Although not an eye is batted today when a Porsche drives by with a water-cooled V-8 engine in front of the driver, this was not the case almost 30 years ago when the 928 model arrived on the automotive scene.
Porsche’s first production front-engine, water-cooled V-8 was intended to replace the 911 model as the flagship production car within two years of introduction in 1977/78.
Unfortunately, nobody told the dyed-in-the-wool air-cooled, rear-engine Porsche-o-philes about the plan. For the most part, they didn’t want any part of the plan.
Even though the 928 performed well and is an outstanding car to this day, it was received in the late 1970s with a definite thumbs-down from typical Porsche customers.
Unusual among the early 928 models was the color Minerva Blue. One such car was upholstered with a brown/black houndstooth-patterned leather/cloth interior.
The high-performance Porsche was sold new by the Herman-Miller Porsche/Audi dealership in Parsippiny, N.J., on June 3, 1978. A Chatham, N.J., man bought the razzle-dazzle car and in the next 20 years drove it only 10,000 miles.
In 1998 the virtually unused Porsche was sold to a Malvern, Pa., man who drove it 2,200 miles in the next two years. The third owner, a West Chester, Pa., man, added another 2,100 miles to the odometer in two years. The first three owners all had lavished extreme care on the Porsche and after 25 years the odometer was showing a total of 14,395 miles, or an average of about 700 miles a year.
That’s when Ed Trottier, an independent nuclear licensing and compliance engineer, saw the car advertised for sale on the Internet.
On an investigative trip with his father-in-law, Forrest Chitty, Mr. Trottier was smitten by the originality of the car as much as by the car itself, including the untouched and working original equipment Blaupunct radio and power antenna. “I have owned it since January 6 of last year,” he says.
Like the first three owners he strives to maintain the Porsche in “like-new” condition, but he also enjoys driving his car. The odometer is about to roll over 22,000 miles. “It’ll do about 145 mph,” Mr. Trottier says, even though the speedometer is set to record speeds up to 170 mph.
Typical of German cars of that era, there are no cup holders. There is, however, a convenient passenger package shelf below the dashboard.
Luxury in 1978 was defined by a leather headliner, lighted vanity mirrors, four radio speakers, four sun visors and four seatbelts.
“They thought of everything,” Mr. Trottier says.
Unusual for any car 26 years ago is the headlight beam adjuster that compensated for a heavy load in the rear.
Mr. Trottier acknowledges that Austin Powers would probably be comfortable in the “shagadelic” interior of his Porsche 928.
However, the Gran Prix shift pattern of the five-speed manual transmission with reverse at the upper left of the double “H” shift gate proves that this car is as much for go as show.
To make life in the black-carpeted cockpit comfortable, an air conditioner and heater are set to provide the perfect temperature.
Whoever is behind the three-spoke steering wheel is treated to power steering as well as four-wheel power disc brakes.
“It’s never been on a track,” Mr. Trottier says, “and I have no plans to put it on one.” He treats his 928 to the ordained 87 octane regular gasoline but it does take 23 gallons to fill the tank.
With the assistance of cruise control, he reports fuel economy figures of about 16 miles per gallon. The 7,800 rpm tachometer redlines at 6,000 rpm.
“This car has capability and performance I have not explored,” he comments. “It’s an amazing car.”
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