowed from the auctioneer’s website show a sound-looking car in pretty much every respect. The paintwork looks even and has a deep lustre, the chrome appears sound and the interior isn’t particularly worn – the indicated mileage is 69,353 which is far from excessive if accurate, so it shouldn’t be.
It carries an estimate range of just £12,000 to £15,000, which for a relatively rare classic Porsche in good useable condition seems pretty reasonable – this is contemporary 911 performance for 25% to 30% of the price of a 911 of similar vintage and is in the ballpark of other 924 Turbo’s currently for sale in the UK.
You can see the full lot entry here – the personalised number plate is not being sold with the car, which will revert to its original age-appropriate number. As a way into classic Porsche ownership this 924 Turbo looks a pretty reasonable bet, and as usual, if you are tempted to raise your bidding paddle – be it real or virtual – on September 24th, we recommend prior inspection if possible.
With our Saturday instalment of Prime Find of the Week, we’re offering our services to the classic car community, by passing on our favourite classic car for sale from the week that passed. This top-tip might help a first-time-buyer to own his first classic, or it could even be the perfect motivation for a multiple-classic-car-owner to expand his garage with something different. We’ll let us be inspired by anything from a cheap project to a stunning concours exotic, and hope that you will do the same.
Just remember – Any Classic is Better than No Classic! We obviously invite our readers to help prospective buyers with your views and maybe even experiences of any given model we feature. Further to that, if you stumble across a classic which you feel we ought to feature as Prime Find of the Week, then please send us a link to primefindoftheweek@viaretro.co.uk