(1976 – 1986) Porsche 924 – Ultimate Guide
The Porsche 924 was the first water-cooled front-engine production Porsche. This relatively low-cost coupe was a startling departure from the expensive, air-cooled, rear-engine Porsche 911, and its Audi engine caused fans of the marque to question its Porsche credentials.
The base model Porsche 924 was produced for model years 1976 to 1986. During its production run, VW decided to stop manufacturing the engine blocks used in this version (the 2.0 L 924), forcing Porsche to continue production for model year 1987 with a more powerful engine, calling it the 924S. The base model 924 had a production run of 121,000 vehicles approximately.
The 924 was imported into the US with a 2.0 liter engine until 1982. The production of the 2.0 liter engine, with the cast iron block, and aluminum alloy pan and head, continued till 1985, the last year the 924 was sold in Europe.
The 924 was originally equipped with a four-speed gear box, while a five-speed gearbox and an automatic option were available in later years. Some cars in the intervening years were produced with the 016Z Audi five-speed transmission, which had the inverted (‘German’) gear-shift pattern. In 1986, the 2.5 liter aluminum block engine and drive train from the 944 were transplanted into the 924 body, and sold as the 924S. Except for visual similarity with the 924, such as the bodywork and the round side marker lights, this is a very different car when it comes to performance, maintenance and upkeep.
