It all sounds so sweet and modest, which the VW-Porsche 914 in specifications displays: a purebred sports car with a total of 80 hp at the rear wheels. Still, half a century ago, you were completely nuts about it.
Browsing through a car guide from 1970 you will come across a multitude of fun sporty models, which already indicates that the VW-Porsche was released into a crowded part of the market after its debut in 1969. Examples abound, such as the Opel GT 1900, Fiat 124 Spider, Lancia Fulvia Coupé, Matra M530 and MG B, all of which cost about 15,000 guilders. For such cars, a four-cylinder with roughly 90 hp was the norm, so that the 914 with its 1.7-liter injection engine from the VW 411 fit neatly into the picture. Everything else was different from almost all of the competitors mentioned. Only the Matra had a similar setup. The 914, which Volkswagen and Porsche had jointly devised as the successor to the Karmann-Ghia and the 912 respectively, had a different layout for both brands, because the engine was not traditionally placed behind the rear axle, but just like with Porsche’s racing cars. for the rear axle. That gave new possibilities for the luggage space, of which the 914 got two. In the rear you could also store the removable roof; the good example of the 911 Targa did well here.
Porsche 914
In short, the 914 was a coupé and convertible at the same time, with a rather controversial appearance, which, moreover, in no way matched other models from both Volkswagen and Porsche. A matter of quickly boarding and driving away, after which it turned out that the 914 was a wonderful steering machine, with initially some asthmatic complaints: the Volkswagen engine could never fully meet the sporty character that the 914 promised. Another pain point was the rather difficult accessibility of the cramped built-in motor, which made maintenance more expensive than the simple technology actually allowed. But still: with 115,000 copies built, it was a resounding success, which still leaves you wanting more. Sure, there’s a Boxster, but at 96 grand, it’s anything but an entry-level sports car. No, a new, two-seater VW-Porsche with a Targa roof … it must probably fit on one of the (electric) platforms of the group.
In the used car and classic car range on this site we find two 914s.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl