The Porsche Museum is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 914 model series with a rare special exhibit on display from April 9 – May 10, 2009: the Porsche 914-8 with its 300-bhp eight-cylinder racing engine once owned by Ferry Porsche himself. With only two of these cars ever being built, one was presented to Ferry Porsche in 1969 as a special gift for his 60th birthday.
Porsche 914 History
Everything remained very quiet when Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG established VW-Porsche-Vertriebsgesellschaft mbh, the VW-Porsche Sales Company, together with Volkswagenwerk AG, as it was called at the time, in April 1969. Holding stock capital of DM 5 million, the new company launched the strategy of success for two sports cars still carefully held back from the public pending their final presentation: the VW-Porsche 914 and 914-6.
The establishment of the VW-Porsche Sales Company marked the beginning of a true story of success – and the fortunate end of a dramatic development. Back in the mid-60s VW was looking for a successor to its then rather outdated Type 34 sports coupe, better known as the “Karmann Ghia.” At the same time Porsche was striving to expand its position in the market with a sports car in the promising segment beneath the 911.
Facing this challenge Ferry Porsche and VW’s CEO Heinrich Nordhoff agreed in spring 1966 on a joint venture destined to benefit both parties: Porsche was given the assignment by Volkswagen to develop a low-cost mid-engined sports car intended to enter the market as a Volkswagen with four cylinders and as a Porsche with a six-cylinder boxer engine.
With the development process continuing at a good pace, the Board of Management of VW was suddenly confronted with a tragic change: Heinrich Nordhoff died unexpectedly in 1968 and Kurt Lotz was appointed the new Chief Executive Officer. Lotz rescinded the contract agreed verbally and insisted on Volkswagen receiving the sole and exclusive sales rights for the car being developed by Porsche. After long and tough struggles bringing the 914 to the brink of failure more than once, the two companies agreed in a compromise to call the new car the “VW-Porsche” and to market this new model through a joint sales network.
The VW-Porsche 914 was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show on September 11, 1969 as the first mid-engined sports car built in Germany in series production. The combination of the two brand names Volkswagen and Porsche nevertheless turned out to be an image problem for the new model series commonly referred to by the press as the “Volksporsche” or “People’s Porsche.” This was a particular disadvantage for the 914-6 powered by the two-litre flat-six carried over from the 911 T 2.0. For despite its outstanding performance, the 914-6 was hardly accepted by most of Porsche’s existing customers.
The four-cylinder VW-Porsche 914, on the other hand, became a genuine success in the market, accounting for a production volume of 115,631 units until the series ceased production in spring 1976, and thus becoming the best-selling sports car of its time.
Most of the cars built were exported to the United States, where the 914 was marketed as a genuine, fully-fledged Porsche without the VW prefix.
Today the VW-Porsche 914 is acknowledged as a popular classic supported by numerous 914 clubs the world over. Particularly the 914-6 built only 3,338 times is one of the most sought-after collector cars from Porsche.
For more information, visit the Porsche Museum.
[Source: Porsche AG]
I had a 73 914-4 with the 1.7 liter fuel injected engine. It was my first sports car and replaced my 68 Camaro RS with its 327. I bought it with the money I saved while I served an unaccompanied tour in the PI. I was 21 and married, and in the USAF. My wife and I drove it across country — twice. We had fun in that car, and of all the cars we’ve owned, it remains our favorite.
Oh, yes, it was orange.
Thanks for the story. Cheers
Great story – thanks for sharing. Driving across the country – twice – in a 914 is pretty impressive. Can’t imagine you had much in the way of luggage…thanks again.
Thanks.
Yeah, not much luggage space but not much was needed. We were young and poor. January 78, we left southern WV during a break in a snow blizzard and headed south. A convoy of cars hooked up, us in the middle, staying close to each other, hoping no one braked. Two days later, my wife and I stopped at McDonald’s in Alabama for a cup of morning coffee. I took a hammer and knocked the snow and ice out of the wheel wells, astonishing some people entering the church next door, as the temp was about 60.
Setting out west, I averaged 75 MPH after that, and 36 MPG. Fun little car — and economical.
Thanks for the article!
