Completed on 7 January 1976—the final month of production for Porsche’s pioneering midengined sports car—this appealing 914 left the factory finished in Light Ivory with Yellow leatherette interior. A US-specification car, it was optioned with front and rear stabilizer bars, tinted side glass, center armrest console, and seat cushions.
On 20 April 1976, the 914 was purchased by Karen Massena of Gillette, Wyoming via Rushmore Volkswagen of Rapid City, South Dakota, for $7,715. A Motorola Sapphire XXII radio was installed by the dealership free of charge, with the customer guarantee tag included. At the time, Mrs. Massena was told that this car was the last example available in the region, which is quite possible given its production date.
Keeping with the musical times, Mrs. Massena—who would own the 914 for an impressive four decades in total—added a Realistic cassette player in 1977. Though Mrs. Massena lived in Wyoming, she would regularly travel to Rushmore Volkswagen to have her 914 serviced. Photographs on file show the car donning a protective bra across the nose during its early years. Mrs. Massena would eventually move to Washington State, where she continued to enjoy her Porsche.
In 2016, the 914 was acquired by a vendor in Florida who had an appreciation for early, original Porsches. The well-preserved car was put through a no-expense-spared restoration by marque experts. The engine and transaxle were completely restored utilizing OEM parts with work completed by Naples Classic Car.
Today the car remains very much in the way it left the factory, finished in the correct Light Ivory with a removable black targa top. It is further equipped with fog lights and dual side-view mirrors as well as upgraded, period-correct four-bolt Mahle-style wheels. The 2.0-liter engine—numbers-matching per the accompanying Porsche Production Specifications document—provides ample power for the low-slung sports car, and the five-speed manual transaxle adds to the exhilarating driving experience. The car is in stunning condition throughout, including the undercarriage, a testament to a high-quality restoration of an original car.
The Porsche is accompanied by an extensive documentation file going back to 1976 with service records, invoices, and registrations. Additionally, the 914 features its original factory window sticker along with the dealer accessory card, original invoice, owner’s manual and maintenance record book, North American Distributors and Dealers booklet, passing, braking and tire pamphlet, and metric conversion table. A jack and spare wheel are also included.
The 914 is increasingly recognized as an important part of Porsche’s performance history, and a collector seeking a beautifully restored, well-documented example of the model could scarcely do better than this remarkable 1976 914 2.0.
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