The Porsche 924 is a much maligned car. It was criticised when first introduced for being somewhat harsh, and in the US for inadequate performance (the engine used there was strangled down to 95BHP from the 125 horsepower supplied to European drivers) and for switchgear obviously VW in origin, the latter hardly a surprise as it is well known that the car was originally designed by Porsche for VW. The car was however more powerful, aerodynamic and practical than the clattery 912E that preceded it on the US market. Bar room pundits, most of whom have probably never driven the model, and who probably couldn’t afford to buy one new or even slightly used, ridiculed the origins of its engine, without knowing the true facts. This engine was originally designed by Daimler Benz in the 60s when they owned NSU and Auto Union and when those marques were sold on to VW, the design went with for use by what became Audi. With that heritage is it any wonder that the bottom end could survive 24 hours of Le Mans in the 924 Carrera to finish 6th overall.
Let us now put all this into perspective. All contemporary sports Coupes at or below the not inconsiderable price of the 924 had saloon car derived engines, without exception. This was a 2 litre car with a top speed of 126 mph. True, its acceleration was lower than other cheaper higher capacity sportscars, but it was geared to cruise just about flat out in its principal markets, on the German autobahns and on US roads when the cops hopefully weren’t around! As first issued it had only a four speed gearbox, which is why acceleration suffered at the expense of high top speed. The Jensen Healey had similar performance, but for how long would its Lotus re-engineered Vauxhall engine hold together? The so called hairy chested British sportscars,TR6 and Big Healey, so beloved of those same bar-room pundits, and the former only just out of production, wouldn’t cruise repeatedly for any distance at anything approaching that speed even using their quaint overdrive boxes.
Porsche, as is their custom, improved the car year by year, offering a proper 5 speed gearbox instead of adding a heavy second electro-hydraulically operated two speed device (i.e. overdrive), and improved the power output of the US engine to 110 BHP. The bodywork even became fully galvanized in 1981, promising longevity undreamed of by its competitors, provided of course that accident damage was properly repaired!
Ultimate grip and traction were in a different league to its competitors, the chassis being perfectly balanced by positioning the gearbox just in front of the rear axle.
Who were the other competition? MGB GT V8 disappearing as the 924 arrived, a reasonably fast car but not many were sold, and how many of them have survived without having had a body rebuild? Datsun 280ZX, fatter than its predecessor, and as for surviving, see MGB above. Mazda RX7, introduced a year after the 924, weighing almost the same but with less power and torque and a prodigious fuel thirst. Alfetta Coupe, may it rust in peace, unreliable, and not as fast. Ford Capri needed a V6 to propel it fairly fast, but grip was certainly lacking. Lancia’s Monte Carlo came a little later, shame about the brakes on the first series.TR7 arrived at about the same time but didn’t have the right engine fitted and was even more badly made than the rest. Lotus (at much higher prices), Jensen Healey, TVR Taimar and the Ginetta 21 provided performance, but would potential a Porsche buyers risk the possibility of becoming an unpaid test and development driver for a low-volume specialist car-maker?
Talking of reliability, the 924 was plagued with a hot-starting problem, but its unlikely that any car still running, hasn’t had an after market fix by now.
Fuel tanks rust out adjacent to the retaining strap; “so what?” you may think, most cars that old would need a new fuel tank by now. BUT to replace it on this model requires the entire rear end mechanicals to be removed, re-assembly requiring the rear suspension to be reset. Oh yes,and a new tank costs much more than £1000. You might as well replace the clutch at the same time, several hundred pounds in parts, and the same 6 hours of expert labour would only have to repeated at a later date. That derided VW switchgear, however, just carries on working.
Progress continued, special competition derivatives reliably putting out up to 375 BHP from that sneered at engine and winning many prestigious races in the process, giving rise to roadgoing high performance variants, 924 Carrera and 924Turbo, the 924S with much improved braking and suspension to cope with performance of the larger 944 engine, the heavier less aerodynamic but even grippier and more universally admired 944 and its own derivatives the 944 Turbo, 944S, 944S2 and its final incarnation the 968.
The 924S, one of which I have owned for well over 30 years cruised down autobahns, was itself developed into the 924S Le Mans (SE in the States) with further improved roadholding and a higher compression engine, and then gave rise to what was intended to become the 924S2 with 2.7 litre engine and interior from the post 1985 944 and improved aerodynamics, but the project was cut short after only a couple of dozen were made (none RHD unfortunately) and those that didn’t undergo the necessary crash testing were sold only to some fortunate factory employees.
A high proportion of these cars have survived, justifying the high initial purchase price. A goodly percentage are now raced, offering enthusiasts a chance to explore the extremes of the handling envelope which would be impossible for all but a madman to attempt on the public roads! These cars will spin, eventually, and when they do finally let go, it happens very fast (ask me how I know, but in my defense it was in the Karousel on a very wet Nurburgring and I did
Submitted by: Anthony Parker
