Porsche 968

Sold

About this Collectable

The Porsche 968 might not be a 911, but this model deserves its own place in the history of the brand. It's the ultimate version of the four-cylinder transaxle models and (most likely) the last two-door sports car from Porsche with a front engine. The fact that just 13,000 have been built also makes the 968 a lot rarer (and more desirable) than the 924 and 944.

The fact that a 968 is more desirable is also reflected in the prices. However, this example from 1991 is not going to be the most expensive 968. It's a Japanese example of which the mileage cannot be stated with certainty (see Remarks). That is why the car is offered at No Reserve and this Porsche is guaranteed to go to the highest bidder.

It is a 968 with a manual transmission, finished in the beautiful color Cobalt Blue Metallic. The current owner has invested about €8.500 in the car, including a new timing belt, air conditioning pump and condenser.

The Porsche 968 looks like a development of the 944, which of course it is. Howerver, Porsche gave this car a new name for a reason: about 80% of the parts were new. What stayed the same was the engine displacement. That means the 968 has one of the largest four-cylinder engines in a modern production car, with a displacement of 3,0 litres. Despite the indentical cylinder volume, the 968 does deliver more power than in the 944 (240 hp instead of 211 hp), thanks in part to the Variocam variable valve timing. The 968 had the honour of being the very first Porsche with Variocam.

Porsche had also further perfected the 944 recipe in other areas. For example, the manual five-speed gearbox was replaced with a six-speed gearbox. Tiptronic was also available, but a driver's car like this actually deserves a manual gearbox. This example is therefore equipped with a manual transmission. What also adds to the driving pleasure is the fact that, like its predecessors, the 968 has an almost perfect weight distribution, with the engine in the front and the gearbox in the back.

In terms of looks, the 968 moved towards the 928 with its round headlights. Moreover, it was a forerunner of the 993. A combination of 90s design and 70s design that turned out surprisingly well and ages beautifully. Especially in a vibrant colour like Cobalt Blue. A nice detail in the design of the Porsche 968 are the seams between the body parts. With the 968 Porsche we managed to make all the seams part of the design. This results in a much cleaner look.

The 968 is a lot rarer than its predecessors. While 152,081 and 163,192 of the 924 and 944 have rolled off the production line, only 12,776 of the 968 have been built.

This example dates from the first production year (1991), which can be seen from the inlaid logo on the hood. In 2019, the car has been imported to The Netherlands from Japan, where this 968 was originally delivered.

This Collectable will be auctioned without a reserve price (No Reserve). The highest bidder is therefore also the winner of this auction and can add this Porsche 968 to his or her garage.

Our opinion

The transaxle Porsches continue to have their own group of dedicated followers. Personally, we still like the six-cylinder engines best, but you can have lots of fun in a good 944 or 968. This one comes from Japan, a country with a huge group of car enthusiasts who are extremely careful with their Collectables. So you will find the most beautiful examples there.

But yes, you will also find left-hand drive cars that are put away for a while and then brought to Europe by enthusiasts, where the owner still has to invest a lot to get the car in a good condition again. This 968 falls into that category. The car was bought on a whim in Japan, but on arrival it turned out that there where still quit a lot of things to improve. It's a very nice, good driving car in a striking color, but it will never win a concours.

That is why we offer this Porsche at No Reserve. This is the perfect Porsche 968 for plenty of fun, whether or not on the track. For a price you can determine yourself.

Equipment

This car is equipped from factory with:

• 219 Differential
• 379 Basic seat, left, electrically height-adjustable
• 380 Basic seat, right, electrically height-adjustable
• 423 Cassette holder and coin tray
• 425 Rear Wiper
• 431 4-spoke leather steering wheel
• 441 Radio preparation
• 466 2nd rear fog light
• 480 6 speed manual gearbox
• 562 Driver and passenger side airbag
• 573 Air conditioning
• 605 Light beam height adjustable
• 651 Electric door window mechanism
• 685 Shared rear seats
• 932 Rear seat cover, fabric/imitation leather/imitation leather
• 945 Front seat cover, fabric/imitation leather/imitation leather

Modifications

The car was equipped in Japan with a stainless steel sports exhaust from Racing Design Syndicate. Furthermore, the Japanese owner has replaced the lighting in the interior with LED lighting. Since the car comes from Japan, new headlights (of course OEM) have been fitted for right-hand traffic.

Remarks

The following signs of use can be seen (as documented on the photos):

• Small damage to the rim front right + rear right
• Minimal paint damage around the antenna
• Minor damage on the passenger seat (burn spots)
• Luggage compartment cover sagging and discoloured
• Top of the dashboard is cracked in several places (a known issue with the 924/944/968)
• The finish of the upholstery of the footwell is missing a piece of fabric on both the left and right

The car has been completely repainted in Japan at one point. The owner suspects that the front suffered minor damage once, because the condenser was damaged (but not leaking). However, this has been fully restored and the chassis is straight.

Furthermore, the mileage in the Japanse documentation is inconsistent. Given the condition of the car and the interior, we suspect that the actual kilometers driven might be higher than the odometer reading of 63,500 km.

Service history

The most important points from the recent maintenance history are:

• August 2021 - Autodiagnose Herpen: new timing belt, starter, rear right wheel bearing replaced, new mat set (original Porsche), among other things
• 28 July 2021 - 61.686 km - Car Cool Systems Uden: new air conditioning pump and condenser (Denso and Mahle/Behr, OEM parts), new dry-wet filter, air conditioning converted from R12 to R123a (1 year warranty on the work)
• March 10, 2021 - Autodiagnose Herpen - 61.274 km: new hub caps, new door, window and bumper rubbers, new hood logo

The invoices for the maintenance in the Netherlands (see photos) and the Japanese booklets are present.

Included with sale

• Two keys
• 18 inch Porsche rims + all-season tires (2x Nokian WR 295/35 - R18 99V - approx. 5 mm + 2x Nokian WR 235/40 - R18 95V - approx. 4 mm)
• Original Japanese booklets (including completed maintenance booklet)
• 2 issues Porsche Purest Form 1992/1993 (magazine of Japanese Porsche importer)

About the seller

The seller is actually a BMW enthousiast. His first BMW was a Z3 Coupé 3.0i and it certainly wasn't his last. He has owned an E39 M5 and two E46s, among others. A Porsche 968 is not a BMW, but when he came across a blue example at an auction in Japan, he couldn't resist. Ever since he saw one driving as a teenager, the car had stayed with him. After two years he now has his sights set on a BMW (an E89 Z4). With that, his Porsche adventure comes to an end.

Summary

Seller - Pieter
Seller type - Private
Location - The Netherlands
VIN - WP0ZZZ96ZNS800582
Date of production - November 29, 1991
Mileage - 63,500 km (on the odometer, possibly more, see remarks)
Warranty - No
Body type - Coupé
Engine - 3,0 four-cylinder with 240 hp
Lay-out - Rear-wheel drive
Transmission - 6-speed manual
Exterior colour - Cobaltblau Metallic (F6) 
Interior colour - Black (Schwarz)
Upholstery - Fabric/leather
Smoker's car - No longer smellable
Owners - Unkown
Tires - Michelin Pilot Sport 2 (2020, profile 7 mm)

The description of this Collectable has been created with the utmost care, based on information from and validated by the seller. The Collectables performs a (pre) selection based on the information provided and consults public sources for any irregularities. However, bidders themselves must ascertain the correctness of the description and can, if desired, have a personal investigation carried out. All Collectables on our platform can be subjected to any possible inspection, investigation or valuation by buyers in advance, of course in consultation with the seller. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions for more details.