1991 Porsche 928 GT

Porsche's intended replacement for the 911 may not have achieved that particular goal, but it wasn't for a lack of performance or technological wizardry. An alloy V8 was attached to a rear-mounted gearbox, and the galvanised body had aluminium doors and bonnet, plus body-coloured plastic bumpers - pretty radical for its time. The 928 was launched to a fanfare and surprised many by being named European Car of the Year, an award that traditionally went to worthy, but dull, family hatchbacks.

Critics immediately recognised the advances inherent in the 928 over the 911, and the car was universally praised as one of the greatest 'GT' cars of all time. It handled, it was quick, it looked fantastic and it was comfortable. With the 928, Porsche created a serious long distance grand-touring car that could also tackle twisting B-roads with ease, thanks to super-direct steering, 50/50 weight distribution and a clever Weissach rear axle that kept the car firmly planted. Many road testers found that their nerve ran out long before the 928's grip. Porsche continuously developed their range-topper throughout its production life, culminating with the launch of the S4 in 1987, which differed slightly from the earlier Series cars with its smoothed-off front and rear bumpers, larger rear spoiler, more interior equipment and a 5-litre version of the V8 engine developing 316bhp.

1989 saw further development with the launch of the GT model, featuring a more powerful 5.0-litre V8 capable of a creamy 326bhp, but more importantly, the introduction of a 5-speed manual gearbox for those who wanted a more sporty driving experience. This model also features twin exhausts, uprated camshafts, and sports suspension - the ultimate 928 had arrived!

The car presented here is one of the last GT models produced in 1991, the final year of GT manufacture, and was initially supplied by Porsche Cars (GB) JCT600 of Leeds on the 1st January 1992. It's an original UK right-hand drive car and is a rare manual 928 GT finished in the sophisticated colour combination of Black Metallic with a Cream Leather sports interior with carpets to match. Accompanying the car is a comprehensive service history which includes an original fully stamped service book beginning with a service at 1,548 miles at JCT600 in Leeds when the car was barely a month old. The schedule shows 12 more service stamps, plus additional ones for "Brake/Coolant changes" and stamps for "Record of Camshaft belt check after replacement". The car is accompanied by its complete Porsche book pack (including manuals) and its dedicated tool-kit.

In May 2012, the car was purchased by a previous owner from an earlier keeper who had owned it since 2001 but had not used it for several years. This new owner was particularly fastidious in returning our sleeping Porsche to rude health, carrying out a lot of work in 2012/2013 at approximately 89,000 miles including replacing the cambelt, a new clutch plate, clutch master and slave cylinder, 4 x new drive belts (alternator, A/C compressor, power-steering pump and air pump), a new radiator, a new A/C condenser and a complete service. Our vendor purchased this very healthy car in July 2014 and kept up its servicing record, having a full cambelt, rollers, and water pump replacement service in July 2016. All the servicing and maintenance is backed up by a large file of invoices and a series of old MOT certificates which help validate the current mileage of 93,500.

Front-engined Porsches are having the renaissance they richly deserve, and this very capable and rare manual GT model, whilst being competitively guided, opens the door into a very exclusive club of Porsche ownership. Now ready to be enjoyed by a new owner, this is one not to be missed and has the potential to be a shrewd investment.