BOOSTING APPEAL

It almost seems like a redundant concept; for Porsche to produce a car with 911 levels of performance at a near 911 price, that wasn’t a 911. Doesn’t it? And today on the classic market, the concept seems equally redundant owing to the existence of Porsche’s later 2.5-litre 924S. But to dismiss the 924 Turbo as an irrelevance would be a catastrophic error.

The story of the Porsche 924 begins in 1965, with the Volkswagen-Porsche 914. This model was a joint venture between the two companies, with each having its own variant. This relationship worked well, albeit with some market confusion among buyers who weren’t sure if the 914 was a cheap Porsche or a fast Volkswagen. In 1971, both companies began work on the replacement – dubbed EA425, this four cylinder sports coupe was funded by Volkswagen and developed by Porsche. Internal politics saw the close research and development relationship between the two companies draw apart during this era, and the EA425 project was eventually all that was left by 1974.