1978 Porsche 928

The Porsche 928 was available for sale from 1977 through 1995 and was originally intended to replace the company's iconic 911. It brought new styling with rear quarter windows, body-colored bumpers, a long nose and retractable headlamps. Mounted in the front was an all-aluminum alloy, 273 cubic-inch V8 engine with a single overhead camshaft. In United States specification, the car produced 219 horsepower and was fitted with either a five-speed manual or a three-speed automatic. Pricing for the 2-door (2+2) coupe began at 28,500. During its first year, approximately 1,535 examples were sold in the United States.

The 928 had a rather unusual parallelogram shape and the doors were constructed from lightweight aluminum. Aluminum was also used for the hatch and the hood. The nose and tail were made of polyurethane. The rest of the body was mainly constructed from galvanized steel.

The body was styled by Wolfgang Mobius under the guidance of Anatole Lapine. The rear hatch area provides ample storage space for luggage. Inside, both the driver and passenger had sun visors. In the back, the small two seats were rather cramped due to the rear transmission and were only suitable for children.

The 928 was the first vehicle in which the instrument cluster moved along with the adjustable steering wheel. This allowed maximum visibility to the instruments no matter the position of the steering wheel. Other innovative features included the 'Weissach axle', a simple rear-wheel steering system that added passive rear-wheel steering to increase stability while braking during a turn.

In 1978, the Porsche 928 was awarded the European Car of the Year.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2017