THE FAMOUS FOUR

Somewhat ignominiously for Porsche, already famed for its engineering prowess by the time the 924 was launched in 1976, its very first production car to feature a water-cooled engine used a powerplant provided by another manufacturer.

That was Volkswagen of course, and those that look down on the 924 are all too happy to point out that its engine was also used in a Volkswagen van. That is true, but the 924 and its successors were incredibly important to Porsche’s continued existence through the 1970s and 1980s, so we should be grateful for it, regardless of its roots.

But there’s no denying those. The 924 project kicked off in 1970, a joint project between Volkswagen and Porsche to create an inexpensive mass-produced sports coupe, potentially to be marketed separately under the Audi and Porsche brands. Porsche’s expertise in the field allowed it to take the technical lead and, for its part, it wanted a modern replacement for the 914.

Volkswagen, however, stipulated that an existing engine from its portfolio must be used, in a bid to keep costs down. The chosen powerplant, codenamed