1982 Porsche 928 Cabriolet by Straman

Chassis No. WP0JA0923CS820944Introduced in 1977 as Porsche's bold replacement for the 911, the 928 was unlike anything the company had built before. Named European Car of the Year in 1978, it combined futuristic styling, a front-mounted V8, and a transaxle layout that Porsche envisioned as the future of the marque. Yet despite the success of the 944 and later 968 Cabriolets, Porsche never offered an open-top version of the 928. That omission left an opportunity for coachbuilders like Richard Straman, whose Costa Mesa, California-based shop became renowned for transforming numerous import coupes into bespoke convertibles.Few coachbuilders were better positioned to answer that call than Richard Straman, who became one of America's most celebrated automotive customizers, creating bespoke convertible versions of some of the world's most desirable cars. His work attracted international attention, with his creations appearing on the cover of Road & Track on multiple occasions, while his Ferrari Testarossa Spider was famously driven by Michael Jackson in a 1987 Pepsi commercial.Offered here is a rare example of Straman's artistry applied to a Porsche, with the conversion believed to have been completed in 1990. Finished in a shade of dark olive green, Straman's design features a rear “disappearing top” with a deck that hides the convertible roof when retracted. Remarkably, Straman's craftsmen managed to retain a portion of the 928 coupe's ample trunk space. The 928's aluminum front fenders have been subtly altered to house rectangular pop-up headlights, while the deletion of the hood crest furthers the clean, coachbuilt appearance. Inside, the 928 maintains a relatively stock appearance, with a terra cotta-colored leather interior complemented by matching Wilton wool carpeting. The mechanical specification remains unchanged, with the 4.7-liter V8 paired with a Mercedes-sourced three-speed automatic transmission.With Porsche never producing a factory 928 Cabriolet, examples such as this remain exceedingly rare. Representing the work of Richard Straman at the height of his coachbuilding career, this 928 Cabriolet offers a rare interpretation of Porsche's grand touring flagship with the open-air character envisioned by its custom creator.