1984 Porsche 944

- Euro Spec Car
- 2.5L Inline 4 Cylinder
- 5 Speed Manual Transmission
- 71k Miles
- Black Over Black Interior
- $5k in Recent Service: New Brakes, New Rear Shocks, New Power Steering Pump, and Oil Change

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1984 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 170 photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around video, and a link to its accident and damage-free Carfax history, 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 1984 Porsche 944 in black (LO81) over black (EB). From the car's body sticker, the factory-installed option list decodes as follows:

COO – ROW (“Rest of World,” i.e., non-U.S., or European)
T16 - Unknown
058 – Front and rear bumper shocks
220 – Locking differential 40%
288 – Headlight washers
410 – Sport seats, backrest cloth/leatherette
429 – White fog light
573 – Air conditioning
657 – Power steering

The odometer shows 71,737 miles, a very low 2,000 miles per-year on average since new, and the car's excellent condition is proof of meticulous owner care.

The black 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 optional 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 highly skilled hands. Properly maintained, there is no limit to how long Porsche paint can look nearly 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—and lighting lenses are similarly undamaged. The rear spoiler is soft to the touch and free of cuts or scrapes. Highly desirable, black-center-with-polished-rim, 16-inch staggered-width Fuchs wheels are mounted with GoodYear® Assurance 225/50 all-season tires.

The condition of the interior surfaces is noteworthy. The dash shows only two small cracks (on the driver's side) of the sort often seen on these cars. Center inserts on the black-leather upholstery feature the very desirable (and long wearing) Porsche-logo fabric; the seats are sport, well-bolstered, 911-style buckets. Leather is lightly creased as expected from age, but free of damage and fading. Door trim is well-maintained with original speaker grilles in place. A Momo™ Prototipo 3-spoke steering wheel is mounted. Unique to the early 944s, analog instruments feature optic-yellow graphic markings, and are set on a brushed-metal trim piece. (Another desirable oddity: the tachometer turns clockwise, but beginning at the 2 o'clock position.) The same metal trim surrounding the driver's instrument cluster also surrounds the auxiliary analog gauges in the center stack. An Blaupunkt® New York 083 audio unit is mounted. 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 in the cargo area) are covered in black carpeting. (Please view the close-up photography in the gallery to assess the excellent condition of the Porsche's interior surfaces.)

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 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 even 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, black cars always hold a special appeal. This example will certainly please the classic-Porsche aficionado who will be cherishing it next.