Proposed American legislation in the 70s created the Porsche 928. Designed to replace the legendary 911, the much-feared US rules never appeared, and Porsche was left with a car it didn’t need. But that legislative hiccup turned out to be a blessing, and within a year of its launch the 928 had scooped Car of the Year, going on to sell strongly for 18 years. Futuristic, bold and very fast, 70s 928s are now hot property and classed as Vintage Porsches – with prices to match. But you can still find reasonable 80s 928s for less than seven grand, and absolute minters for £20k.
This front-engined V8 warhorse has a galvanised steel body with alloy panels, looks even better than it did in 1977, will do 150 mph, and hurl to 60 in 7.7 seconds. And while 928s haven’t appreciated as strongly as 911s, it won’t be long before the bargains become harder to find. There’s very little else that gives you that cocktail of visual drama, Germanic build quality, and continent-munching performance. We like them because they’re unconventional, tough and very quick. Oh, and like all things from the 70s, they’re also deeply cool. See one in the metal now and you’re struck by just how swoopy and flamboyant the 928 looks today. And that unique theatricality of line is what will push values up. This is a very distinctive and crowd-stopping classic.
Mind you don’t get any ideas about fixing them at home, though. 928s are complicated and need specialist servicing, so look for continuous histories with lots of stamps in the service book and piles of old bills. Rust shouldn’t be an issue, but glitches with electric windows, central locking, air conditioning and blown head gaskets will keep you busy and lighten your wallet considerably. The secret is to buy a well cared-for 928 in the first place, and then keep it diligently fed and watered. The later 90s cars are the most reliable and refined, and we think the best buying comes from the 928S and S4s from 1984 to 1992.
Find a well-serviced 928 with less than 100k on the clock and you’ll have a seriously dramatic classic that’s reliable, rapid and undervalued. History has taught us that classic Porsches are always a fine future-proof investment, and the 928 is no exception.