I bought an Irish Green 1972 914 in May of that year–put over 24,000 miles on it in less than 12 months. Like the previous writer mentioned, it was a great long-distance driver . . . well, rather, IS a great long-distance car–37 years and over 233K later, my wife and I are hoping to drive it around the continental US after we get the kids through college.
Thanks again!
We bought our 1974 1.9 in November, 1979, and I learned to drive a stick on the way home. We still have it, at an average of about 1,000 miles a year. It’s been restored twice, but it’s still our car. I love taking my kids to high school soccer practice, and all the kids trying to figure out what it is.
Whoever said earlier that a 914 didn’t have luggage space doesn’t know how the pack. As long as you work with soft luggage, it will hold lots. My wife and I packed for a two week vacation, including my golf clubs and a cooler of food, and no problem.
I currently own a Phoenix Red (reddish-orange) 1973 914 1.7L with a weber progressive carb and it is a blast! i have driven a 5.0 mustang, a 2004 Corvette, and a supercharged ford lightning. out of all of them i enjoy the 914 the most even with it’s lack of power. It was my first car and i plan on keeping it forever.
Selling my ’76 silver 914 for the curvier, more powerful 944 was exciting but now I wish I had that little car again. I was not a member of the PCA when I sold it thus I never knew about autocross. Although I tear up the track in a near race-ready 944 Turbo now, I would trade it for a meaner, leaner 914, ironic eh?
My brother & I drove my 1975 914 from LA to Montreal in 3 days to see the 1976 Olympics! It was bought new after saving up my money since my 1972 visit to the factory. I traded it for a 914-6 – the best handling car I ever owned!
BTW – the other car we saw at the factory, 500 Carrera RS’ being redied for shipment, I finally bought in 1984 and still own!
I drove my 1.8 litre Porsche 914 from Silver Spring, Maryland to Dayton, Ohio, on a single tank of gas. That’s almost 500 miles. While this may seem incredible on the surface, the trick was that you could get almost 20 gallons of fuel in the car, if you lifted the nozzle of the gas pump almost out of the fuel tank. Unfortunately, if you over-filled the tank on the 914, the fuel could drain in all sorts of undesirable locations, including through the passenger compartment.
I am currently on my 3rd 914. I would like my forth 914 to be all-electric drive. Electro Automotive makes a kit that I’ve heard good things about.
In 10 years I have owned 3 914s (since 2003), usually having 2 at a time. I had never even heard of a 914 until I came across a classified ad online. I checked it out and thought that has to be one of the oddest looking, funkiest cars I had ever seen. It was a junker and I didn’t know how to drive stick. My friend (who does drive stick) came to check it out with me and drive it. She couldn’t drive it (bearings had disintegrated). It was a mechanical mess, rigged in so many bad ways by the PO. So I bought it anyway. I named it ‘Lemon’ because it was Sunflower Yellow and was a “lemon”.
Then I found ‘Scarlet’. A 1975 1.8 in Scarlet Red. She was in good condition but needed a lot of mechanical work. Not very reliable for more than 2 months at a time, but she renewed my love for these cars and gave me the 914 disease. And you never forget the girl that gives you a disease. You keep that forever like luggage. lol Anyway, engine was rebuilt and built up to a 2.2 with larger 96mm pistons, bore and jugs. She’s really peppy. I’ve had her for 10 years but now she’s up for sale because last year I bought the very rare 914 LE Can Am Creamsicle. There’s only about 100 documented cars left of the only 500 ever made, and only about half of those are drivers. It’s the rarest 914 production car ever made. And there’s half as many Creamsicles left than there are Bumblebees.
So now I have ‘Valentine’. Named her that not just because of the Valentine ‘Creamsicle’ colours, but because her production date is 14 February 1974 – Valentine’s Day. She’s (according to registry) the 11th one made. Fully restored and a beautiful, fun car. This Valentine I will keep forever.
Here’s some pics of Scarlet and Valentine:
1975 Porsche 914 2.2 ‘Scarlet’ FOR SALE: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjCTuS26
1974 Porsche 914 LE Can Am / Creamsicle aka ‘Valentine’: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28656351@N02/8980617706/sizes/o/