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Porsche has never had trouble selling the idea of a 911. The 924S is a different story: it was the front-engine, hatchback, entry-level car that sat at the bottom of the range, and many were simply used as affordable everyday sports coupes. That is what makes this 1987 Porsche 924S, live on Hagerty Marketplace worth a second look. It shows just 5,250 miles, and it is still wearing Guards Red over a black script-fabric interior.
The Porsche That Was Never Supposed to Be the Headline
Per the listing, the 924 debuted in 1976 as the first of Porsche's front-engine, entry-level sports cars, positioned below the 911. The 924S followed in 1986 and addressed the car's biggest complaint, which was what sat under the hood. Earlier 924s used a Volkswagen-sourced engine, while the S carried a detuned version of the 2.5-liter four-cylinder from the 944, with roughly 150 horsepower in 1987 trim according to commonly published spec tables. It also picked up the 944's disc brakes and a five-lug wheel pattern.
The result was a car that looked like a 924 and drove closer to a 944, without the wider fenders or the higher sticker price. Production ended after the 1988 model year, so the 924S had a short run, and many survivors have the kind of mileage you would expect from an affordable Porsche that was used regularly.
What This One Brings
According to the listing, this car was sold new by Capital Porsche in Columbus, Ohio, and has stayed in the area ever since. It has had three owners, with the current seller acquiring it in 2006. The seller states that most of the miles were put on during the first ownership and that the second owner stored the car as an investment. The CARFAX report is described as clean, but it begins in 1998 and shows several reporting gaps, so that history is worth reading closely.
The spec sheet is refreshingly simple. It has the 2.5-liter inline-four, a five-speed Getrag manual, 15-inch phone-dial wheels and four-wheel disc brakes. Inside are a Blaupunkt cassette stereo, air conditioning, an electric sunroof that the seller says is removable, Porsche-branded floormats, and a 160-mph speedometer in the tri-pod gauge cluster. The listing says the car comes with its factory window sticker, manufacturer literature and owner's manuals, an air pump, a tool roll, and a clean Ohio title in the seller's name. The seller's gallery has 95 photos, and the listing's own "Known Imperfections" section points bidders to those images rather than listing flaws, so close study of the pictures matters here.
Why Keep a 924S at All?
This is the question that makes the car interesting. Entry-level Porsches were not the cars collectors tucked away in 1987, which is part of why a low-mile one is unusual today. Cars like this tend to survive because someone decided early on to put one away, as the seller says happened here. The appeal is not outright speed or prestige. It is the chance to experience a mid-1980s Porsche as it left the showroom: the cassette deck, the vinyl-and-fabric seats, the analog gauges, and a manual gearbox in a lightweight, rear-drive coupe.
It also fits a pattern Motorious readers will recognize. We have recently looked at other cars few people thought to save, including a 26,400-mile 1999 Buick Century and a Brabus-tuned Mercedes minivan. The 924S belongs in that conversation, and for readers who want to see where the same 2.5-liter lineage went in competition, this 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo Cup car shows the other end of the family. For a different kind of air-cooled-era Porsche, see this 21-years-owned 1989 911 Carrera Cabriolet.
Auction Details
As of this writing, the high bid is $5,001 after two bids. The auction is scheduled to end Monday, November 16 at 2:10 p.m. EST, and the car is located in Columbus, Ohio. The listing does not describe the sale as no-reserve. As with any online auction, bidders are responsible for their own due diligence, including reviewing the full photo gallery, the CARFAX report, and arranging an inspection if possible. You can view the original Hagerty Marketplace listing for the complete details.
Photos and details courtesy of the seller and Hagerty Marketplace.
