Rides from the Readers: 1978 Porsche 924
Hagerty readers and Hagerty Drivers Club members share their cherished collector and enthusiast vehicles with us via our contact email, tips@hagerty.com. We’re showcasing some of our favorite stories among these submissions. To have your car featured, send complete photography and your story of ownership to us at the above email.
Today’s featured vehicle is a 1978 Porsche 924, the second model year of Porsche’s water-cooled, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive coupe. Developed partially by Volkswagen and built by Porsche at Audi’s Neckarsulm plant, the 924 had a somewhat rough first reception within the Porsche community. Its Audi-sourced four-banger put out an uninspiring 95 horsepower until a turbocharger arrived in 1980; when the 924 morphed into the 944 for 1983 and gained a Porsche-designed four-cylinder, its fortunes improved significantly.
Today’s 924, however, was doted upon from its earliest years. Originally bought by Colonel James Vinci of Universal City, Texas, the 924 found its most loyal fan in Vinci’s daughter, Tara.
Tara had her heart set on the car from her kindergarten years, and true to her father’s promise, she inherited the 924 after college when Vinci bought himself a 964-generation Porsche 911 (1989–93). Unfortunately, the 924 is no longer happily cruising the streets of Houston, Texas; it fell victim to Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Tara’s car is, however, still intertwined with the Vinci family memory years later—”a family member we’ll never forget,” writes Vinci.
