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Perfectlap, I agree that there are no cheap Porsches and that is precisely why so many that have been (and are being) purchased cheap right now will be off the road in a the next few years. That will reduce the supply of good examples of what is already, as you say, pretty rare in many areas.
Project M96, having owned both a 944 and a 986, I disagree with your suggestion that the 944 and the 986 will ultimately be of comparable value. Consider the following:
1. The 944 recieved nowhere near the emotional response that the 986 did upon its introduction. It was, in fact, nothing more than an upgraded Porsche (or VW-Porsche) 924.
2. As a result, the 944 was and is considered by many to be something other than a 'real' Porsche sports car. The 986, however, has always been considered a 'real Porsche'.
3. Although well received, the 944 did not dominate reviews/comparison tests with its contemporaries in the way that the 986 Boxster did.
4. The 944 was a one-off model that was ultimately discontinued - the 986 was the first model of a line of sports cars (the first since the 911) that Porsche is committed to continuing.
5. The 944 was similar in layout/design to other sports cars of the period such as the Nissan Z and Mazda RX7 - front engine, rear drive, long hood and rear hatch. Far from unique, it was a Johnny-come-lately in an already saturated market. The 986, however, was a breath of fresh air. A mid-priced roadster unlike any car on the market. A car that was uniquely Porsche and recognizeable as such.
6. In that connection, design elements of the 986 harkened back to the Giant-killing Porsche 550 Spyder and the much sought-after (and also ultra valuable) Porsche Speedster; the 944 displayed no such historical connection.
7. The 986 was significant in that it is generally acknowleged to be the car that saved the marque; the 944 was simply one of two front engined cars - the 944 and 928, which were brought out by Porsche in an effort to modernize thier line and eventually discarded.
8. The 944 was never available as a roadster or cabriolet - something which all previous collectible Porsche's such as the 356 and 911 were. Over time, it is invariably the convertibles that have become the most valuable of any production model.
9. The 986 is almost universally praised for its incredible exhaust note, whereas the 944 sounded like - well, half a Porsche 928. Not bad, but hardly unique or exciting.
10. The engine in the 944 was an over-large 4 cylinder which required the installation of a balance shaft that Porsche had to license from Mitsubishi. Wow, technology shared with the Mitsubishi 4 cylinder engines used in the original Chrysler Minivans! The engine in the 986 however, was a state-of-the-art 6 cylinder, 4 cam, horizontally opposed engine with variable valve-timing.
Having owned both a 944 and a 986, I can tell you that my 944 recieved less attention even when it was a current model than my 986 does now that it is two models old. Whereas many lusted after the 986 when it was introduced, few felt the same compassion about the 944. What was true when the 944 was introduced, remains true today. It has become relegated to the status of a footnote in the history of a great marque. Does anyone othe than you really believe that the 986 - the first of the incredibly popular mid-engined Boxsters, could ever suffer the same fate?
Brad
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