Petrolicious, with the help of owner Jack Griffin, takes a close look at a forgotten classic, the Porsche 914/6.
Recognise this?
Amongst the company’s fabled history, the 914 has (comparatively) fallen by the wayside since its debut in 1969: as a replacement for the 912 and predecessor of the 924, bookends don’t come much tighter. Porsche’s entry model during the early 1970s, the 914 marked a collaboration between Porsche and Volkswagen, an arrangement that combined the ‘back-to-basics’ principles used to great success with the 356 Speedster some 15 years earlier with the affordable prices of a Volkswagen-based sports car. From a marketing standpoint, Porsche/Volkswagen was sitting on a potential goldmine. Or so it/they thought.
With both Porsche and Volkswagen figureheads working closely, development was a synch. The mid-engined two seater, Porsche designed with Volkswagen components, provided a replacement to VW’s slow-selling Type 3 Karmann-Ghia (though Type 34 created some headline) and gave Porsche a new entry level sports car at reduced production costs. However, the death of then-Volkswagen chairman Heinz Nordoff and some swift ‘negotiating’ from new boss Kurt Lotz left Porsche’s plan in tatters, production costs – and ultimately showroom prices rising considerably, leaving many potential customers to wonder why an entry level Porsche cost only slightly less than a turbocharged 911. Whilst sales for Porsche’s 916/4 struggled as a result, VW’s Porsche-designed 914/4 proved a hit.
A little over four decades later though, and with a little help from Petrolicious, the Porsche 914/6 is finally given its time in the spotlight.
Source – PetroliciousCo
