Porsche 914/6

In 1969, Porsche launched the first production mid-engine sports car, the so-called Type 914. This Porsche was thus the forerunner of the brand’s current mid-engine sports cars. As the 914/6 GT model, it was also the world’s first safety car, which was made available to the Supreme National Sports Authority (ONS) in 1972. In the mid-1960s, VW was looking for a successor to the Karmann Ghia—internally known as the Type 34—while Porsche was simultaneously seeking an affordable entry-level model positioned below the 911. Heinrich Nordhoff, then director of VW, and Ferry Porsche sealed the partnership with a handshake. When Nordhoff died unexpectedly in 1968, the collaboration was in danger of falling apart. As a result, the VW-Porsche sales company was founded in collaboration with the new VW CEO Kurt Lotz, and the 914 was launched in 1969 as a four-cylinder model, equipped with a 1.7-liter VW four-cylinder engine and therefore listed as manufactured by Volkswagen in the paperwork. The 914/6, equipped with a 2.0-liter Porsche six-cylinder engine that boosted the VW-Porsche’s output from 80PS to 110PS, was built by Porsche and listed as a Porsche in the paperwork, with chassis numbers beginning with 914. All 914s were labeled and delivered as “VW-Porsche” in Europe, while in the U.S.—the main sales market—they were sold as Porsches. Since the 914/6 was only marginally cheaper than a 911, sales figures were modest. From today’s perspective, a well-preserved 914/6 is a rarity, and with a curb weight of just 940 kg, it is a sporty exception with a favorable power-to-weight ratio and excellent weight distribution.

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