SUNDAY CAR CRUSH: PORSCHE 944 CARGO

We’ve always had a penchant for shooting brakes.

We love the combo of rakish sportiness combined with the solid practicality of serious boot space and a flat roof. Strikes us that a true sportsman not only needs a hard-edged gadabout runabout, but a bit of room to store the sporting goods; and potentially the ability to overnight in the wagon if necessary. The 944 ‘Cargo’ Porsche is one of the coolest we’ve seen of these often bespoke vehicles.

This short run edition of a custom build was the brainchild of German tuning outfit DP motorsport – with the first edition being released in 1988. According to info from the forums, DP began experimenting with the roof of a VW Passat estate laid over the top of a 944 body shell. The conversion eventually evolved into a complete remodel of the 944′s rear section, with a fibreglass roof and rear door supported by a tubular steel framework, adding increased rigidity to the otherwise open-backed coupe.

Apparently there were two or three more Cargos created in 2008 using the original bespoke glass work for the rear of the wagon. An initial seven were made, it seems.

Not sure what these beauties are going for, but we reckon the combo of scarcity value, increased stiffness and the brake practicality would mean they’d fetch a pretty penny.