Porsche AG stepped away from their usual air-cooled mid/rear engined configuration for the 1976 release of their new entry level model; the water cooled, front engined, rear wheel drive Porsche 924 2+2 Coupe. Built to replace the Porsche 914 and Porsche 912 (and itself replaced by the 944), the 924 was originally to be a Volkswagen, who commissioned Porsche to build them a sports car but never produced the design due to the oil crisis; opting to build the Volkswagen Scirocco instead. Instead Porsche bought the design back off Volkswagen in a deal that specified the car was to be built at a Volkswagen plant. This lowered the cost of production significantly for Porsche, making the car affordable to the public and as such it became one of Porsche's best ever sellers.

Since the car was originally intended for VW showrooms, when released it was powered by VW's EA831 2.0LI4 engine mated to an Audi gear-box; this setup giving the car a respectable 125hp.

With the success of 911 Turbo, Porsche decided to add a turbo-charged version of the 924 to their lineup to bridge the gap between the 924 and 911; which many Porsche dealers claimed was far too large. The 170hp Porsche 924 Turbo was released in 1978, however the car received poor reviews. Reliability was poor due to considerable over-heating and as such Porsche revised the model, releasing the 177hp Porsche 924 Turbo Series 2 in '81. Both standard and Turbo models sold well, prompting Porsche to release the race-inspired Porsche 924 Carrera GT at Le Mans.

The Carrera GT was an aggressive looking car, with plenty of air intakes giving it purpose, and with 210hp it certainly had bite to match its bark. Success of the Carrera GT inspired Porsche to build more and more powerful versions of the 924; the 924 S (using a slightly detuned version of the 944's 2.5 litre straight four), the 245hp Porsche 924 Carrera GTS, the race-spec Carrera GTS Clubsport and the ultimate 375hp Porsche 924 Carrera GTR race car.

Today, the 924 is still well provided for by dealers. There are also plenty of owners clubs who organise events, including the 924 Racing Championship run by Porsche Club Great Britain.