Luis de Prat

For me it was in a fold-out ad in TIME magazine of June 14, 1982, which read as follows:

"Dr. Porsche invites you to test drive the newest Porsche"

I was in my early teens when this ad came out. I remember the two-page spread with a head-on shot of an early 944 in a stunningly rich guards red finish, with it's low-slung spoiler, Ferrari-like flag mirrors and mean-looking flared fenders. The tires looked huge, the tall seats behind the windshield looked like a glorious place to be.

The ad featured a letter from Dr. Porsche himself, which introduced the model in the wake of the ongoing criticism about the new Porsches being Audis with Porsche crests, in the wake of the second oil crisis and renewed consumer interest in fuel efficiency. It read as follows:

944

My family, beginning with my father, has been designing and building cars for over 80 years.
At first, we worked for other companies.
"But always," my father said, "there were too many compromises."
So we formed Porsche -to build Porsches. To our family's own standards. Without compromise.
Our very first Porsche was the 356.
Now there is a new Porsche: the 944.
The 944 has a new 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder, aluminum-silicon alloy Porsche engine - designed at Weissach, and built at Zuffenhausen.
It achieves maximum torque at 137.1 ft-lbs as early as 3000 rpm, and produces 143 hp at 5500 rpm.
On the track, the 944 accelerates from 0 to 50 mph in 5.9 seconds. And it reaches the 1/4-mile mark from a standing start in only 16.2 seconds at a speed of 84 mph. Its maximum speed: 130 mph.
The 944 has the Porsche transaxle design - proven at Le Mans, and refined for everyday driving. It produces a nearly-perfect 50-50 front-to-rear weight distribution for balanced braking and improved cornering.
The 944's aerodynamic styling reduces air resistance and improves road holding.
In fact, as a result of its total design efficiency, the 944 requires only 28 hp to cruise at 55 mph.
To my family, the 944 is more than a new car. it is a new and true Porsche.
At Porsche, excellence is expected.

Dr. F. Porsche
Stuttgart

I can't remember the first time I saw one in person, as I had always admired them in magazines. When I spotted my grey '83 twelve years later in 1994 the dream came full circle and I was finally able to drive and own a 944.

Enzo's Nightmare

I was about 5 years old and my dad had the brochure at home. I vividly remember the large photo of a guards red 944 and swearing that I had to have one. 15 years later my dream came true. There was something about the shape of the car that captured my attention. At the time I also believed that 911's were slow and ugly compared to the 944. I did not start to appreciate the 911 until about 5 years later. I still do not find them as attractive as the 944 though.

944Play

I was seven years old when my family moved to a new house in 1984. One of the neighbors had a white on brown 944. I was convinced it was an inline-six (first time I opened the hood of a 951, I had to count the intake runners twice); the thing put out an awesome growl just creeping down our street.

I remember thinking that the REAR SEATS were the coolest thing about the car! Perspective....

Porsche5050

Luis de Prat,
Wonderful letter.

Travis - sflraver

The first time I saw one and took the time to look at it was last year. I saw a run down 84 parked under a car port on the side of a mountian down a halla (sp) in WV. When I got back to FL the hunt was on. Now I have 2 and parted out another. Man these things grow on you quick. Less than a year and I feel I could rebuild one from the ground up. (no trany work yet but I have faith I could do it if I try)

mideastmafia

[quote]Originally posted by Luis de Prat:
<strong>And it reaches the 1/4-mile mark from a standing start in only 6.2 seconds </strong><hr></blockquote>


that must be the version that AMAF bought..


SHAUN

Luis de Prat

[quote]Originally posted by mideastmafia:
<strong>that must be the version that AMAF bought..
SHAUN</strong><hr></blockquote>

Serious typo on my part! Sorry, and thanks for pointing it out. As I was copying the ad I was remembering the day Ferry died, on March 27, 1998. Rennlist was called Porschelist back then and I remember everyone on the list decided to drive with our lights on that day.

Well, Shaun, when was the first time you saw a 944?

mideastmafia

[quote]Originally posted by Luis de Prat:
<strong>Well, Shaun, when was the first time you saw a 944?</strong><hr></blockquote>

im really not sure. my dad used to own a car dealership and also drove two 928's back in 1989. i always loved porsches and everytime i would see a 911 at a stop light i would say "mommy, POR-SH!"

and she would tell me "when you are older and have your own money you can buy one"

well i did eventually buy one. and it was my first and only car to date.

i remember seeing the red 944 in sixteen candles but im still sure it wasnt the first 944 i had seen before.

in my dad's desk at the car dealership he had all kinda of badges for cars and on this dresser i have in my room i have 2 porsche badges and a 944 badge that i got from him. i must have put them on when i was about 6 or 7 years old..


SHAUN

Dales944

I didn't notice the 944 until 1986 when my dad purchased a used '83. It was so cool telling my friends that my dad just bought a Porsche. Oh, the memories. Prior to that, the only Porsche I noticed was the 911. I even built one out of Legos(TM) and drove my mother crazy. I did, of course, notice the red one in Sixteen Candles as my sister watched it over and over and over.......

CPTdooberhead

I bought the first 944 I ever saw (that I know of) when I was 16, in Germany. Dark blue, Euro spec 85.5. I had drooled all over the car for a year, and one day I saw it for sale, and my dream came true!

UDPride

Sixteen Candles. I thought Jake was cool and his car even cooler. His also sounded a lot different in the movie than mine sounds. Audio trickery?

DustinWayman

The first time I had ever seen a 944 was the day my dad bought a new 90 S2 Cabriolet. Now almost 13 years later I bought my own 90 S2 Cabriolet and I couldnt be more happy with it.

~Dust

DustinWayman

The first time I had ever seen a 944 was the day my dad bought a new 90 S2 Cabriolet. Now almost 13 years later I bought my own 90 S2 Cabriolet and I couldnt be more happy with it.

~Dust

Enzo's Nightmare

I noticed that also UDPride. I thought for a while that mine sounded like that.

Matt Sheppard

I dont remember the 944, but I remember the first time I saw a 951. It was in an 1985 Esquire Magazine (I believe. . .) in that famous image of it next to the 924GT racecar: It had my attention, let's say. Boy, do they know how to get a 17 year old by the gonads or what? I remember mourning "40,000 dollars, . . . there is NO WAY I could ever own one"

I remember at the time, KLOS (a local radio station) was giving out 944's, like one each month or something. I figured I might someday get one if I won one, but couldn't ever buy one.

I own 4 now, three turbos and an NA. Ah, Time makes fools of us all.