944 Values

[pixie*porsche]

I've been having a look on eBay at cars. Not looking to buy, just looking for lookings sake!

The same question comes to me everytime, will 944s ever get a price tag they deserve to have?

I would say the majority of classic cars have been on the rise for a while now and all the magazines, not to mention people I've spoke to for around the last three years have said 944s will be on the rise. It seems not, they are still priced at criminally low prices.

Lets look at it this way, why on earth can you buy a 944 for the same money as a MGB GT or Midget? B Roadsters are more expensive, hell even Triumph Spitfires are []. Audi Quattros have gone through the roof and in my opinion are coming back down again and E30 BMWs are mostly certainly on the rise and will be for a while, as I can see!

I love 944s, they look good and are great to drive. I don't think that an E30 BMW is a better car or god forbid a Ford Cortina but thats the way it seems to be going?

914s seem to have gone from unloved to cultishly cool, 911s have always been the Porsche to have, though having had two SCs, I really don't think they are that great.

It seems even a VW Beetle is worth more than our "lowly" 944s.

I've got a few plans for my car and whilst I enjoy my 944 greatly, there are times I think "whats the point?" If for whatever reason I do decide to sell it, the car is worthless.

 

[TraceyAnne]

I too have heard a lot of people saying "These cars will be worth a lot more soon - it's a great investment!", which makes me laugh, because I'm not sure a car is EVER a great investment (unless you're "investing" in having fun!).

But I think it comes down to supply and demand... There are still a LOT of 944's on the road. Obviously the ones that aren't being looked after are getting rough and therefore cheaper, but the good condition ones are retaining their value. I imagine as the rough ones start to drop off, 944s will not be so easily available, and rare = desirable = valuable.

Even the old beetles are pretty rare these days - I see a 944 most days on my commute, but don't often see a beetle!

But yeah, I'm sure the 944's will start to come up in value soon. []

 

[pixie*porsche]

Tracey - I don't see another 944 for months and I do a fair amount of miles (about 15K per year)....

 

[simdel1]

I'm hoping the prices remain criminally low for the next 9 months or so!

 

[charlieb]

People really should just start selling their cars at a more realistic price - make the market a sellers market. Mine is for sale for 15 grand. You should all follow suit. []

 

[Mike_Pollock]

I do 35k a year and rarely see a 944!

(did see 2 x 968 Cabs today thou')

 

[Copperman05]

I dont think we'll see a change in 944 prices whilst early Boxsters can be had for £5000 - £7000, at least not until these cars become rarer and more collectible. And seeing how well they are made we may be in for a wait!

Edd

 

[Northern924]

I've said this for a while now, but the '44 is suffering the same fate that the '24 did around 5 years ago.

You might not be seeing them on the road but they are out there in numbers, now I know there a lot more than the ones on ebay that are for sale.

But just look at the current figures, on sale on ebay right now 944 - 88 cars, 924 - 34 cars.

924 are now generally either complete projects or finished resto's, where as a lot of 944 are now in the hands of people who have bought them to thrash for a few months but don't want to spend the money keeping it right, just the same thing people did 10-5 years ago with the 924.

So most 944's on sale now at around the £1k mark are going to need that amount at least spent on them, a lot will be broken and scrapped and at the point where you are down to point where there are more buyers than cars available demand will rise and as a result prices will increase, will they ever crack £5k again? I doubt it for at least another 5 years with the exception of the rarer or well restored ones.

 

[poprock]

Edd makes a fair point. When a Boxster can be had for the same money as a 944 Turbo, only an enthusiast is going to go for the latter.

Just wait until the earliest Caymans drop to the same level. Even I would be tempted to jump ship.

 

[Northern924]

I'll have to always be a 24/44/68 driver if I stay with the marque, only ones with enough load space for me lol

 

[ukmastiff]

I agree with Paul and Edd and a lot of what has been said here. Only today I was discussing with Mrs Mas that you see more 944's round here than say early Astra GTE's , why because the 944's havn't fallen apart yet for one and the GTE's have is defintely part of it. As more and more 944's get scrapped or broken and lets face it they are all the time I do believe prices will rise but not rocket. I dont think you'll make money but you may get a slightly more realistic return for a well cared for car. There is an S2 on Flea Bay at the mo if taken as described its a good example but by no means had everything and its on 4,200. If they are genuine bids he's getting better money than of late ?

I dont believe 944's will rocket in value for many years partly because I think they are the sort of car you may want to drive quite a bit not just reel out on the back of a truck. Most cars that do 25 or 30 MPG are going to slump classic or not as petrol prices become a joke. Look at the V70 T5 , a 150 MPH estate car for £1,000 in pristine condition what a joke price , but they only do 22 MPG. If petrol was half the price I would be driving a Porsche to work if I'm honest and it would probably be a Boxster S for that journey. 986 Boxster 's' currently sell for peanuts so its not just 944's.

On a side note , today I saw a Red square dash 944 with a turbo front end , toast rack rear , tele's and a superb looking white dials kit that really put the interior up to date, I wouldnt mind knowing what he did to that interior but I don't think he's an online / forum chap.

Regards
Mas

 

[pixie*porsche]

I'm surprised that the people on here are comparing 944s to Boxsters, I've had a Boxster and again prefer the 944. Perhaps it's just that I don't enjoy driving modern cars very much?

In a lot of ways I'm pleased with my new black square dash but I'm also not sure whether it's worth spending any time and effort on it, when no matter what it'll just be looked down upon. Even people in this club are saying "why would you buy a 944 when you can get a Boxster?"

