One of only 1,620 GT models built
Five-speed manual gearbox paired with 330 hp
Exceptional colour combination
Continuous service history
Original 62,000 kilometres
The Porsche 928 was one of the great stars of the Geneva Motor Show in March 1977. And it arrived with a premise that sounds almost absurd today: in the long run, it was intended to succeed the 911. Porsche was entirely serious about the idea at the time, and the new front-engined sports car was received with the corresponding degree of controversy.
The experts were rather less troubled by all that. Instead, they recognised the technical ambition of the new Porsche and voted it European Car of the Year for 1978 – the first sports car ever to receive the award. The planned fratricide of the 911 famously never happened. Instead, the 928 embarked on a successful career of its own, one that would last almost two decades.
It had little in common with the 911 anyway. Its water-cooled V8 sat at the front, while the gearbox was mounted at the rear according to the transaxle principle. In between were four seats, plenty of comfort and a body whose futuristic shape initially took some getting used to. The result was less a traditional sports car than a superb Gran Turismo: fast, composed and seemingly made for covering vast distances. Accordingly, many a 928 spent its life devouring motorway miles.
In 1987, Porsche introduced the 928 S4, one of the model’s final major evolutionary steps. The original 4.5 litres had by then become five, while output had risen to a healthy 320 hp. Two years later, Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen went one better with the 928 GT. Intended as the sportier alternative to the S4 offered alongside it, the GT combined a five-speed manual gearbox with 330 hp. That was enough for a remarkable 275 km/h.
The GT remained in the range until 1991, when the GTS took over as the final and most powerful evolution. By then, the 928 had long since ceased being expected to replace the 911. In retrospect, probably the best outcome for both of them.
This 928 GT headed north to Sweden in September 1989, finding its first owner in Borås. At first glance, it is the colour combination that surprises. Linen Metallic (L550) paintwork meets a Velvet Red (YR) interior. A second glance reveals an equally appealing list of options: heated seats left and right (139, 340), a 40% limited-slip differential (220), electrically adjustable sports seats left and right (383, 387), sports suspension (474) and an electric sunroof (650), to name just a few.
Two further Swedish owners are recorded in the original, fully stamped service book. It also helps document the remarkably low mileage of just 61,881 kilometres, supported by numerous invoices accompanying the Porsche. Most recently, the car was registered in Germany.
Only 1,620 examples of the 928 GT were built, and few are likely to stand out quite like this one. Its combination of colour scheme, mileage and history is unlikely to find an equal any time soon.