1982 Porsche 928s

Supplied new on the 4th October 1982 to Porsche GB for the personal use of their MD

With its current owner since 1990 and just two previous keepers

Classically presented in its original Guards Red with a smart Tweed cloth interior

A true testament to 928 build quality with 220,000 miles completed in its lifetime

Invoices totalling a remarkable ú130,000 corroborate this healthy mileage

Over ú40,000 has been spent this year alone including a comprehensive engine rebuild

Critics immediately recognised the advances the 928 had made 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 on the road. Many testers found that their nerve ran out long before the 928's grip. If the 928 attracted any criticism at all, it was that it wasn't quite quick enough. The original 4.4-litre engine generated 240 bhp but, mated to a relatively heavy car, the performance didn't match the 911. So Porsche introduced the 928 S fitted with a 4.7-litre version of the engine and generating 310 bhp. This began to deliver the car's true potential, achieving a 0-60 mph time of around 7.0 seconds. But the larger engine's real trump card was its torque-rich in-gear acceleration around the mid-range - 50-70 mph sprints or indeed any acceleration from 3,000 rpm is in the supercar league.

VJM 954Y was supplied new on the 4th October 1982 to Porsche Cars GB as the personal transport of the then Managing Director Peter Bulbeck with whom it remained until June 1984. It was then sold to a Mr Richard Cleare of R H Cleare and Company Ltd. who was a World Sportscar Championship entrant with a Tiga-Porsche for several years in the mid-1980s and managed a few outings in IMSA GTP at Le Mans.

In November 1989, the current custodian commissioned Josh Sadler and Steve Carr from Autofarm to locate a 928S for him with certain key requirements including a full main dealer history, a manual gearbox, it had to be Guards Red and no sunroof! It didn't take long, however, as VJM popped up at AFN Isleworth during December of that year as Richard Cleare had traded it in earlier. A deal was struck and after handing over ú17,500 the car was in its new owner's hands with 77,000 miles on the odometer. At this point, it was fitted with a new clutch and cruise control and was destined to remain with its owner for the next 29 years. Throughout this long period, the 928 has been fastidiously maintained by him with expenditure exceeding a whopping ú130,000 with just over ú30,000 of that incurred this year.

Regular servicing was entrusted to Evans Halshaw of Warwick initially (1990 - 1994), subsequently to Porsche West Midlands of Brownhills (1994 - 2002) and then Porsche Centre Sutton Coldfield from 2002 up until 2011. Loe Bank Motors, a leading 928 specialist, cared for the car for a period of time and fitted the rebuilt engine this year along with other works, and finally, Porsche Centre Bolton have been looking after this remarkable car up to date. The Porsche has been allowed the occasional rest with a few short spells on SORN and full details are in the history file.

The interior has been refreshed on a couple of occasions with the seats being re-trimmed in the correct period cloth, pleasingly, keeping the car in its original factory specification with the only variation from standard being the Porsche-supplied sports steering wheel. Our vendor has kept all the receipts from 2008 to date but did not keep the earlier ones due to the sheer volume of paperwork.

Standing 'all-square' and looking fresh, the car's looks belie the 220,000 miles indicated on the odometer, a testament to the build quality of these great GT cars, regular maintenance, and caring ownership. It's refreshing, and rather rare, to find an owner who knew exactly what he wanted, found it, and continues to use and look after it nearly three decades later. We understand that VJM continues to drive as well as it did back in 1990 and undoubtedly is up to the task of looking after its new owner for many more thousands of miles.

Being a manual gearbox, 928S, this venerable Classic Porsche is now super rare and this is a great opportunity to get behind the wheel of one of Porsche's landmark Grand Tourers.