1977 Porsche 924 Coupé
Registration no. BUP 471S
Chassis no. 9247104700
Engine no. XJ000159

Volkswagen's decision not to proceed with their designed-by-Porsche 914 replacement led to the latter taking on the project themselves. The first-ever Porsche to use a front-mounted, water-cooled engine, the 924 arrived in November 1975 and drew heavily on Volkswagen/Audi components: the 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, overhead-camshaft engine being a development of the Audi 100's and the four-speed transaxle a VW-sourced unit. With 125bhp on tap, the sleekly styled 924 was good for a top speed of 125mph with 60mph coming up in 9.9 seconds. A Porsche-designed five-speed gearbox and improvements to the suspension were early developments. With a price 30% less than that of a 911, the 924 was an instant success and would become the best selling Porsche model of its day, extending the marque's appeal to a sector of the market that previously could not have afforded one.

Representing a great deal of performance and style for relatively little money, this 1977 Porsche 924 is finished in the limited-edition livery of Martini & Rossi, sponsors of Porsche's motor sports programme at that time. Believed to benefit from a considerable amount of work done by the previous owner, the car was acquired for the late vendor's collection in 2012 and was last MoT'd to November of that year. 'BUP 471S' is offered in need of re-commissioning and it should be noted that the interior has been dismantled. The vehicle comes with a V5 registration document and is sold strictly as viewed. A spare engine believed 944 is offered with this lot.