Not only does this formerly brilliant grand tourer look sad, the seller’s tale is sad as well. He is beset with a serious health issue and has been liquidating his collection – never a story we want to hear. He has listed his 1979 Porsche 928 here on eBay, where the bidding has reached $3350 in a no-reserve auction. The car is located in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. The seller has owned this Porsche since 2015 and the prior two owners were friends of his – all of which means that some of the car’s history is known, buttressed by plenty of receipts. The paint was damaged from outside storage and an unsympathetic detailer. The car does run, but can’t be driven thanks to a bad clutch master cylinder and a missing smog pipe. In other news, a rodent made a feast of the wiring, causing intermittency in the workings of various items. Is there any upside here? Let’s take a closer look.

The Porsche 928 was intended as a replacement for the 911 – but the strategy of replacing a sports car with a grand touring luxury machine – forget the front-mounted, water-cooled V8 engine and its affront to Porsche-philes for a moment – was questionable. While the 928 enjoyed a long production run and sold more than 60,000 copies, customers adhered to the 911 tenaciously, so both models were retained on the company’s menu. That V8 engine was a new venture for Porsche. This car was minted with a Bosch-injected 4.5-liter version, good for 220 hp in North American trim. A five speed transaxle helped balance the car’s weight distribution. As noted, this one’s clutch mechanism needs work. On the other hand, the seller notes that he had the timing chain, tensioners, and water pump replaced a couple of years ago. The car really hasn’t been run since.

The interior is another story altogether. Apparently while mechanical work was being performed, a re-upholstery job was also commissioned. The shop dragged its proverbial feet, moving the car outside due to lack of space inside, where it sat for months. Finally the shop informed the seller that the car would need to leave, as the shop owner had lost his lease. Consequently, the interior is only partially completed, and it looks like that didn’t include the driver’s seat. On the positive side of the ledger, the door locks and window lifts work; but the dash is cracked, the gauge wiring may have been attacked by the aforementioned Rodent, and the shift boot is missing.

Early 928s are distinguished by the lack of a rear spoiler, understated five-hole wheels, the occasional ‘pasha’ interior, and a 3200 lb curb weight. These characteristics mean early cars have attained a niche-y following, though this one needs a lot of expensive work to make it a decent driver. Meanwhile, the 928 has not gained much traction as a collectible despite performing the job of luxury but sporty conveyance in more than adequate fashion. I love these cars, but I would opt for a more expensive, cosmetically tidy driver. What do you think?