1987 944 S

Produced from 1987 to 1988, the Porsche 944 S—where the "S" stands for "Super"—was a higher-performance evolution of the standard 944, positioned between the base model and the Turbo. Its 2.5-liter inline-four engine introduced four-valves-per-cylinder and dual overhead cams to the 944 lineup for the first time, producing 190 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 170 lb-ft of torque at 4,300 rpm. Derived in part from the 928 S4, the engine featured magnesium components, a redesigned camshaft drive, and an advanced Motronic system with dual knock sensors to handle the higher 10.9:1 compression ratio. The 944 S also received suspension and braking upgrades similar to the Turbo, along with revised gearing, progressive springs, and subtle exterior cues like “16 Ventiler” badges. With a 0–60 mph time of 7 seconds and a top speed of 142 mph, the 944 S delivered refined performance and balance without resorting to forced induction.

This 1987 944 S came finished in Zermatt Silver over a Black interior and showed just 16,106 miles on the odometer. Since this was at Mecum, a primarily in-person auction, pictures and information were sparse. But from what I could see, it did look to be in very nice, original condition as evidenced by the condition of the plastics underneath the hood. Not the perfect tell, but it would take quite some work to replace those components just to pass this off for a low mileage car.

Over the last twelve months 944 S have averaged about $18,000 with a high of $22,194 for a 67,000-mile example back in August of last year. Our Spotlight car, with just 16k on the clock, sold for $28,600, inclusive of buyer’s premium, setting a new twelve month high, but falling short of a five-year high set by an 18,000-mile car in early 2024 by about $6k. Should everything check out, this one’s gonna look well bought.

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