I'll try my best not to fall into the "Risky Business" rabbit hole today with regard to this 1981 Porsche 928 that found me on Facebook Marketplace recently, for sale not far from the Triple Wide. The asking price is $12,500, which puts it at the low end of what these are going for these days.
But you can't have a blog about an early-'80s Porsche 928 and not mention the movie where a 1981 (and several 1979) Porsche 928's are the indirect focal point of the plot.
Producers of the film initially considered using a Ferrari or Lamborghini but thought either would be too exotic for a conservative Chicago businessman to drive. Porsche's 911 was considered as well, but it was deemed too mundane. The 928, by comparison, was contemporary, sophisticated and exotic without being over the top.
Through my eyes, the Porsche 928 was already famous and made the movie; understandably, many believe the movie made the car. I had long been a fan of the rear-wheel-drive, front-mounted, water-cooled V-8 928 since it was introduced for 1978.
Thus, when we first see Joel go for a joyride in his father's 928 in the movie, I was slack-jawed that any one actually lived like that. The affluence, the silver-spoon privilege, the charm, the smarts, the innocence and the gumption all muddle together to create a remarkable film. Well, except for the ending, which sucked. Like I said at the top, though, let's keep the focus here on the car.
If you're not aware of how seminal an automobile—not just a sports car—the Porsche 928 was, it's all but impossible to emphasize just how game-changing it was, even if it was as controversial as it was revolutionary.
Take a drive in this well-worn '81 today, and even if it rides and handles better than it appears to, no doubt you wouldn't be impressed. That's because even the most plebeian of crossovers today has so much finesse that, for all intents and purposes, it could probably match the 928 bumper-to-bumper and tire-to-tire on the track let alone the street.
Context being everything, turn the clock back nearly 50 years and, frankly, there was nothing else quite like the 928 before it.
The rail-like handling, the all-of-a-piece solidity of its structure, the sonorous drone of its magnificent engine made everything else on the market seem as rudimentary as a school bus. Its styling was the only polarizing element; you either loved it or hated it. I'm still as smitten by it today as I was the first time I saw it. Many, Porschephiles or not, did not appreciate the design of the 928 despite the car's overall virtues.
The 928 was intended to replace the old-guard 911. Much to everyone's surprise, particularly those in Stuttgart, Germany, the 911 wasn't discontinued as planned. Instead, it continued alongside the 928, which ultimately attracted a somewhat different buyer. Porsche itself says the 928 was developed as a Gran Turismo and luxury sports car, with considerably more comfort and luggage space than the 911, and that it was originally intended to replace the 911.
In reality, though, Porsche management in the early-to-mid 1970s believed the famed air-cooled, rear-engine 911 was nearing the end of its development potential. By 1973, Porsche engineers and decisionmakers were already concerned about how much longer the 911's successful run could continue, and work was underway on a successor. The 928 was intended to move the company toward a more comfortable, more luxurious grand tourer, albeit one that was superbly engineered.
Porsche's new front-engine, water-cooled strategy also produced the 924, which arrived before the 928. The 924 was introduced in 1976, while the 928 made its public debut in 1977 and went on sale as a 1978 model.
Porsche purists weren't exactly enamored with it, deriding the 928 as not being a "true Porsche" because of its water-cooled V-8 up front and rear-wheel drive. Naysayers even called it a "German Corvette," which was actually flattering when comparing Chevrolet's primitive Plastic Fantastic to something as advanced as the Porsche 928.
I think it's pretty obvious from the pictures here that your $12,500 buys you a basket case of a 928. Imported to Tennessee from Germany in 1984, the best that can be said is that this should be fairly rust-free, having spent most of its life down South. The current owner has owned it for the past 14 years.
Apparently, there's crash damage to the passenger-side front fender and bumper cover. The bumper cover looks pretty badly scuffed, but the fender looks fine.
The damage to the rear bumper cover is disconcerting—is that a hole? Replacement front- and rear- bumper covers and replacement right-front fender are included in the deal. I'd be all but certain they'll need to be painted.
The interior is another sore point. These well-worn front seats are aftermarket, power-adjustable Recaros.
The radio is a replacement Clarion unit. No word on whether the mounted Blaupunkt remote-control pod works with the Clarion unit or not.
The timing belt on the 4.5-liter SOHC V-8 was changed in 2004. That's not exactly a selling point in 2026. The previous owner spent more than $13,000 servicing the car in 2023, yet there's nothing in the ad about how the car actually runs. Odd.
And here's the thing about that timing belt: on a 928, time matters almost as much as mileage. Depending on the maintenance guidance you're following, belt replacement is generally recommended at intervals of roughly four years, even if the mileage hasn't been reached. So a belt last replaced in 2004 is very much a "replace before you drive" item rather than a reassuring maintenance record.
Seeing how much was spent on service most recently gives us an idea of how expensive these cars can be to keep on the road.
Ah, but if you're of a certain vintage, there's no better way to channel your inner Tom Cruise or Rebecca DeMornay than in one of these, despite this one's relatively ratty appearance. A properly sorted example can cost considerably more.
You'll probably end up spending a good chunk of that difference just to get this one, ahem, "camera ready."
Porsche, there is no substitute.
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