Sport Seats: 1990 Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet – NOW $10,900
(Click on the photograph below to expand it and navigate through all the others)
February 17, 2023 Update – The seller lowered the asking price in their current listing from $12,500 to $10,900.
As the collector market surges in some ways and sputters in others, there are clear winners and losers. This is not to say a car that’s lost a few dollars is a loser, but it does mean some potential softening will make an out-of-reach car more obtainable. The Porsche 944 is a terrific example of this. A few cars listed for sale over the last two years realized prodigious results despite never being much of an item. Now, you can find a clean, well-maintained Cabriolet with the preferred 5-speed, and desirable sport seat upgrade here on Craigslist in Charlotte, North Carolina, for a very reasonable $12,500. Comparing that price against the Classic.com model guide shows that the seller is asking for well below the going rate, which is pegged at just over $18,500:
If you are serious about buying this nicely maintained 944, you can start the conversation by emailing the seller here. When you connect, please remember to mention you saw their Porsche featured here on GuysWithRides.com.
As with all things that glow white hot for a time, it’s impossible for some of that glow not to spill over onto other things. The Porsche 911 needs no introduction regarding its continued march up the pricing rubric. Still, it certainly made “affordable” Porsche models seem more attractive as air-cooled cars went way out of reach of mere mortals, and later models didn’t evoke quite the same visceral reaction. The 944 was a comfortable middle ground for many aspiring Porsche owners, allowing you to own a model from the company’s golden era (in my opinion, the late 80s and early 90s were peak years for Porsche) without having to fork over $50,000 for the privilege. Of course, you had to live with four cylinders and a front-mounted engine, but the pop-up headlights and lithe handling made up for it.
The MotorWeek Retro Review YouTube Channel features this vintage test of a similar 1991 Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet:
The 944 Turbo has been discussed extensively for its rocket-ship performance and surprisingly quick 0-60 times, with some limited-edition specification models actually outshining the 911 on the track. The naturally-aspirated cars lag behind both in values and on-the-road performance, but it’s hardly a punishment to get to drive one of these cars every day. The seller’s Cabriolet faces the typical price reduction for being a soft top. Still, because of the rarity of the 944 convertible, it hasn’t plummeted down the value slide like other sports cars offered in drop-top form. The seller has tackled some expensive maintenance in his time with the car, noting that the timing belt, spark plugs, water pump, and battery have all been recently replaced. The 944 has just over 130,000 miles and looks like a fair deal at the current price – especially with those rare sport seats in the cockpit.
Here’s the seller’s description:
“Beautiful and very well maintained 944 S2. Guards Red over Black interior has the rare sport seats and upgrade Fuchs wheels, a newer sound system with Bluetooth, and a USB port. New timing belt, water pump, spark plugs, battery, all fluids have been changed, new tires. Not interested in trades.”
Bargain territory: will 944 prices continue to come back down to Earth, making it possible to get into one for reasonable money?
Is this still for sale? Has it been in an accident?
Lee, as is the case with all of our Craigslist Classifinds, we are not involved with the sale. We merely blog about interesting rides we come across on Craigslist. If you are interested in the car, you can contact the seller directly with your questions by clicking through the Craigslist link provided. In the case of this Porsche, the seller transparently provided the VIN so you can run a CarFax to confirm the car has never been in an accident. Happy Hunting!