Vehicle Description
In the late 1960s Porsche was in need of a fresh new entry-level
sports car to attract young buyers to their showrooms and bolster
sales. While the 912 was no doubt a wonderful car to drive,
customers treated it as though it had a stigma of being little more
than an underpowered, four cylinder 911 - which of course we know
better today. Concurrently, VW's handcrafted flagship Karmann-Ghia
was proving very costly to build, and was limited in performance
thanks to its humble underpinnings and heavy coachwork. Porsche
boss Ferdinand Piech had the idea of a joint venture between the
two companies; one sports car, jointly developed by the two firms
and offered with the choice of flat-four or flat-six engines. The
four cylinder cars would be badged and sold as VW's new top-line
Karmann-Ghia replacement, and six-cylinder cars would be sold as
entry level Porsches. Given as Porsche lacked the resources to
develop the car from scratch, an informal agreement was made
between Piech and VW's chairman Heinz Nordhoff where VW agreed to
finance the tooling and manufacturing, and Porsche would handle
development and marketing. However, well into the development of
the new car, Herr Nordhoff died suddenly, and a new chairman was
ushered in who had no such loyalty to an old handshake agreement.
He saw the project as too costly, instead directing resources to
upcoming VW cars, leaving Porsche holding the whole lot. The
disagreement came at a great cost to Porsche, which in turn drove
the price up dramatically on the 914; when their supposed
entry-level car hit the market, it would cost very nearly as much
as a base 911T. Despite the difficult gestation, the 914 did prove
to be an absolutely brilliant car: Light, fuel efficient and
practical, with two generous trunks and a removable roof panel. The
mid-engine design allowed for perfectly balanced handling and
exquisitely delicate steering feel. The 914-6 was a particularly
outstanding sports car thanks to its gutsy 2.0 liter flat-six
engine, derived from the 911T. Six-cylinder 914s enjoyed tremendous
success in rallying and GT racing, coming dangerously close to
outperforming the flagship 911, until Porsche put the brakes on its
racing program, so to speak. In spite of high prices when new, the
914 sold very well between 1969 and 1976. The magnificent 914-6 was
only produced from 1970-1972, and is seen today as a cult classic
and serious collector's Porsche. Today's enthusiasts have finally
recognized the 914-6s brilliance, causing values rise dramatically
in recent years. Our featured 1970 914-6 is a fantastic example of
Porsche's giant-killing sports car. This genuine, factory-built
914-6 (S/N 9140432560) is finished in Silver Metallic over black,
and is a very well-detailed, well-sorted car that comes to us from
a collection of similarly outstanding automobiles. Wearing a high
quality restoration, the body is superbly straight with crisp
detailing and outstanding panel fit; the doors closing with that
particularly satisfying Teutonic solidity. The Porsche Silver
Metallic paint (L96D) is excellent, consistent and beautifully
maintained. Bumpers and body trim are in similarly fine order, the
signature chrome bumpers straight and showing excellent quality
plating. Likewise, the black plastic trim is outstanding, including
that on the Targa bar and roof panel. Rolling stock consists of
iconic Fuchs alloys with polished spokes and lips wrapped in
Continental tires. Inside the 914-6, it is all business in the
spirit of the best German sports cars of the day. There's little in
the way of flash, but the simple, functional nature certainly has
its own appealing minimalistic style. The 914-6's signature seats
are thin but surprisingly supportive, our example being trimmed in
basketweave vinyl as original. The same hard-wearing materials
cover the door cards and kick panels as well, all presenting in
very good condition. Correct style lightweight Perlon carpets are
in very good condition, protected by a nice set of cocomat floor
mats. The dash is very good, save for one small crack while
original VDO instruments and a period correct radio maintain the
original factory-correct appearance of the interior. Mechanically,
this example has been very well maintained, with recent receipts
totaling nearly $10,000. Aside from numerous maintenance items, the
car has been updated with bronze shifter bushings, and the
vulnerable pedal box has been completely rebuilt and rebushed. The
engine, a 911T spec unit, features a set of absolutely gorgeous
stainless steel B&B Exhaust headers/heat exchangers breathing
into a Bursch tuned muffler which helps to retain an outwardly
stock appearance. For additional breathing, the flat-six it is
topped with a set of Weber 40 IDTP 13C1s which were completely
restored and set up by Mike Ross. The car has been extensively
fettled to ensure a wonderful driving experience and, like the
exterior, the engine presentation is outstanding, with all
shielding and sheet metal in place and kept fanatically clean and
tidy. Thanks to the efforts of the previous owner, this 914-6 is
the ideal candidate for casual show and particularly for doing what
it was designed for - carving corners and providing seemingly
endless joy on the road. We are very pleased to offer this
outstanding Porsche, a genuine 914-6 that has been lovingly
maintained; ready for its next keeping to continue enjoying what is
arguably one of the best driver's cars of all time.
