Despite being most famous for the 911, Porsche has produced many other great cars over the years. One of those is the 944, a car that came out in 1982 and was in production until 1991. The 944 was an evolution of the 924 that had come before it, and it would become the most successful car in Porsche’s history at the time. In 2023, the 944 is still a great sports car and especially for gearheads.

While it is a classic, prices of the 944 are not through the roof. That has added to the appeal of the 944 in the 21st century. Not only that, but it is still highly regarded for how it broke the “poor man's Porsche” mantra of some of its predecessors. In some ways, the 944 is an undervalued car.

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How Porsche Massively Improved On The 924

Porsche 944 S2 Front Quarter View
Porsche

The 924 preceded the 944, and that had also been a successful car for the German company. The 924 itself had originally been part of a joint project between Volkswagen and Porsche, and it was in production from 1967 to 1988. Porsche took everything they knew from the 924 and upgraded it for the 944. The 944 was actually evolved from the 924 GTP LeMans, a car based on the 924 Carrera GT LeMans. Porsche raced the 924 GTP in the 1981 Le Mans 24 Hours where it finished the race seventh overall and took a class win in the GTP+ 3.0 category.

The 944 would utilize many of the technologies from the racecar, such as the balance shafts and engine management system. For safety reasons, Porsche turned down the power levels for the 944. A new inline-four engine of 2.5-liters was the powertrain of choice for the new 944. While turbo versions of that inline-four engine would come shortly. Fuel efficiency was the reason for the inline-four in the 944, and it was a natural evolution from the 924’s own inline-four engine. The rather underrated 944 turbo version would come in 1986, known internally as the 951.

The 944 Turbo Has Become Super Desirable

Porsche 944 Turbo Rear Quarter View
via Porsche

The 944 Turbo would go on to become the most desirable iteration of the 944. The 944 Turbo sported an intercooler as well as a turbocharger, added to the standard M44/51 inline-four of the 944. The car would produce 217 hp and have a 0-60 mph time of just 5.9 seconds. Improved aerodynamics, including an integrated front bumper, and a strengthened gearbox were just some of the other changes made to the car. The improved performance over the standard 944 has ensured that the 944 Turbo is quite the desirable classic car.

The value depends on the model year of the 944 Turbo. A 1986 example, according to Hagerty, will cost around the $18,000 mark. However, a 1989 Porsche 944 Turbo is more than double the price. That will set you back $41,000 if it is in good condition. The condition will make a big difference to the value. One 1986 944 Turbo with 70,000 miles on the clock is for sale at $35,000 at the time of writing. Proving the value of these cars can fluctuate and skyrocket massively. An example from 1989 recently sold for a staggering $75,600, with just 21,000 miles registered.

Used 944's Do Not Cost A Fortune

Red Porsche 944 Turbo Sports Car
Mecum Auctions

While the 944 Turbo can certainly cost a fortune, the regular version of the 944 does not. Some examples are currently listed for around $12,500 and in good condition as well. You can also find examples of the 944 S2 Convertible for sale too, such as this one currently listed on Mecum Auctions. The good thing about the price range for the 944 means that it can appeal to gearheads as an affordable yet also great classic car. While there are also the super high-value turbo models for those who want to splash more cash.

Hagerty’s value evaluation tool has many of the 944 variants trending upwards in value, so perhaps now is the time to invest in an example should you so desire. The high prices of some 944 Turbos may price some gearheads out but there are still enough out there for those on a lower budget.

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The 944 Is One Of Porsche’s Best Sports Cars

1982 Porsche 944 Front Quarter View
via Classic Driver

The 944 is without a doubt one of the best sports cars to come from Porsche. It continuously evolved over its production run, and the turbo models have really shot up in value thanks to their incredible performance. Porsche would drop the 944 nameplate for the 1992 model year, as the heavily revised successor would become known as the 968. The sleek, classy and punchy 944 will always be one of the best sports cars to come from the Germany company. How much their value increases over the next few years will be incredibly interesting.

Sources: Porsche, Hagerty, classic.com, Mecum Auctions