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The 1977-88 Porsche 924 proves VW involvement isn't a bad thing. (Part 1: 1977-79)
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The '77 Porsche 924 inspired imitations from Mazda, Nissan & others. (Photo:S Connor)
In light of the fact many are bemoaning the recent merger* between Volkswagen/Audi and Porsche AG, it’s important to consider there are many successful Porsche models we know today that never would have existed without the help of Volkswagen. The original 1948-65 Porsche model 356 made famous by James Dean was engineered by company founder Ferdinand Porsche based heavily on the VW Beetle’s layout he himself created. The 1970-76 rear-engined Porsche 914 was based almost solely on Volkswagen Karmann Ghia underpinnings. And more recent Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne sport utilities introduced for 2004 were developed together, far more alike under the skin than they are different.
One cannot consider joint efforts between the two manufacturers without paying special tribute to the 1977-88 Porsche 924, the company’s first offering that did not have an air-cooled engine in the rear. While it was derided by fans of traditional Porsches when introduced, the 924’s sales success did more to help the company to grow into what it is today than anything else. While early 924s may seem like lambs, they became truly respectable performance animals during the 1980s. The Porsche 944 of 1983-91 was a 924 spinoff - basically the same car with flared fenders and more powerful engines (to be covered in coming articles).
The 924 began as a model Volkswagen created with the intention of selling a lightweight, front-engine sports coupe with rear-wheel-drive under its own badge. However recession-weak currency values and the 1973 oil crisis convinced top management to abandon the project after realizing it was impossible to engineer this entirely new platform for a cost low enough to market as a VW. Porsche then purchased the project from VW, creating the final fastback/hatchback design while keeping as many existing VW / Audi parts as possible to ensure price points stayed as low as possible.
PART 1: 1977-79
The 1977 924 was introduced in the United States and elsewhere during the summer of ’76, and featured a 2.0-liter four cylinder Audi engine of 95 horsepower (Euro version of this engine made 125hp due to less restrictive emissions controls and exhaust systems). While the engine was up front, a four-speed manual transmission mounted within the rear axle housing was borrowed from the VW Beetle (known as a “transaxle”), rather than create a traditional one placed directly behind the engine. A side benefit that resulted from this layout was an almost even weight distribution of 52% front / 48% rear.
Because this setup required the .75-inch-thick driveshaft running from front to rear to spin at full engine speed, it was encased in a protective metal tube 3.3 inches in diameter. Unlike other rear-drive cars, the 924’s driveshaft was perfectly straight with no flex joints.
Suspensions consisted of front MacPherson struts introduced on ‘75 VW Rabbits, and rear trailing arms from VW Beetles. Brakes were initially 10-inch front discs and 9-inch rear drums lifted from European VW van models. Steering rack and links developed for the '75 VW Scirocco were used as well. And rear axle shafts from VW "Thing" models had two constant velocity u-joints each to eliminate vibration. Initial curb weight was only 2,410 pounds – extremely light by today’s standards.
Early ‘77s suffered extreme wheel hop over bumps, a problem caused by the rear transaxle and driveshaft tube being mounted rigidly to the car’s frame. “1977 ½ “ models received liquid-filled rubber mounts to absorb the vibrations and resulted in huge improvements. These late ’77s also had a horsepower increase from 95 to 110 due to revised camshaft timing, larger intake valves, and higher cylinder compression ratios. A higher revving rear axle ratio helped improve 0-60 times from mid-12-second scores to mid-11s, and reduced quarter mile time from 18-second ranges to below 18 seconds. 91 octane unleaded gasoline was now required to avoid engine-knock and power loss. Auto reviewers were typiclly able to corner the car on a skidpad at around .82g - impressive, considering the only tire choice was tall-sidewall 185/70-14 radials.
Extra-cost options available from the start were air conditioning ($548), a removable sunroof panel ($330), front and rear anti-sway bars ($105), AM/FM stereo radio ($135), 14-inch aluminum wheels ($345), and metallic paint ($295). 4-wheel disc brakes became optional with a "924S" sport package for 1979. A five-speed manual transmission of Porsche's own design later became optional on 1978 models, and standard on ’79s. Additionally, an Audi three-speed automatic was offered as an option ($400) beginning on '78s. Due to ballooning inflation rates in the United States during this time, 924 base prices jumped from $9,995 at introduction to over $14,000 by 1979. Engineers knew they had to increase the “entry level Porsche”s value content, and soon a 1980 924 Turbo would be introduced (see link below to 1980-81 924 article).
To view the final years the 924S was sold in the United States (Part 3), click: www.examiner.com/examiner/x-8812-Newark-Classic-Cars-Examiner~y2009m11d24-The-197788-Porsche-924-proves-that-VW-involvement-isnt-a-bad-thing-Part-3-198788
What did auto reviewers have to say about 1977-79 924s? Click: www.examiner.com/x-8812-Newark-Classic-Cars-Examiner~y2009m11d11-The-197788-Porsche-924---Original-quotes-from-auto-reviewers-Part-1b
*Merger is a word which loosely describes the two companies’ situation. Initially, Porsche had attempted to purchase a majority amount of shares in Volkswagen. Their takeover backfired when the large amount of debt Porsche took on during their attempt weakened stock prices to the point where Volkswagen could afford to take them over.
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