[ Owning a Porsche 928]

Graham Martin and Jay Winter jointly own the car in the photos – it’s one of four 928s they’ve owned between them, and Martin still has an earlier S2. ‘We both had an epiphany when at 18 a wealthy young friend of Jay’s turned up with a new 1980 Porsche 928S in Guards Red,’ says Graham. ‘Its Gerry Anderson UFO styling blew us away – it was light years ahead of our daily drivers back then, a Triumph Vitesse and an Escort Mexico. The interior was ergonomically perfect and the rumble from Porsche’s V8 put the hairs on our necks on end.’

‘Scroll on four decades and a collection of interesting cars behind us, we co-own this three-owner, 38,000-mile 1981 non-sunroof 928S auto. It is a rare car having been specified with a full leather interior including magnolia seats and fawn carpets to raise the mood – many 928 interiors are all-black. It has the upgraded hi-fi system with eight speakers. Jay sourced an OEM radio/cassette rather than the archetypal Blaupunkt.’

And it’s now for sale! Visit the 928.com.

Marc Chenery paid £4000 privately in 2014 for his 1985 S2, which pretty much represents the bottom of the market. He drove it home 150 miles from Cheshire, ‘I bought it for my birthday. I’d had big V8s before – Interceptors and Rover P5BS – and as an architect I’d always liked 928s for their timeless design, so I wanted the original recessed-tail light car.

‘The temperature gauge didn’t work, but the previous owner had wired in a remote dial. I had it serviced for £250 – a cambelt change is about £500 – then drove it daily for 18 months in all weather, including four days in the snow. It’s been faultless, apart from the rear hatch sometimes springing open on bumpy roads. All that needed was a new plunger, spring and plastic sleeve for £12, mail order.

‘It gets hot inside – the aircon doesn’t work, of course – but you just open a window. I’ve even had four people in it. I only stopped using it because someone gave me an X5 which is more suitable for work, so now I’ve pulled out the interior to have the worn seat bolsters recovered, and the rest reconnolised. I’m also going to fit some new glassfibre boot side trims that I found in the US.

‘I’m 6ft 5in and 21 stone with a 54in chest and it fits me perfectly. As I slide down into the seat it’s like a bespoke suit. I now know how Dan Gurney felt in a GT40, but I don’t quite need a roof bubble – there’s a finger clearance between the top of my head and the sunroof.’

Adrian Clark has owned 928s since 1989. He’s raced the big Porsche GTS since 2007 and his collection currently includes two race cars (one with an engine bored out to 6.4 litres), three SES, a GTS and a 500bhp supercharged GT.

‘My first 928 was a 928S manual I bought in 1989. Great car except the cambelt went after a week, luckily with no major damage because it happened at low speed. Since then I‘ve owned many, though my passion since 2007 has been racing my two 928 GTSS. Both have been racing since the mid-nineties and have been developed over the years to be competitive and beat more modern Ferraris and Astons.

‘They can be very competitive race cars, handling being their biggest advantage along with the powerful engine and torque. You need a dry-sump upgrade to avoid engine failures though, and additional gearbox cooling is important. For 2018 I hope to be campaigning again in the BARC Intermarque Championship and CSCC Future Classics series.