Is this Porsche 928 the “Holy Grail” of Collectability?

There's no question that $109,500 is a high asking price for Porsche 928. However, this isn't any ordinary 928. It's a 1994 GTS and a pretty special one at that. You see, the Porsche 928 GTS is already a rare Porsche in its own right. While the numbers vary from source to source, most agree that for the 3 years the 928 GTS came into the US only 406 of them made their way to our shores.

Within this select group of US bound Porsche 928s, the majority had automatic transmissions and almost all of them had sunroofs. So, when you find a GTS that was ordered with a 5spd, you know you have a rare Porsche (e.g. in 1994 only 44 of the 139 imported had manual transmissions). However, if you find a GTS with both a 5spd and a "sunroof delete" option we're now talking über rare; a 1 of 1 kind of rare (and that's exactly what Michael Willhoit did with the car pictured above and below).

With only 19,000 miles, a midnight blue metallic exterior over classic gray leather interior and a Certificate of Authenticity from Porsche listing many other options, this 928 GTS presents a unique opportunity for the right collector at $109,500. Some might even say it's a bargain. You can follow the auction yourself on ebay or see more pictures and the complete listing on Willhoit's web-site.

Porsche 928 GTS Production Numbers*

Porsche produced the 928 GTS from 1992 to 1995. However, not all model years made it to the US. The US was introduced to the car in late 1992 but as a 1993 model year. Of the 2887 produced worldwide, 1932 of them were produced during the time that Porsche sold them in the US. And, as mentioned above, of the 1932 produced for model year's 1993, 1994 and 1995 only 406 came into the US. Almost all of those 928s had a sunroof (some say dealers ordered them this way because it was high dollar option and a luxury item for the time) and most had automatic transmission.

Willhoit is No Stranger to Super Rare, Super Nice Porsches

We ask if this Porsche is the "Holy Grail" of Porsche 928s because Michael Willhoit is known for "making" the market for these cars. Most know that Michael asks big dollars for his cars, but with good reason. His Porsche 928 offerings are some of the best in the world (as the subject of this story proves) and he's set pricing records on a number of previous sales (highest known price to date is $114,500 for a 95 GTS with 13k miles).

Interestingly enough, this isn't the first time Michael sold this car. In fact, he sold it to the current owner (an avid collector) a little over a year ago and is happy to have it back.

"This is the 'Holy Grail' of 928 GTS's," said Michael. "This is a special car. It's the one and only in the US that was made with a sunroof delete and a manual transmission. Owning this 928 allows you to own a Porsche that no one else has." he added.

Sunroof Delete is Popular after Market Upgrade

If you spend any time on the Porsche forums you'll see that there are mixed feelings about the sunroof in the Porsche 928. For taller drivers it can cut into headroom (especially if you want to track your Porsche and need to wear a helmet), some say it simply adds extra weight (although the weight savings without one is minimal) and for others it is simply too small to provide any benefit. Whatever the reason, a quick search of Rennlist shows 255 threads talking about the idea of a "sunroof delete" for the Porsche 928. There are even upgrade paths to remove and replace the entire roof.

Will This Porsche Set a New Record High?

Even if you're not in the market for this type of collectible Porsche, it will be interesting to watch the sales process and see if a new record is set. You can follow the auction yourself on ebay or see more pictures and the complete listing on Willhoit's web-site.

Related Porsche Posts
Record Sales Price of $103,500 set for 1995 928 GTS
The Porsche 928 as an Investment
How a Porsche 928 Saved a Life and Influenced a Career
1994 Porsche 928 GTS Sells for $92,500
The 3 Most Common Myths about the Porsche 928

*Production numbers vary based on source. Most of these numbers came by hunting through Rennlist. We had trouble verifying the breakdown of 1993 manuals vs. automatics so if anyone has better numbers for '93 please let us know.