We specifically sought out a Porsche 944 S2 from 1991, the final year of production. Airbags were required because they practically never cause plastic to fracture and because safety is a concern for historic cars as well. The 944 S2 shares the airbag steering wheel with the 964, 928 S4 (optional), 928 GTS, and 968 as of February 1991. Purists may not care, but the Porsche 944 S2 has a distinct and more substantial steering feel than the narrow four-spoke steering wheels that date back to the 924 and 911 G model era. The Targa roof and air conditioning were important necessities.
Transaxle four-cylinder Porsches without air conditioning become a greenhouse in the summer, as anyone who has ever driven one without air conditioning can attest. Only a small amount of comfort is offered by the elevated Targa roof. However, it is a fantastic feature because it can be taken off, allowing light and fresh air inside the vehicle while traveling on country roads till far into October. Other requirements included a continuous history, few prior owners, and assurance of an accident-free background. The mileage of the 944 S2 is more of a supplemental feature. This is due to the engines’ typical lengthy lifespan; unlike the 911 models of the era, many 944 sports vehicles were used for long distance business travel. Finally, we settled on a car that had been registered to Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG in Stuttgart in January 1991 and was painted “Cobalt Blue Metallic.” At the time, the Porsche 944 S2 was effectively advertised and featured in press photos using this color.
For three years, the Porsche 944 S2 carried the “S – KV 6230” registration plate as a working vehicle. It was then driven around the Ruhr region by its subsequent owners and was once again registered to the owner family. The third station had its previous owner in East Frisia for ten years before it was sold to us. In this location, the sports car adapted to a slower pace of life and covered just about 10,000 kilometers over the course of the ten-year period. The fact that this 944 S2’s interior included “multicolor fabric” of the now-rare all-fabric seats rather than leather appealed to us and ultimately led us to decide to purchase this vehicle.
In This Article...
Do vintage automobiles have airbags? (And Is Driving Without Them Safe?)
Driver and passenger airbags provide significant safety advantages, and any car enthusiast considering to purchase a classic car may have concerns about safety.
Do historic cars contain airbags, which were only made a legal requirement for new cars in the 1990s?
The majority of historic cars lack airbags, however a small percentage of those made after 1973 are equipped with them.
Most vintage vehicles were not equipped with airbags, but why? And is it safe to operate a vintage vehicle without airbags?
An Extensive Review Of The Porsche 944 Turbo
It is the first automobile to come standard with both driver and passenger airbags.
excerpts from a well-known automotive magazine’s March 1985 issue say as follows: “Purchasing a Carrera is a wise decision for several reasons. The classic design, the potent six-cylinder boxer engine, the construction, the need to prove that you can control the beast, and the unmistakable prestige value. It’s alluring. But go with the 944 Turbo for smooth driving enjoyment and nearly flawless roadability. It is a superior vehicle.” Several decades have passed, but we are still in complete disagreement.
The Porsche 944 became the best of the Porsche 944 model range in January 1985 after receiving the turbo treatment. It received a front apron that was aerodynamically improved in addition to the turbocharged engine. It received rear diffusers in a complementary paint color in place of the original rubber buffers. Eventually, the vehicle received a bow-shaped rear wing. People in the 1980s made a grave error when they excluded the Porsche 944 Turbo off the list of the best sports cars of the time.
This was the first vehicle in history to come equipped with both driver and passenger airbags.
For the final model year in 1991, Porsche debuted a cabriolet variant. Hardcore enthusiasts may not have been satisfied with the 220-hp turbocharged 2.5-liter engine, but the Turbo S model, introduced in 1988, more than made up for it by reaching the ranks of the best sports cars of the 1980s with its 250-hp bigger turbocharger.
Has the 1986 Porsche 944 been airbag-equipped?
Power windows, seats, and a great audio were supplied because the 944 Turbo was the top of the line. Additionally, the Porsche 944 holds the distinction of being the first production vehicle to use two airbags.
Are there airbags in 944s?
For the 1982 model year, Porsche released the 944. It was more tuned, better equipped, and slightly faster than the 924 (despite having a lower drag coefficient),[clarification needed] had greater handling and stopping power, and was more comfortable to drive. Factory claims that it accelerates from 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) in less than 9 seconds. The rear transaxle balanced out the front engine, giving the automobile an almost equal front to rear weight distribution (50.7% front/49.3% rear). In accordance with North American regulations, vehicles sold in that region featured larger bumpers and a larger rubber section on the front bumper in place of the auxiliary lights.
