1983 Porsche 944 2-Door Coupe

- First Year of the 944
- Texas Car
- Family Owned Since New
- Alpine White over Black
- 2.5L I4 with 5-Speed Manual
- Staggered Fuch Wheels (have originals)
- Momo Steering Wheel (have original)
- Service History
- Clean and Collectible

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1983 Porsche 944 on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of the car due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 150 photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around video, and a link to the Porsche's accident-and-damage-free Carfax history report, please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.)

“Fun. Maybe the most important discipline of all.” Porsche 944 period magazine-advertisement headline

The above-cited ad provided a host of detail on the 944 model's project-development leader, Roland Kussmaul, who also happened to have been project leader for Porsche's 962 customer race cars, and the company's SCCA 944 cars. For fun in his spare time, Herr Kussmaul was part of the Stuttgart manufacturer's Paris/Dakar rally team. In that vein, the ad referenced the 944's 0-60 time of 8.3 seconds and its transaxle design that made it the best-handling sports car then on the market. It concluded that the best reason to drive one of Kussmaul's 944s was simply: the fun of it.

Offered here is a 1983 Porsche 944 in Alpine White over black. From the car's body sticker, the factory-installed option list decodes as follows:

L90E – Color code for Alpine White exterior paint
CO2 – US Catalytic Converter
E10 – Box for cassettes and coins
158 – Radio, Blaupunkt Monterey
418 – Body side molding
533 – Alarm system
567 – Windshield – green graduated tint
666 – Without lacquer preservation and chrome preservation
900 – Tourist delivery

The car has been owned and maintained by the same Texas family since new, and its documented service history is included in the sale. The odometer shows 90,361 miles, a very low 2,400 miles per-year on average since new, and the car's excellent condition is proof of meticulous owner care.

The Alpine White single-stage (no clearcoat to deteriorate) exterior paint retains excellent gloss and consistency across the entire body, including the bespoke boxed fenders, “flag-style” side-view mirrors, bumpers, and lift-out sunroof panel. Porsche has long been known for very high-quality paint-application, especially so in the era when this car was new, and paint was sprayed on by skilled hands. Properly maintained, there is no limit to how long Porsche paint can look virtually brand-new as this 944 demonstrates. (To best assess the quality of the paint and trim finishes, be sure to view the close-up photographs of the car in the accompanying gallery.) The car's sheet metal is virtually free of damage. The Porsche-crest hood emblem, rear-deck black “944” emblem, and lower-rear “Porsche” lettering are all in place and pristine. Black treatments surrounding the cabin glass and on the door handles are in excellent condition (there was no chrome on 944 bodies). Tinted cabin glass—including on the expansive rear hatch—is clear and free of damage; lighting lenses are similarly pristine. The rear spoiler is free of damage and fading. Highly desirable, black-center, 16-inch staggered-width Fuchs wheels (with polished rims and Porsche-logo center caps) are in excellent condition. (Original ATS® “cookie cutter” wheels are included in the sale.) Continental® SportContact2 205/55 radial tires are mounted in front; 225/50 in the rear. Hood- and hatch-supporting hydraulic struts operate as they should.

The condition of the interior surfaces is exceptional. The dash shows only two small cracks (on the driver's side) of the sort often seen on these cars. Black leather upholstery on the 911-style bucket seats is lightly creased as expected from age, but free of damage and fading. Door trim appears as-new with replacement speaker grilles in place. A Momo™ 3-spoke steering wheel is mounted. The original steering wheel—identical to that used on 911 models at the time—is included in the sale. Unique to the early 944s, analog instruments feature yellow graphic markings, and are set on a brushed-metal trim piece. (Another desirable oddity: the tachometer turns counterclockwise.) The same metal trim graces the auxiliary gauges in the center stack. An upgraded Blaupunkt® Daytona audio head unit has replaced the factory radio. The console hosts the shifter (with fitted leather boot) for the 5-speed manual transmission, sunroof switches, sliding-door ashtray, and armrest with limited storage. Cabin floors (including the cargo area) are covered in black carpeting (protected by black carpet mats with Porsche-crest logos embroidered) in very good condition.

Under the hood, the 2.5-liter Porsche inline 4-cylinder (derived from the 928 model's 8-cylinder V8) commands a very clean, properly detailed, well-ordered, and complete engine bay. No aftermarket modifications are noted. Viewed from below, the chassis is straight, complete and extremely clean with no sign of damage as might be the case from too-aggressive driving styles or extensive track use. All components are properly in place with little sign of surface rust (944 bodies were galvanized). Even the lower-engine cover—often removed—remains in place and in perfect condition.

While the more than 150 high-definition photographs and the short walk-around-and-startup video available on the GarageKeptMotors website showcase this Porsche 944 in detail from every angle, including from below, we expect and encourage in-person inspections at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. Please call to arrange an appointment in advance as our showroom is not open to the public. And feel free to get in touch anytime by phone or email if you have questions.

Many Porsche enthusiasts favor the purity of the driving experience offered by the early 944 cars, and first-year examples like this 944 are especially sought-after. And it's fair to say, Alpine White-over-black cars hold a special appeal. This example will certainly please the classic-Porsche aficionado who will be cherishing it next.