1988 PORSCHE 928 S4 SE - £25,000 SPENT 1,000 MILES AGO

This 1988 Porsche 928 S4 SE is an exceptionally rare car, presented in outstanding condition following recent refurbishment, and with superb provenance. One of just 42 examples, it is equipped with the 320bhp Weissach-built 5.0-litre V8 engine, paired with a short-shift manual transmission.

These SE cars share the same mechanical specification as the highly sought-after 928 Club Sport, which was only sold in mainland Europe.

It is finished in the desirable Guards Red - which matches the 1988 press car - complemented by black leather with pinstripe inlays. A well-loved car now showing 141,120 miles from new, it has been in recent long-term ownership with a former F1 driver.

Porsche announced this flagship series car in March 1988. While being correctly titled as the ‘Porsche 928S Series 4 with Sport Equipment’, this model is known simply as the ‘S4 SE’. The unique mechanical setup included a modified engine and exhaust system, firmer front springs, a 17mm-wider rear track and a limited-slip differential, which helped the car dispatch the 0-62 mph sprint in 5.6 seconds. It was priced at £55,970 in the UK, which put it on par with the 911 Turbo of the day.

In late 2017, Phil Hindley of Porsche specialist Tech 9 said of the 928 S4 SE that there were “less than 15 good cars out of 42 still on the road”. This is one such car. Owned by the vendor for the last three years, it also counts Tom Belso, former Williams Formula One racing driver, among its five previous owners. He owned the car for 24 years and had it registered as ‘15 TOM’.

The car’s paintwork presents beautifully. Two years ago, the vendor commissioned an exhaustive refurbishment by marque expert Tech 9 Motorsport, for which a comprehensive invoice is shown in the photo gallery totalling £24,852. This work included a full bare-metal respray in the original Guards Red colour, and the car remains in outstanding condition today.

Door shuts, window seals, and all other exterior trim appear to be in pristine order. Being an SE model, it also runs on lightweight 16-inch forged alloy wheels by Fuchs. The setup is staggered, with an 8-inch wheel width on the front axle and 9-inch on the rear.

In the cabin, this 928 S4 SE maintains its original pinstriped and piped seating, with the exception of the top sections of the rear seats, which were re-upholstered during 2017. The original red piping has faded and split in several places, and the cloth centre panels have also lost their depth of colour. The black leather is in excellent condition for its age and mileage with no tears or undue wear. The dashboard and headlining were also re-trimmed in 2017.

All of the interior switchgear is original and in full working order. The factory build sticker is still with the car, but is now affixed to the handbook pouch for safekeeping. Among other things, it confirms that the Blaupunkt Toronto SQR 46 radio cassette deck is the factory item, and that the car’s amplifier and rear-shelf speakers were also fitted when new.

During the refurbishment in 2017, Tech 9 also refreshed the engine and mechanicals to ensure the car was in fully-sorted condition and ready to be enjoyed on the road. A fresh MOT in May 2019 resulted in only two minor advisories on wear to the offside rear brake disc and some play in the steering rack inner joints.

The car received a full set of new tyres in 2017, with less than 1,000 miles of use since then. They are all matching Continental SportContact tyres with the official Porsche N2 rating, in size 225/50 ZR16 at the front and 245/45 ZR16 at the rear.

This Porsche 928 S4 ‘Sport Equipment’ is an original and unmodified car, which has benefitted from being a well-used example throughout its early life in particular. It is presented with a complete history from new, the maroon handbook pouch containing manual and service book, and two sets of original keys. The tool kit and space-saver spare wheel are also still with the car. Three period motoring magazines that featured the launch of the S4 SE will be included in the sale.

Writing in 911 & Porsche World in 2017, journalist Johnny Tipler compared the S4 SE to the 928 GT, concluding that the SE was “in a different league as far as handling is concerned: it’s precise, there’s no sense that it’s oversteering or understeering, its power delivery is spot-on”. The 928 S4 SE is a connoisseur's classic - an exciting road car that would be a terrific addition to any Porsche collection.

Summary of stamped service history:

10 Aug 1988 - 784 miles (main dealer)
27 Jan 1989 - 12,099 miles (main dealer)
24 Mar 1990 - 36,740 miles (main dealer)
28 Jan 1992 - 45,879 miles (main dealer)
12 Oct 1993 - 55,091 miles (main dealer)
21 Aug 1997 - 96,330 miles (main dealer)
26 May 1998 - 106,237 miles
15 Jun 2000 - 117,506 miles
23 Mar 2002 - 127,403 miles
8 Nov 2004 - 133,661 miles
30 Jan 2015 - 138,914 miles
10 Oct 2015 - 139,444 miles
9 May 2017 - 140,069 miles