The Porsche 928 was born out of a need to evolve. In the 1970s, Porsche had concerns that the 911, its flagship car, 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 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, as the company was keen to distance itself from Volkswagen after the 924. 

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. 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 utilised aluminium wings, bonnet and doors and 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.

This particular car, a 1982 model, has been with its current owner for the last five years, and had five owners prior to that. The current owner, who prides himself on perfection, has lavished all manner of care and attention upon this car, and as you can see from the ample images, it shows. 

This car is arguably one of the most desirable 928 models with it being early specification. These first 928 Porsches, which were built from 1978 to 1982, were offered with no spoilers, the smaller, more delicate Teledial alloy wheels and the launch 4.5 water-cooled Porsche-developed V8. For many enthusiasts, this specification 928 represents the car in its purest form. The lack of spoilers and larger wheels allow the design to breathe, and to be enjoyed as Ferdinand himself would have intended. 

This car was specified in a subtle Zinc Blue metallic with Berber cloth and black leather seats. It’s an automatic, which in the case of this model means a Mercedes-Benz derived three-speed. Interestingly, Porsche adopted a transaxle layout on the 928, meaning 50/50 weight distribution care of the transmission being at the back. 

This car is also significant as it represents the last of these ‘pure’ 928 models. At the end of the ‘82 model year, Porsche increased the engine capacity to 4.7. In 1980, it introduced the 928S, which would go on to be the main 928 offering. This model listed here represents a 928 in its purest guise. V8, auto, comfort, looks and a willingness to drive to the shops or to the South of France.

Paperwork supplied with the car documents a keen service schedule for the 928s early years. Sadly though, there is a break until 2015 when the current custodian took ownership of the car. However, rest assured that he has left the 928 wanting for nothing, and there are ample receipts from specialists to back this up. 

In 2015 the 928 was given a transmission service including filter, a new starter motor was fitted and preventative maintenance was carried out on the fuel lines (prone to corrosion on the 928). A full engine service was carried out including a new cam belt, pulleys, guides and water pump. The 928 has covered just 6,000 miles since this was carried out. 

In 2016, more work was carried out. The driver’s seat was removed to be professionally repaired, new badges were fitted, new keys were made, the radio was repaired, new fuel lines were fitted and the front valance was repaired before the car was sent for a complete respray in factory Zinc Blue metallic. Further works included refurbishment of the radiator, myriad new hoses, fixings and clips, new thermostat, new window trims, refurbished speedometer and refurbished and re-painted brake callipers. Truly, nothing has been left untouched in the course of bringing this 928 to the condition it is in today.

As you can see, this 928 is in excellent order. The current owner has spent a great deal time and money ensuring that this 928 is one of the best examples available. 

The car has been used and enjoyed sparingly by its current keeper and is now ready for its next adventure. There is a certificate of authenticity from Porsche included with the car. 

The silver-blue bodywork is free from any major marks or damage and has clearly been cherished since its 2016 refurbishment, while the trademark rotating headlights operate as Stuttgart first intended. The boot latch is a bit fussy, but the overall condition of this car is superb and the colour really suits the purity of the Mk 1 928 lines.

Inside, the 928 is in almost as-new condition. The driver’s seat has been retrimmed but apart from that it’s 100% original, right down to the fold-down rear sun visors to help protect the driver from glare through than convex rear window. 

It’s a wonderfully pure and neatly styled environment, well-equipped but somehow spartan at the same time. 

The Mechanics

The 928 was engineered to be more refined and more enjoyable than the 911 of the time. The 911, while an excellent machine, was without any doubt, a focused and hard-nosed sports car. It was a car that needed to be driven. The 928 was a grand tourer, and as such, was designed to offer Porsche-like pace, but with minimal effort. 
 
The 4.5 16-valve V8, which was the first water-cooled engine to be developed entirely by Porsche, is exceptionally smooth. With a bank angle of 90 degrees, vibration is at a minimum. It features a single overhead camshaft, the belt of which also drives the water and oil pump. The engine was developed to sit low in the 928 for a better centre of gravity. This, combined with the rear transaxle meant that despite being significantly heavy than the 911, on-track performance was actually similar.

The 928 is a wonderfully balanced car, and one that rewards you as your confidence builds. Even with the three-speed automatic, it can still provide an exciting and engaging drive. The transmission, admittedly, it’s the most sharp, but for what the car was designed for, it’s well-suited. It kicks down without hesitance and shifts through the gears without fuss or drama

This 928 is a wonderful machine to drive. The interior, in its almost ‘as new’ condition, and the fact everything down to the functional Blaupunkt radio is period makes the car a time capsule of sorts. It’s an experience to drive, an event. You just need to make sure you have some synthwave tapes on hand!

 

For us, this is the 928 as it should be experienced. Yes, there are manual transmission cars, there are later cars with spoilers, bigger engines, bigger wheels and ultimately more power. But by comparison they seem so distant from this example. This car, with its clean, unfussy lines and the preservation work that has so successfully managed to keep it original make it pure. It's a car you could lose yourself in by just staring at it. 

The current owner has given this 928 a life without compromise. Money has been spent when it was needed and it’s been spent in the right way, and as such, an original 928 has been preserved. If you want a big, comfortable GT car that brings with it that V8 soundtrack, but without being any harder to drive than an executive saloon, this is the car for you. Don’t get us wrong, lean on it and that Porsche engineering will make itself known, but when you’re not pressing on, it will be the perfect GT. And more than that, it’s a slice of motoring history, a representation of one of Porsche’s most significant evolutions. A former Car of the Year that’s even more desirable now than it was when new.