Is it a 944S or a 944S2?

[kylie2009]

I own an 1988 Porsche 944 with a 2.5 engine. In the V5 document it is described as an "S" which is fair enough.

I obtained a Certificate of Authenticity for it and it described the 944 as an "S2".

I took this up with Porsche Cars GB Limited who issued the Certificate of Authenticity as an error. On 28 June 2013 they replied as follows:

"The model type on your current certificate "944 S2" is the official Porsche model designation for your car. The "2" indicating that the car is 2 wheel drive. The DVLA has issued the general model type for your car on the registration certificate and that is why they differ.

Due to the history and prestige of Porsche Cars our archives are maintained as thoroughly as possible and I can confirm that the information in your certificate is accurate as we can make it at the time of production. As the DVLA uses vehicle information in an entirely different manner to us, their records are not required to be as in-depth, but can be equally correct."

There is a colour coded "16 Ventiler" badge on the driver's front wing and on the air filter box it says "16 Ventiler" also. The Certificate of Authenticity also details "16 Valve Insignia" as an optional extra.

Is it possible the car could be one of the very first models of the Series 2? Somebody did suggest that it could be possible that prior to the release of the Series 2 that the new 16 valve engine could have been fitted to the last modes of the Series 1? Looking at the service history invoices a new cylinder head was fitted at 20,000 miles at a cost of £2300 which would suggest there were problems with the 16 valve engine's early life.

The Porsche came off the assembly line on 11 December 1987 but wasn't registered until 17 June 1988. Is it possible this car albeit a Series 1 could have been fitted wit the 16 valve engine and used as a protype Series 2 as a test case?

Any input would be much appreciated.

Regards.
Sheena Balmer


- legaleagle0138

 

[Lowtimer]

Sorry. Whoever cobbled together that explanation of the erroneous certificate at Porsche GB is clueless, and is merely guessing, basing his or her guesswork on the assumptions that the 944 family and nomenclature bore some resemblance to that of the later 911s. Which is just plain wrong.

The 911 has at various times come as a C2 (2 wheel drive) and a C4 (4 wheel drive). But the 2 in S2 NEVER meant two wheel drive. Every 924, 944 and 968 built was two wheel drive.

Same goes for the 928. A 928, a 928S, a 928 S2 and a 928 S4 are all two wheel drive.

Your car is a 944S. Every 944S was built with a 2.5 litre engine. Every 944 S2 was built with a 3.0 litre engine.

The S in 944S and 944 S2 does not stand for "series", either. The 8 valve models were always called plain ordinary Porsche 944, not 944 Series 1 and 944 Series 2.

So almost everything in that email they sent you is complete baloney. And your certificate of authenticity is not authentic.

Incidentally, having been made in 1987, your car is far from being a late-construction 944S. They were built in 1988 as well. All the S2 models were built in 1989, 1990 and 1991.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Hi Sheena,

They are wrong, plain and simple! [&:]

The 944S has the 16V 2.5 engine, the Ventiler badges as you describe (they were optional), and are all "series 2" cars, or "oval dash" as they are more commonly known. They have the same bodywork as the Lux.

The 944S2 is a 16V 3-litre engine, and has the same bodywork as the Turbo, so the bluff front with the expensive foglights.

I have never, ever heard of a 944 being referred to as 2-wheel drive in it's badging, as they all were! The Carrera 2 or 4 refers to the 911s, so I think the Porsche rep is getting it confused....

 

[andy watson]

My 944S is also an S2 apparently - but I know different [][]

 

[graham.webb]

I've been wondering about the authenticity of the Certificate of Authenticity, to be honest....my S2's first registration was January 1992 but the certificate gives a build date of September 1990!. That's 14 months before!

Now I know we had a financial crash about then, and at almost £40k the cars were expensive, but I find it hard to believe that one would sit around unsold for over a year?

 

[andy watson]

PS, Nice car

GLWTS

 

[T3rra]

Visually there's a few things to look for

2.5 air box is in the engine bay with 16v word on it. Top off both engine are the same but there's different manifolds

3ltr engine has its air box under badge panel.

If there no sir box and cone filter is filtered the afm is sliver side up on the 3ltr and black on 2.5

Off course the front end and rear of 3ltr should be turbo but the only the rear on 2.5S

 

[bmnelsc]

My experience with Certificates of Authenticity lead me to believe that the best way to get an accurate one is to send them a photocopy of your option sticker - otherwise it appears to be guess work. My option sticker is missing so all I could supply was the VIN. I must admit that I didn't verify the supplied engine and trans serial numbers so that may be accurate but otherwise, my car has no options beyond 16 ventiler badges. Apparently AC, power windows, adjustable head lights, lights for left hand traffic, tinted glass, prepared for radio, telephone antenna, script seats and split rear seat are standard equipment.

I suggest you escalate your issue within Porsche - given that the COA program is all about generating and maintaining customer loyalty and the Porsche mystique - they should at least get it right. Perhaps they should be giving their marketing interns some training before turning them loose on COA production.

 

[os951]

Sheena, your car is a "S" if you can see 16Ventiler on air box. 16Ventiler insignas were available as an option for both S & S2 models. If you have them, you should have them in both fenders.
S model was available on model years 1987 & 1988
Official Porsche database have errors. A friend of mine have a 1988 Silver Rose Turbo S. It should have engine code M44/52. On Porsche database they have M44/51. All other information including engine serial number are correct. On engine block there is a code M44/52.

 

[Lowtimer]

ORIGINAL: graham.webb

I've been wondering about the authenticity of the Certificate of Authenticity, to be honest....my S2's first registration was January 1992 but the certificate gives a build date of September 1990!. That's 14 months before!

Now I know we had a financial crash about then, and at almost £40k the cars were expensive, but I find it hard to believe that one would sit around unsold for over a year?

That is in fact quite possible.

 

[os951]

My 951 sat 13 months at the dealer's yard