1981 Porsche 924 Carrera GT

Porsche wanted to enter the 'Group 4' Sports Car Class for Le Mans in 1980 and based their car on their successful 924 mainstream model. All non-essential elements were removed from the car in an effort to reduce weight. The vehicle was subsequently entered into the gruelling 24 Hours of Le Mans but, in order to comply with homologation regulations, a number of road-going versions had to be produced and Porsche addressed this rule with the Carrera GT. Standard specification included a close ratio, dog-leg, 5 speed G/box, LSD, Bilstein shock absorbers, polyurethane plastic front and rear flared guards, a polyurethane plastic front spoiler, and a bonnet mounted air scoop for the intercooler. With a 2-litre turbocharged engine producing 210 bhp, it would reach a top speed of 150 mph and hit 60 mph in an impressive 6.5 seconds.

This right-hand drive 924 Carrera GT was originally delivered by Dick Lovett, Swindon in April 1981 and stored by them until August of that year in order to receive an 'X' registration. A copy of the original bill of sale and various correspondence document the early history between the first owner and the supplying UK dealer. The car was maintained by Dick Lovett during its early life and was sold by them in 1983, 1988, 1990 and then in 1996 to the current owner. During his ownership, this Carrera GT has been maintained by specialists including noted Porsche experts Paragon Porsche in Kent. The original service book is full of stamps and an almost complete set of MOT Certificates substantiate a total mileage of just over 75,000 miles from new.

There is a substantial folder of bills and receipts that illustrate that the car that has clearly been maintained to a high standard. This includes a full service by Porsche Centre Edinburgh in May 2016 costing £4,400 and further work by the same Porsche Centre in Oct 2016 costing £1,374.The current owner has had the car recently re-painted to an extremely high standard by Porsche Centre Reading at a cost of some £13,132 in August 2016 and the interior is presented in equally impressive condition with only a couple of small splits in the seams on the passenger side. The engine is described as: "Not Concours but generally clean with age-related surface corrosion to some parts. It runs beautifully and is believed to be in very good condition internally." Back in 2000, the car had a top-end rebuild by Porsche Bournemouth and it also had a new head gasket in 2012. It has seen limited miles in the past decade but has been serviced annually regardless. The cam belt was last changed in 2008 at a 73,371 by Paragon. Receipts of c£20K from the last 12 months are available for inspection.

Evidently, this 924 Carrera has been continually maintained to a high mechanical standard over the years and is an honest example of an extremely rare Porsche. Only 75 right-hand drive examples were ever made for the UK market and these delightful driver's cars are seemingly undervalued given their desirable status as the ultimate 924. We love the Carrera GT and welcome any inspection of this unmolested example.