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1974 Porsche 914

The Porsche 914 made its debut in 1969 at the Frankfurt Auto Show and by the time production came to an end in 1976, over 118,000 examples were built. Sitting low to the ground, mid-engine layout, and a smooth appearance, the 914 offered a roomy interior for its occupants with seating for two tall adults. Storage compartments could be found under the front hood and rear deck lid.

The 914 was designed, manufactured, and marketed by Volkswagen and Porsche. They were Targa-topped two-seat roadsters powered by either a flat-4 or flat-6 engine. The design was courtesy of Gugelot Design GmbH and the tubs were built by Karmann. Original plans had the vehicles fitted with the flat four-cylinder engine sold as Volkswagen and the flat six-cylinder engine as a Porsche. It was ultimately decided that Volkswagen and Porsche models sharing the same body may pose a risk for business in the American market. Porsche was able to convince Volkswagen to allow them to sell both versions as Porsches in North America.

The first 914 prototype made its debut on March 1st of 1968. The future of the project was put into jeopardy when Volkswagen's chairman, Heinz Nordhoff, passed away on April 12th of 1968. Kurt Lotz became his successor and was unaware of the verbal agreement between Volkswagen and Porsche. Lotz believed that Volkswagen had all the rights to the model, and if Porsche was unwilling to share in tooling expenses, had no incentive to share it with Porsche. A deal was ultimately agreed upon where the cars would be marketed in Europe as the VW-Porsche 914. For the United States, Porsche would relinquish the rights to market the cars on their own; instead, the new sports cars would be marketed through Volkswagen's Porsche+Audi division and be called the Porsche 914. Karmann assembled the four-cylinder 914-4s, and sent 914 bodies to Zuffenhausen for Porsche to be installed with six-cylinder engines. Lotz charged Porsche a hefty sum for the 914-6 bodies, which were passed along to consumers, nearly putting them on par with the cost of the 911, and helping to escalate their demise.

The Porsche 914 became available in the United States in January of 1970, and in Europe as the VW-Porsche 914. The 914/6 arrived in the United States later in the year wearing wider tires on light-alloy wheels, with vented-type front brakes. The 914/6 was short-lived, and by 1972 had been removed from the lineup. Two four-cylinder 914s were offered for 1973, including the Volkswagen engined 1679cc unit and a new fuel-injected 2.0-liter edition with 91 (SAE net) power. With the additional 2-liter power, the 914 was capable of speeds exceeding 190 km/h, with 100 km/h taking less than ten seconds. An even larger 1795cc unit was installed for 1974, with the same optional unit from the prior year.

1974 Porsche 914 photo
Targa
In celebration of Porsche's domination of the CanAm series, they produced two Limited Edition models primarily for the North American market. They were called the 'Creamsicle' and 'Bumblebee' and only 1,000 were produced during the single year offering and available in only two color combinations - 500 in cream/Phoenix Red (Creamsicle) and 500 in black/Sunflower Yellow (Bumblebee). Optional items on these Limited Edition models include a leather-covered steering wheel, a center console with clock, voltmeter, dual horns, driving lights, and oil temperature gauge.

Production of the 914 ceased in 1975.


by Daniel Vaughan | May 2019

Related Reading : Porsche 914 History

The Porsche 914 was introduced in September of 1969 as a collaborative effort between Porsche and Volkswagen to produce a sporty car. The car they came up with was a mid-engined vehicle with seating for two and featured a Targa top. A 4-cylinder boxer engine provided the power. Volkswagen needed a vehicle to replace the aging Karmann-Ghia while Porsche was looking for another option to add to their....
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Related Reading : Porsche 914 History

Just happening to be the cheapest modern Porsche one could buy, the Porsche 914 debuted with a low price point to attract buyers. When first introduced at the Frankfurt Automobile Show in September of 1969, the Porsche 914 was a return to Porsches roots. The 914 was a much more affordable Volkswagen-based sports vehicle that was conceived to bring the pride and pleasure of owning a Porsche....
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1974 Porsche 914 Vehicle Profiles

1974 Porsche 914 vehicle information
Targa

Chassis #: 4742920491
Engine #: 014593
1974 Porsche 914 vehicle information
Targa

Chassis #: 4742900065
1974 Porsche 914 vehicle information
Targa

Chassis #: 4742919674
Engine #: GA014299
1974 Porsche 914 vehicle information
Targa

Chassis #: 4742907096
1974 Porsche 914 vehicle information
Targa

Chassis #: 4742906575
Engine #: GA 011752
1974 Porsche 914 vehicle information
Targa

Chassis #: 4742904357
Engine #: GA009642

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

Price Comparison

1974 914
$6,055-$33,950
1974 Porsche 914 Price Range: $5,450 - $6,055

Compare: Lower | Higher | Similar

Other 1974 Porsche Models
$10,000 - $14,400

914

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
16,231
96.50 in.
4 cyl., 102.46 CID., 85.00hp
$3,600 - $3,600
96.50 in.
4 cyl., 102.46 CID., 85.00hp
$3,600 - $3,600
28,403
96.50 in.
4 cyl., 102.50 CID., 76.00hp
4 cyl., 120.30 CID., 91.00hp
$4,500 - $5,000
17,012
96.50 in.
4 cyl., 109.54 CID., 72.00hp
4 cyl., 120.28 CID., 91.00hp
$5,450 - $6,055
11,200
96.50 in.
4 cyl., 109.54 CID., 72.00hp
4 cyl., 120.28 CID., 91.00hp
$5,400 - $6,050
7,924
96.50 in.
4 cyl., 120.28 CID., 86.00hp
$7,260 - $7,260

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