Porsche 944

Born in Coventry, once the heart of the British motor industry, Brian Long is a professional writer with a passion for vintage and sporting machinery. A trained mechanical engineer and a long-term Porsche owner, he has had a strong connection with the Porsche factory and its products for over two decades. Married to Miho and with two children (Louis and Sophie-Mercedes), Brian now lives just outside Tokyo, and spends much of his free time with Thoroughbred horses. He has had over 70 books published, including many works on German marques.

Introduction & Acknowledgements 4 Chapter 1 The Porsche story 5 The legendary 356 6 Competition exploits 12 356 developments 14 The 911 and 912 14 A competition update 16 VW's links with Porsche 17 A joint project 17 A turning point 18 Progress of the 914 19 Corporate matters 20 Porsche in competition 22 914 developments 23 Chapter 2 The 924 24 End of the 914 24 The 924 25 The contemporary 911s and the 928 27 924 developments 29 The 924 Turbo 30 The Carrera GT 31 Lessons learnt at Le Mans 34 Chapter 3 Birth of the 944 40 The 944 41 The 944 reaches the market 52 The 944 in the UK 57 The new car in America 63 Chapter 4 The early production models 67 The 1983 model year 67 The 1984 model year 73 US update 75 A return to F1 77 The 944 for 1985 77 Chapter 5 Arrival of the Turbo 88 The 944 Turbo 88 Early press reaction 96 The Turbo in America 101 944 update 104 The fate of the 924 109 The Turbo Cup 111 The 944S 114 Some thoughts on the 944S 118 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Other 1987 model year news 121 Boardroom drama 125 The 1988 model year 127 Special Turbo models 135 Demise of the 924 141 Racing in America 141 Chapter 6 The twilight years 144 The 1989 model year in detail 144 The American market 154 The S2 in Britain 157 A Cabriolet at last 159 The 1990 model year 168 American update 172 Branitzski makes his exit 173 The Turbo Cabriolet 174 Other 1991 model year news 174 Another F1 project 179 US review 179 End of the line - the 968 181 Appendix I Buying and restoration 184 Body 184 Exterior trim 184 Engine 185 Transmission 186 Suspension, steering & braking system 186 Interior 186 Spares today 187 The best buy? 187 Appendix II Production details 188 Index 191