Porsche 914

Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of the Bavarian car brand, was also the spiritual father of the first Volkswagen, so it is not surprising that the factories in Zuffenhausen and Wolfsburg occasionally conducted joint projects when the market economy demanded it. A perfect example of this collaboration is the 914, when Porsche wanted to design a sports car for a wider audience than the 911 had at the time.

The history of the 914 has its origin in the longstanding friendship between Heinrich Nordhoff and Ferry Porsche. The former took over the management of Volkswagen in the aftermath of the war, the company 20 years later had grown into a prosperous and powerful business. Ferry Porsche had been responsible for the car brand that carried his name since 1951, while his sister, Louise Piëch, became responsible for VW and Porsche distribution in Austria. The 914 project was initiated in 1966 when Volkswagen needed a high-end sports car to replace the ageing Karmann Ghia Type 34. At the time, Porsche had an entry-level model, the 912, which shared the same 1,500 engine with the Karmann Ghia coupé, and the aim was to replace both cars with a joint production model in the medium term.

Volkswagen or Porsche?   

The 914 was the only car produced under the dual name of Volkswagen and Porsche. For the release of this car, the two industrial companies established a 50/50 joint venture named VW Porsche Vertriebsgesellschaft GmbH (also called VG). It was decided that the car would be distributed in the US market by the Porsche-Audi network using the Porsche brand and in Europe by the Volkswagen network using the Volkswagen-Porsche brand (type 47). An exception was the marketing of the 914 in France, which was to be handled by Sonauto, the exclusive Porsche importer in France. Although the objectives of Porsche and Volkswagen differ significantly in certain respects, those in charge of the design departments of both manufacturers agreed to retain the rear engine architecture. However, there is one important difference: the engine is no longer mounted in the cantilever, but in a central location in front of the rear axle, a technique proven by Porsche in racing. The VW-Porsche 914 was introduced on 11 September 1969 at the Frankfurt Motor Show and production started shortly afterwards at German coachbuilder Karmann in Osnabrück.

Open bodywork 

The design of the 914 was mainly based on a study by the Dutch designer Hans Gugelot, who had previously worked on a similar project for a convertible with a composite body and retractable headlights. A few years later, the Porsche design office in Weissach organised an in-house competition to shape the new model. Five designs were submitted and the one by Heinrich Klie was selected. This talented designer had already designed the famous Fuchs wheels and the characteristic 911 dashboard for Porsche. The final model, produced under the supervision of "Butzi" Porsche, broke all the style rules in force at the time, in particular the front wings without headlights. The latter, of the "pop-up" type, were placed on either side of the flat bonnet, while the indicators and night lights were moved to the front. One of Porsche's main markets at the time was the west coast of the United States, with the result that the new 914 was definitely to be a convertible. Since US legislation had decided to ban convertibles without roll bars, the 914 was given a "Targa" roof with integrated roll bar, just like the 911 convertibles.

4 and 6 cylinder engines 

The first edition of the 914 was offered with two different types of engines. The entry-level 914/4 featured a Volkswagen-derived 1,679-ccm3 four-cylinder engine (type W80) with Bosch indirect injection, developing 80 hp DIN at 4,900 rpm and maximum torque of 13.6 mkg at 2,700 rpm. The most powerful version was the 914/6, with a flat six-cylinder engine of 1,991 cm3 and 110 hp, with maximum torque of 16 mkg at 4,200 rpm. The latter version was soon upgraded by a 150 hp kit offered by the importer Sonauto for the French market. From 1972, the engine capacity of the 914/4 was increased to 1,795 cc, with 85 hp at 5,000 rpm (max torque: 13.8 mkg at 3,400 rpm), the following year to 1,971 cc, with 100 hp at 4,900 rpm (max torque: 16 mkg at 3,500 rpm). Total production of the 914 from 1969 to 1975 was 118,979 units, including 3,333 units of the 914/6 version. To these figures should be added the two 914/8 prototypes and 11 preproduction 916 models. In the US, the 914 was on the market until 1976, where almost 75% of this model was sold.