Market Watch

The Last Affordable Air -Cooled Porsche  1970-’76 Porsche 914.

- Rory Jornecka

THE PORSCHE 914 has long been thought of as the redheaded stepchild of the brand’s early 1970s lineup. Developed as a replacement for both Volkswagen’s aging Karmann-Ghia and the entry-level, four-cylinder Porsche 912, base models of the car were marketed in Europe as a VW-Porsche. In the U.S. it was badged as a Porsche only, and it sold relatively well, thanks in part to the car’s sub-2,200-pound curb weight and its motorsports-inspired mid-engine layout.

Early versions of the 914 were powered by a 79-hp, 1.7-liter, flat-four-cylinder, air-cooled Volkswagen engine. Shortly after the beginning of its production run, the 914-6 was also made available. It utilized a carbureted, 2.0-liter flat-six from the previous year’s 911T that was good for about 110 hp. In ’73, the 914-6 was quietly dropped (it was nearly as expensive as a 911T) and a 91hp 2.0-liter four was added as an option for the top-trim model. The next year, an 84-hp, 1.8-liter engine replaced the standard 1.7. Then in 1975, U.S. safety regulations sadly mandated heavy rubber bumpers in place of the car’s svelte chrome pieces. Although it isn’t regarded as Zuffenhausen’s finest work, that didn’t stop the 914 from becoming Porsche’s volume model during its time on the market, with around 118,000 sold worldwide.