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All about the Porsche 914

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Porsche 914
The Porsche 914 was a mid-engined sports car built and sold collaboratively by Volkswagen and Porsche from 1969 until 1976.

Its history is quite interesting: by the late 1960s both Volkswagen and Porsche were in need of new models. Porsche was looking for a replacement for their entry-level Porsche 912, and Volkswagen wanted a new range-topping sports coupe to replace the Karmann Ghia. Due to an agreement from the time of Porsche’s founding, most of Volkswagen’s development work was handled by Porsche. Volkswagen needed to contract out one last project to Porsche to fulfill the contract, and decided to make this that project. Ferdinand Piëch, who was in charge of research and development at Porsche, was put in charge of the Porsche 914 project.

Originally, Porsche intended to sell the vehicle with a flat four-cylinder engine as a Volkswagen and with a flat six-cylinder engine as a Porsche. However, during the development, Porsche decided that having Volkswagen and Porsche sharing the same body would be risky for business in the American market. Porsche convinced Volkswagen to allow it to sell both versions as Porsches in North America. On March 1st, 1968 the first Porsche 914 prototype was presented.

However, on April 12th 1968, Heinz Nordhoff, Volkswagen’s chairman died. His successor, Kurt Lotz, was not connected with the Porsche family and the verbal agreement between Volkswagen and Porsche to sell both versions of the vehicle as Porsches in North America fell apart. In Lutz’s opinion, Volkswagen had all rights to the model, and no incentive to share it with Porsche. As a result, the marketing and pricing for the Porsche 914 was flown in jeopardy even before the car was released for sale.

The Porsche 914/6 ended up costing only a bit less than the Porsche 911T - Porsche’s next lowest price car. Sales were poor. Conversely, the much less expensive 914-4 became Porsche’s top seller and even outsold the Porsche 911. More than 118,000 units of the Porsche 914-4 sold worldwide.

Volkswagen versions originally came with an 80 hp (60 kW) fuel-injected 1.7 L flat-4 engine based on the Volkswagen air cooled engine. Porsche’s 914/6 variant came with a carbureted 110 hp (82 kW) 2.0 L flat-6 engine, taken from the 1969 Porsche 911T. Porsche 914/6 models used a similar suspension and brakes to the 911, giving the car handling and braking superiority over the 4-cylinder Volkswagen models in addition to higher power output.

Volkswagen of America, a Volkswagen-Porsche joint venture, handled export to the U.S., where both versions were badged and sold as Porsches. In Europe, the four-cylinder cars were sold as Volkswagen-Porsches, at Volkswagen dealerships. Slow sales and rising costs encouraged Porsche to discontinue the Porsche 914/6 variant in 1972 after producing 3,351 of them. It replaced the Porsche 914/6 with a new 95 hp (71 kW) 2.0 L, fuel-injected version of Volkswagen's Type 4 engine in 1973. For 1974, the 1.7 L engine was replaced by a 76 hp (57 kW) 1.8 L, and the new Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection system was added to American units to help with emissions control.

Porsche 914 production ended in 1976. The 2.0 L flat-4 engine continued to be used in the Porsche 912E, which provided an entry-level model until the Porsche 924 was introduced.

There are different ways to tell which year a particular Porsche 914 model was made. The most distinguishable trait is the bumpers. Between 1970 and 1972, both front and rear bumpers were flat across and available in either chrome or painted metal. In 1973, bumper stops were added to the front of the car. And in 1974, bumper stops were also added to the rear of the car. In 1975 and 1976, the big black bumper years, the bumpers were rubber covered and heavy.

Another way to distinguish Porsche 914 is by the plastic piece that goes around the headlight. White ones are from the first Porsche 914 to mid-production of 1973. After that, it was a black plastic. Another feature to distinguish the Porsche 914 by year is if it has a movable passenger seat, it is 72 and later, while the 71 and earlier had a fixed passenger seat.

The Porsche 914/6, with 911-style brakes and suspension as well as the larger (Volkswagen-sourced) engine did not sell well - despite a GTS class win and sixth place overall at the 1970 Le Mans 24 Hours - but the cheaper four-cylinder 914/4 did better.

While the Porsche 914 has been out of production for over 30 years, many repair parts are still available. Due to its nimble handling and the low cost of a basic Porsche 914, the "poor man's" Porsche of the 1970s has become the poor man's weekend racing car on amateur racing circuits.

Other Classic Porsche Models:

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All about the Porsche 914