Ah, the Porsche 944, the automotive world’s equivalent of Aldi’s finest.
Also known as the ‘Poor Man’s Porsche’, this transaxle wedge from the 1980s managed to cause a small civil war within the Porsche fandom.
Imagine the grand romance between Volkswagen and Porsche, resulting in the birth of the 924.
This was the forerunner of the 944, a car designed to be more affordable than the ever-iconic 911. And what a brilliant German idea it was.
The 944 sold like hotcakes at a fair, with a staggering production run of 163,000 units.
It was Porsche’s most successful sports car history until the Boxster came along.
Sensitive? Sure. In the 1980s a naturally aspirated front engine version cost just £13,000, while the turbocharged variant cost £22,000.
Meanwhile, the 911 was selling for £25k-£30k for a standard Carrera 3.2.
Comparing these two is like comparing a backpacking trip to Blackpool with one luxury cruise through the shining isles of Elysium.
But the purists, oh, they hated it.
With the engine in the front? Rear wheel drive? Sacrilege! The 944 threatened to dilute the Porsche brand and make it accessible to the hoi polloi.
It wasn’t exclusive enough for the guys who were proud of the 911’s heritage.
In short, it was for poor people.
Fast forward to the 1990s and Top Gear is in full swing. Porsche almost said goodbye to bankruptcy and then, in 1996, the savior arrived: the 986 Boxster.
If the 944 didn’t already ruffle the feathers of 911 enthusiasts, the Boxster certainly did.
Jeremy Clarkson once joked: “The Boxster is for those who can’t afford a 911.”
This statement tarnished the Boxster’s image, but thank goodness there were enough car enthusiasts who saw the brilliance of a naturally aspirated mid-engine six-cylinder.
How the Boxster saved Porsche
Today, Porsche is a financial juggernaut, and the company’s profits are the envy of the auto industry.
But twenty years ago, things were very different for the German giants.
A recession, coupled with their uncompetitive supply of outdated engines, led to declining sales that brought them to the brink of collapse.
But the release of the Boxster in 1996 changed all that.
Porsche was able to sell 7,500 cars in the US and Canada and by 1997 that number had almost doubled. Twenty years later, in 2017, that number exceeded 54,000.
That’s why the Boxster is considered one of the most successful yet controversial sports cars to hit the market in recent times.
Over the years, Porsche purists have taken the water-cooled mid-engine setup as an insult to the brand’s iconic, air-cooled, rear-engined 911 at the time.
But the car’s supporters often praise the first-generation Boxster for its excellent driving dynamics that defined its category.
Furthermore, the windfall from the release of the Boxster allowed Porsche to make changes that put the company on a path to long-term success.
Porsche sold no less than 164,874 copies between 1996 and 2004. The 987 then continued the legacy, with 78,294 Boxsters and 50,000 Caymans sold.
There were clearly a lot of poor people around!
But despite all this success, the 911 crowd still views these tributaries as the Poor Man’s Porsche.
The truth? These cars handle and drive better than most 911s, with their rears featuring anti-weight watchers.
What really annoyed the 911 crowd was that real car enthusiasts preferred the 944 and 987 for their performance, not their golf club status.
This ‘Poor Man’s Porsche’ ideology has kept prices for the 944, Boxster and Cayman low, allowing true car enthusiasts to enjoy them regardless of their wealth.
Long live the poor man’s Porsche!
Need help or advice when buying your first modern classic car? Ask James Russell of The Motor Grid.
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