As I'm sure many of you have noticed by this point, classic Porsches play a pretty significant role in my automotive passion. Sexy as the latest Ferraris may be, the mechanical purity and engineering precision of Stuttgart's aircooled classics have always tickled the part of me that adores all things 'analog'. And while I dream of restoring my own 911E one day far in the future, in the short term I am fortunate to have a similar love for the oft-overlooked transaxle models of the late 1970s through early 90s.

Depending on who you ask, the transaxle models were either a colourful blip or an unsightly blemish in Porsche's automotive history. When they first arrived in the 1970s and 80s, the front-engined, liquid-cooled 924, 928, 944, and 968 were widely decried by luftgekühlt purists as blasphemous changes of course for the iconic marque. From Ferdinand Porsche's KdF-Wagen (later known as the classic Volkswagen Beetle) to the derivative 356 and eventual 911, Porsche had built a name around a consistent line of rear-engined, air-cooled road cars with graceful curves and a uniquely mechanical personality. With their misplaced engines and liquid cooling, the arrival of the transaxle models marked a significant departure from this established template. Hyperbolic and histrionic as this traditionalist reaction sometimes seemed, it was admittedly understandable within the brand's context.

The origins of the platform simply compounded these reservations. Marketed as a successor to the entry-level 914, the 924 had initially been designed for Volkswagen. For many purists, the arrival of this 'glorified VW' in the 1976 Porsche lineup seemed an underwhelming turn for the brand, sacrificing brand values and exclusivity for mass marketability. Admittedly, there was a degree of truth to such impressions. Sporting a 95hp 2.0L engine assembled by Volkswagen technicians in Neckarsulm, the 924 could claim neither the power, prestige, or even physical resemblance expected of a vehicle bearing the Porsche crest. It would take a long process of development before the 924 platform would come to perform to the standard expected of a Porsche in the 1980 Carrera GT, and, in 1982, the 944. Yet for all their teething problems, the transaxle models came to play enormously important roles in Porsche's technical and commercial development - perhaps none more than the 944.