One of the Rarest Porsche Cars Ever Made! A 1989 Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet!
1989 Porsche 944 Prototype
Technical specifications of Porsche 944 1989 | |
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Price: | US $999,999.00 |
Item location: | Malibu, California, United States |
Make: | Porsche |
Model: | 944 |
SubModel: | S2 Cabriolet |
Type: | Convertible |
Trim: | Prototype |
Year: | 1989 |
Mileage: | 166097 |
VIN: | WP0BA2948KN480110 |
Color: | Red |
Engine size: | 3.0 Liter DUAL CAMS 16 VALVE |
Number of cylinders: | 4 |
Power options: | Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Power Locks, Power Windows, Power Seats |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Transmission: | Manual |
Drive type: | RWD |
Interior color: | Black |
Options: | CD Player, Convertible, Leather Seats |
Vehicle Title: | Clear |
You are interested? | Contact the seller! |
Car description |
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HIGHLIGHTS
1989 Prototype 944 S2 Cabrio Ex-Werks Show Car
STUNNING AND DESIRABLE ORIGINAL FACTORY GUARDS RED PAINT WITH ALL ORIGINAL PRESERVED BLACK LEATHER INTERIOR.
This stunning Guards Red example has been meticulously maintained to Concours Preservation Class level of detail. With complete originality and in wonderfully preserved condition this 944 S2 Cabriolet is the perfect example to drive and enjoy as well as a remarkable investment given its ultra rarity.My family is proud to offer this 1989 944 S2 Cabriolet, from the pre-penultimate prototype year of production to the most astute automotive investor, collector or enthusiast who appreciates the remarkable rare legacy of the 1989 Porsche Prototype 944 S2 Cabriolet.ClassicPorsche modelshave proven to be among the most resilient and rewarding investments in recent years with the Historic Automobile Group Index (HAGI) jumping 39% in 2013, 16% in 2014 and 17% in 2015 while posting whopping gains of467%over the last 10 years and this uber rare1989 Porsche Prototype 944 S2 Cabriolet example will only surely continue that trend.
This Porsche Prototype 944 S2 Cabriolet was the 2017-18 Limited Production Class Winner of the prestigiousPORSCHE CLUB OF AMERICA WERKS REUNION GATHERING held annually during Monterey Car Week in Monterey California.It is considered one of the very rarest Porsche cars ever produced in Porsche history.
Fascinatingly, the1989 Porsche Prototype 944 S2 Cabrioletexceeds in higher rarity than 7 of the 10 cars on theTen of the Rarest Factory Porsches Ever Built list. This fact from an article in the 2016 Road & Track'sMagazine highlight of the very rarest Porsche models produced.
Ten of the Rarest Factory Porsches Ever BuiltPorsche's long history is littered with special cars.
These are ten of the rarest carstoleave Stuttgart.
https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/classic-cars/g6578/rare-unique-porsches/
As a matter of fact, It is onlyeclipsedingreaterrarity of those TopTen of theRarest Factory Porsches Ever Builtby only three Porsche models:
#1) The One Off (1)Porsche 356B Abarth Carrera GTL
#2)The One Off (1)Porsche 935 Street
#3)The Two (2)Porsche 914-8's
All of these 3 super ultra rare Porsches are priceless and worth millions upon millions of dollars without question and without a doubt.
Conversely, if they could even be had at all by the well-heeled astutePorschephile collector. It would be those of the Jay Leno and JerrySeinfeldDNA bank account gene pool andessentiallyout ofreach for most.
But where does the 1989 Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet actually rank within in thepantheonof those other seven rarest factory Porsches ever built you ask?
Take a look at the Porsche production numbers and see where it would fall in the order ofRoad & Track's Top 10 Rarest Porsche Ever Madearticle written by Chris Perkins, Web Editor for Road & Track Magazine.
#7 is the Porsche 993 Carrera with1000built from Porsche.
#6 is the Porsche 924 GT with426produced out of Stuttgart.
#5 is the Porsche 356 Carrera Speedster only151of them crafted.
#4 is the Porsche 964 Turbo S Flachbau just93examples turned out.
#3 is the 73' Porsche Carrera RS33of these rolled out of the factory.
#2 is the Porsche 911 GT Strassenversion atonly25ever made.
And the #1 rare mass-produced Porsches is the 1967911Rwhich only23of thesebespokedtheir way out ofStuttgart into production and FIARally history.
And so there it is.
(Had it been Included On Road & Track Magazine's List)
The 1989 Porsche Prototype 944 S2 Cabriolet would come in at #1 as the rarest of all of the rarest Limited Mass Production Factory Porsches ever having been built in history by Porsche to date.
With its staggering lowproduction number of just (16), sixteen of these prototype Porsche 944 S2 examples ever manufactured. It is quite possibly one of the few times in Porsche's iconic history that a prototype model was offered and sold to the general public at large.