The 944 experienced its first major modifications in the middle of 1985, which included new dashboard and door panels, embedded radio antenna, upgraded alternator (from 90 amp to 115 amp), increased oil sump capacity, new front and rear cast alloy control arms and semi-trailing arms, larger fuel tank, optional heated and powered seats, Porsche HiFi sound system, and modifications in the mounting of the transaxle to reduce noise and vibration. The windscreen up front was now flush-mounted. New “phone dial” design wheels were upgraded from the “cookie cutter” style wheels used in the early 944s.
The 944 Motronic DME was modified for the 1987 model year with the addition of airbags and an anti-lock braking system. Fuchs wheels were no longer an option and the wheel offset was adjusted to 52 mm (2.047 in) due to the ABS.
Before the 944S2 was introduced in early 1989, Porsche changed the 944’s engine from the 2.5 L four-cylinder engine to a 2.7 L engine with a rated power output of 164 PS (121 kW), up from 160 PS (118 kW) for the 1988 2.5 L version, and a substantial increase in torque. The new engine’s features included a siamesed-cylinder block design, a redesigned cylinder head with larger valves, and an increase in displacement.
What vehicle had airbags for the first time?
The Porsche 944 Turbo was the first automobile to come standard with driver and passenger airbags in 1987. This was an optional feature for the Porsche 944 and 944S.
Is the Porsche 944 making a comeback?
Porsche has declared that the 944 model will return in 2023 as its entry-level option into the niche sports car market. The automobiles will be produced in Germany at a facility outside of Stuttgart that is now undergoing refurbishment and retooling.
When did airbags become required?
The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 ultimately takes effect on September 1, 1998. All vehicles and light trucks sold in the US were required by law to include airbags on both sides of the front seat.
An industrial engineering worker from Pennsylvania called John Hetrick patented a concept for a “safety cushion assembly for automobile vehicles” in 1953 after being inspired by the inflated protective covers on Navy torpedoes. Hetrick submitted Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler sketches of his invention the following year, but none of the automakers ever replied. Until 1965, when Ralph Nader’s book “Unsafe at Any Speed” theorized that seat belts and air bags may collectively avert thousands of deaths in auto accidents, inflatable safety cushion technology remained dormant.
The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Act was established by Congress in 1966, requiring automakers to include seat belts but not air bags in every vehicle they produced. Sadly, just approximately 25% of people buckled up while the law did not force them to. Air bags appeared to be the ideal solution to this issue because they could shield occupants in automobile crashes whether they buckled up or not.
In the 1970s, Ford and GM started to put air bags in some of their cars, but some experts started to worry if they weren’t actually making things worse. People of smaller stature, and youngsters in particular, could sustain catastrophic injuries or even lose their lives when air bags inflate. According to a 1973 study, three-point seat belts (lap and shoulder belts) are safer and more effective than air bags in any case. However, as air-bag technology advanced, automakers installed them in an increasing number of vehicles, and by the time the law was passed in 1991, they were a fairly standard feature in many cars. However, the law gave automakers time to implement any necessary factory upgrades because it did not mandate air bags for passenger automobiles until until September 1, 1997. (Truck makers have one additional year to abide by the law.)
Researchers believe air bags have saved more than 10,000 lives since the late 1980s, and they estimate that they lower the probability of dying in a head-on accident by 30%. Seat belts, which experts estimate have saved more than 211,000 lives since 1975, were not worn by many of those individuals. They are now a part of over 100 million cars and trucks as standard equipment.
Power steering is available on a Porsche 944?
Only the 944 from 1983 has a manual steering rack as standard equipment. (Please take note that George Beuselinck, a PCA 944 Tech Expert, believes it’s impossible to pinpoint exactly when power steering was introduced as an option or standard. However, he has only ever encountered 1984 vehicles with power steering and 1983 ones with manual steering.) You desire this for a number of factors. The first reason is because using it is just wonderful. A suggestion to back off the throttle (or, dare we say, tap the brakes) to immediately lighten things up and alleviate the understeer is made if you carry too much speed into a corner and noticeably considerably harsher steering. The automobile is quick to turn and easy to maneuver, but even without power assistance, parallel parking is not difficult until a set of bigger wheels and tires are installed. Although I believe the power-assisted rack installed in later 944s made the car a nicer daily driver, the manual rack is what you want for sheer driving enjoyment. Simplicity is also not a bad thing. Power steering pumps have a lifespan, and when seals deteriorate, racks leak. With your now-pushing-40 944, you’ll have one less thing to worry about.