Porsche 924

OPTIONS INCLUDE:
-MARTINI LIMITED-EDITION
–> SPECIAL PAINT AND INTERIOR COLORS
–> MARTINI & ROSSI EXTERIOR GRAPHICS
–> FRONT AND REAR SWAY BARS
–> LEATHER-WRAPPED STEERING WHEEL
–> REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER
-REAR WINDOW WIPER

Four cylinder models have long been Porsche’s go-to for entry-level performance; naturally, this began with their original model, the 356, and continued with the 912 and standard variant of the 914. While the latter replaced the former in 1970, the company briefly manufactured a one-year-only 912 E for the US market in 1976 as a stop-gap measure as they prepared their new model: the 924.

Originally engineered as a contract design for VW, the 924 became a Porsche when Volkswagen decided they wished to focus on the Scirocco and other front-wheel-drive cars. Not wishing to let a good design languish and needing a new model to replace the 914, Porsche engineers elected to purchase the rights to the design and sold it as their own model. With a water-cooled 2.0L Inline-4 designed by Audi (though upgraded by Porsche to produce as much as 110hp) and a four-speed transmission mounted in the rear, the 924 offered exceptional handling and reasonable performance.

For the car’s second model year in 1977, Porsche released a special, limited edition variant, the Martini Championship Edition, to celebrate the company’s successes in sportscar racing. Each car came with a plaque in the center console commemorating the 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1976 overall World Sportscar Championship victories with 935 and 936 cars (Porsche went on to win that year’s championship and seven more titles through 1986). Every vehicle was produced in identical Police White liveries featuring classic Red & Blue Martini & Rossi stripes and matching White wheels over Black vinyl with Red cloth and Blue piping/accents. In addition, the cars received front/rear anti-roll bars for enhanced handling. In total, Porsche only produced around 3,000 of these special cars, making them some of the most desirable of the naturally aspirated 924s.

These cars, in any guise, are well regarded for their incredibly well-balanced handling and lovable natures. While brand purists overlooked and even derided the model in the past, the 924 (and its successors, the 944 and 968), have been gaining traction in enthusiast’s collections for the last decade simply because they are fantastic to drive and hold a special place in the company’s history. Limited edition cars are, as ever, the most sure-fire investments in what is one of Porsche’s most underrated models.