Vaulting it in rank to the # 1 spot over all mass produced Porsches in the prestigious history of the company and only being exceeded by the likes just (3) three Porsche models that are in of itself beyond thecomprehension of "One of One" (or 1 of 2)rarity.
Of course, we all know that"production numbers"don't lie in the Collector Car Investment World and there were just (16) of this one of a kind of uber rare and special 1989 Porsche Prototype 944 S2 Cabrios to have been produced.We can only speculate at this point on how many of the"Sweet Sixteen"has actually survived or even left on the planet to be marveled at.
Which speaks to another kind ofcaveatthatelevates the1989 Porsche Prototype 944 S2 Cabrioletas a (dare I even say) a commonmass-produced Porsche sportscar.History has already propelled it into thatrarefiedspace ofexclusivity anduniqueness as a one of a kind concept prototype Porsche that only(16) sixteen exampleswere fast-tracked out of Stuttgart Germany and into prototype production by Dr. Porsche.
It's fascinating that Porsche does not (initially) even list the 1989 Porsche Prototype 944 S2 Cabriolets on its production records...
Here's a look at the official production numbers from Porsche on the Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet from 1989 to1991 which shows that no (zero) "production" 944 S2 Cabriolets where even on Porsche's production books for the 1989 Model year.
Confirming that the (sweet 16) 1989 Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolets were indeed Limited Production PorschePrototypes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_944
944 S2 Cabriolet
Model Year | Production | Rest of World | US | Notes |
1989 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 16USOnly |
1990 | 3938 | 2114 | 1824 | |
1991 | 1702 | 1140 | 562 | |
Totals | 7,017 | 4,540 | 2477 |
Clearly one can see by the numbers its status as a rare Porsche is real and valid.
One of the amazingly cool things about Porsche cars in general as the company has continued to evolve, it has created somevery special (almost one-off) gems and productionanomaliesthat have leaked their way into the marketplace sometimes without anyone knowing just how rare and special these gems actually are in Porsche productionhistory.
In fact, the Road & Track article only further bolsters the case to be made for the 1989 Porsche Prototype 944 S2Cabrioletsrarity at the highest level.It also confirmed just how little is known about the car as well asitsranking chief among limitedproduction Porsches.
Nevertheless, here is it being offered for your consideration, as a very unique Collector Car that will rarely if ever be seen again.
If you have any questions pleasecontactmefor more information.I will be happy to give you complete details and supply you with more details and further description to answer any questions you may have.Here's a brief overview of the 944 in general.
A BRIEF OVERALL HISTORY OF THE PORSCHE 944The Porsche 944 was introduced to the market in 1982 and was based on Porsche's successful 924 platform which featured a front engine and rear wheel drive layout.Porsche mounted the transaxle in the rear, providing a near perfect 50/50 weight distribution which made 944 one of the best handling cars of its era.The four-cylinder engine featured revolutionary counter-rotating balance shafts that gave the engine the smoothness of a six cylinder.1989 saw the introduction of the 944 S2 powered by an enhanced3.0 liter16-valve engine with dual overhead camshafts that produced over 200hp. 0-60 time was under 7 seconds and top speed was in excess of 150mph.First shown as a concept at the 1985 Frankfurt Auto Show, the production Porsche 944S2 cabriolet would take until 1989 to hit the market. By then, the contract for assembly was handed off from Baur to the American Sunroof Company (ASC), which set up shop in Heilbronn, Germany, just to build the drop-top Porsches. The additional bracing required to maintain chassis stiffness added 154 pounds to the 944S2 cabriolet, but maximum performance was never the cars intended mission.The 1989 S2 was the first 944 to offer a cabriolet with its special body work constructed in Weinsberg, Germany.These exclusive prototype models were produced in limited numbers of just 16 total units produced for the entire world and cost nearly $50,000 when new - the equivalent of over $100,000 today.The 16 Prototypes 944 S2 Cabriolets were Automotive Press Cars and Auto Show Model Cars to introduce this model to the world and were supposed to be returned back to Porsche after the Auto show season was completed.But the Head of Porsche Cars North America, Chief Executive Officer Brian Bowler made the move to disperse the sixteen 1989 944 S2 Cabriolets out to select Dealers throughout America and Canada.Once this was done the 16 prototypes were basically sold as "regular" 944 S2's Cabrios to launch the new Porsche and their exclusive prototype rarity would go unnoticed for years in obscure anonymity.It was only 3 years later (in 1991) that when Porsche released the final production numbers on the 944 S2 Cabriolet that it became known thatthese first yearof production 1989 Prototype 944 S2 Cabriolets had been actually sold to the general public in North America and zero (0) had been produced for the rest of the world market.Vaunting this rare Porsche to its lofty place among the most rarest Porsche models ever manufactured in Porsche history.