I'd be interested to see others view who have also had multiple Porsches, to see what they like best. []

 

[ukmastiff]

Pixie, just to clarify and I in no way take offence but I for one wasn't comparing a Boxster to a 944 and don't regard them as particularly similar. If you use that logic with my post then I was also comparing an Astra ? sand there is no comparison.
The only reason people always pipe up Boxster when 944 values are mentioned is very simple, early Boxsters are in a 'similar' price bracket to a good 944 where as Cayennes and 997 arent [] Boxsters like 944's are therefore also often ( not always) owned and enjoyed by folk of normal means.

Yes I am enthusiastic about most Porsche cars but it doesnt mean I think they are particularly similar. I like the 996 but I dont compare it to a 944 ever I just consider it another Porsche I would quite like. In a way I meant quite the opposite. If I wanted a Porsche to drive on the commute everyday I would like a Boxster S, and in truth I'd prefer a Cayenne as my every day commuter and family car by a mile but not at that MPG ! so its a no no.

I prefer an economical commuter and a fun classic on the side and I don't consider a Boxster a fun classic. For that role I would always choose a 944/968.
That's where I stand anyway and I hope it makes sense to someone else, I just find the whole discussion interesting.

 

[Suffolk944]

ORIGINAL: pixie*porsche

I'm surprised that the people on here are comparing 944s to Boxsters, I've had a Boxster and again prefer the 944. Perhaps it's just that I don't enjoy driving modern cars very much?

I think its more that the average Joe on the street looking for a "cheap" Porsche will now gravitate naturally to the cheap Boxster market rather than the 944 which eventually will become much more of niche car for enthusiasts - not sure that will help residuals that much though.

 

[Copperman05]

I'm not comparing 944's to Boxters, just saying that most people who look towards buying an affordable Porsche will go for the Boxster, I wouldn't buy one myself because I like to have something different, maybe its that analogue thing?

Edd

 

[vincematthews]

356s, 924s, 944s, and Boxters have all been base models in the range at sometime in their lives so I would think that evolutionary comparison was quite fair.

My basic no power steering, no electronic ignition, minimal sound proofing 924 sounds and drives completely differently to the 'replacement' oval dash 944 I have. I haven't yet been able to decide which I prefer . . . maybe I never will []. To me the 944 feels more like a 'modern' car with things like getting from A to B taken for granted. The 924 is definitely more primitive but this is part of its attraction.

I'd probably go back to a 356 if they weren't at collectors prices . . . but you couldn't sling it around like the other two.

 

[djaychela]

I bought my 944 for precisely that reason; I'd had a 'third' car for several years (needed it as a recce car for doing Rally GB) and sold it, 3 weeks later I bought my 944 as a cheap way of having some car-based fun. I never intended to keep it long, but I'm now quite attached to it; it's a LOT better than I expected, and has a lot more character (certainly to me more than an oval dash car which is far too modern to be interesting in that way). I may even keep it long term.

The reaction of my friends has mostly been in two camps; those who think that the 944 is 'basically a VW van engine, not a proper Porsche' (yes, these are friends of mine that know nothing about cars!), or that they are really surprised it was so cheap (I make no secret of how much I paid for it). I have bought and sold a LOT of cars, but I was surprised it was so cheap as well. But as said above, when you can get a Boxster or similar for the money mentioned, it's unlikely that someone who just wants a Porsche will buy a 944, hence the value. Or rather the cost.

There are plenty of cars which fetch a lot more money; the price is not a measure of how good they are, it's a measure of supply and demand. For the money I paid for mine I could have bought a high mileage mondeo, or 1/10 of a Mk1 Escort.

I can't say I see a lot of 944s about though, I've seen one on the road since I bought mine. But not many Beetles either.

 

[spyro_x]

ORIGINAL: pixie*porsche

I've been having a look on eBay at cars. Not looking to buy, just looking for lookings sake!

I am glad I am not the only one! I love checking out the prices of cars and seeing all those cars which when I was young cost a fortune new and can now be had for peanuts, understandably most need the same again spent on them to bring to a decent standard. I think if I had space I'd have a fleet of bangers

I agree with the comments made re: fuel prices and that these cars will become more of a second/hobby car in the not too distant future - still at least if all those old 'crappy' cars are still about they'll be our spares in a few years!

 

[912UK]

Interesting thread I have to say I only buy a car on the basis of can I turn a profit or get out with my money in tacted..

I am not a trader nor a gambleing man.. just some one with an interest in the cars and the oily bits but also though not being rich or on a huge salery a wise buyer..

Alot of the cars have an inflated valave to do with Marketing of the image.. take VW Buses split screen does a splitty really deserve a £30K price tag well yes if your following market trends.. but really £30K??

but then i could say that about my Pre A 356 when I bought that people thought I was mad.. they said why didn't you buy an A .. I even turned down a 51 as I thought it was just abit too much money for a project car.. but knew it would be worth it long term !! and by god wouldn't it have been a wise buy by at lest another £0 on the end of my Pre A 54 price value at current..

I think the 944 is a car in the waiting sure.. and that's why I bought a 944 cab s2 .. it's Turbos' and cabs that i feel will see a rice.. Turbo's first then cabs..

anyway look what happened to by I will only buy one car then another then another then another!! my list is below I recently have woken up at night in a panic of I really can't keep up with this lot I may have to thin down this year

 

[andy watson]

Have to be honest I am not too worried what mine is worth, having owned her for 91/2 years I will never sell her.
To date my 944 stands me in £13,500 plus the £3750 I paid for her.