The 968
The early 90's were a bad time for Porsche. Executive officers came and went in a very undignified manner and the companies racing programs were similarly upset. Porsche desperately needed new models for the range as the now aging 944 was not selling well. Unfortunately financial issues prevented any real development work.
The decision had been taken to develop a replacement based on the 924/944 platform and the resultant 968 model was claimed by the marketing department to be 83% new. The new car was clearly derived from the 944 but had been extensively redeveloped with modern technology to keep it ahead of the competition. The phrase "evolution rather than revolution" was coined. Despite Porsches best efforts and enthusiasm the media reaction was positively dire, with the only model sparking any kind of warmth being the cabriolet. After a year of production the order book confirmed the presses initial reaction. The Zuffenhausen production line was barely ticking over. Drastic action was needed and Porsche responded in two ways. Basic cars were loaded with quality options such as air con to try to tempt buyers and also the Club Sport edition was rushed out.
Un fortunately neither measure really captured the buying publics imagination and the 968 was phased out of production prematurely in 1995, a full year before the cars intended replacement, the Boxster, was unveiled in 1996.
Thus the 4 cylinder, liquid cooled legacy of Porsche came to an end having lasted almost 20 years and producing some fantastic cars. The three models, 924, 944 and 968 between them accounted for over a third of Porsches total lifetime production.
The 968 today arguably represents the best value for money Porsche available, especially if you are fortunate enough to buy a Club Sport car which, despite its awesome performance cost 17% less than the standard car when new.
Production figures
Model Year Production
Total Rest of
World US
1992 5353 3913 1440
1993 3783 2701 1082
1994 2484 965 1519
1995 1156 532 624
Total 12776 8111 4665 4389 cabriolets, of which 2248 to US
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