Porsche 924, 928, 944, 968 History – Video

The Porsche 924 is a sports car produced by Porsche AG of Germany from 1976 to 1988. A two-door, 2+2 coupé, the 924 was intended to replace the 914 as the company’s entry-level model, but when 914 production was ended early it retired a resurrected 912 instead.

Though the water-cooled, front-engined 928 gran turismo was designed first, the 924 was the first roadgoing Porsche with that configuration. It was also the first Porsche to be offered with a fully automatic transmission.

The 924 made its public debut in November 1975. It was panned by enthusiasts for its mediocre performance, but a sales success with just over 150,000 produced during a 1977-1988 production run, and an important profits generator for the company. The closely related 944 introduced in the U.S. market in 1983 was meant to replace the 924, but 924 production continued through 1985, followed by a 944-engined 924S through 1988.

 

The Porsche 928 was a luxurious grand tourer (S-segment) produced by Porsche AG of Germany from 1978 to 1995. Originally intended to replace the company’s well-known and famed 911, the 928 combined the power, poise, and handling of a sports car with the refinement, comfort, and equipment of a luxurious saloon to create what some Porsche executives thought would be a vehicle with wider appeal than the compact, quirky and sometimes difficult 911.

Since its inception in 1949, Porsche has manufactured only seven front-engined models, four of which were coupés, including the 928. The car has the distinction of being the company’s only coupé powered by a front-mounted V8 engine, and the company’s first production V8 powered model.
The Porsche 944 is a sports car built by Porsche from 1982 to 1991. A front-engined, rear-wheel drive mid-level model based on the 924 platform, the 944 was available in coupé or cabriolet body styles, with either naturally aspirated or turbocharged engines

Intended to be produced into the 1990s, major revisions planned for a 944 “S3” model were eventually combined into the 968, which became its replacement. Over 163,000 944s were produced, making it the most successful car line in Porsche history until the introductions of the Boxster and 997 Carrera.
The Porsche 968 is a sports car made by Porsche AG from 1992 to 1995. It was the final evolution of a line of water-cooled front-engined rear wheel drive models begun almost 20 years earlier with the 924, taking over the entry-level position in the company lineup from the 944 with which it shared about 20% of its parts. The 968 was Porsche’s last new front-engined vehicle before the introduction of the Cayenne SUV in 2003.