1971 Porsche 916

The world was introduced to the Porsche 916 at the 1971 Paris Auto Salon. It had a 914 body (before the 914 had even entered production) with several unique modifications including flared fenders, 7-inch wide Fuch five-spoke wheels, and a steel roof instead of the Targa top. They also had body-colored fiberglass bumpers. In the front was an air dam that had a large cut-out for the oil cooler, and two smaller cutouts for the fog lights. In the back, there was a small hole for the exhaust and a flat surface for the license plate.

Modifications continued to the interior, with the door panels constructed from lightweight components. The inside was leather and velour. It had a Becker AM/FM Cassette stereo and a special antenna molded into the windshield.

Most of the cars were powered by a 2.4-liter powerplant sourced from the 911S which offered 190 horsepower and 159 pound-feet of torque. The engine was mated to a re-worked type 915 transmission.

The Porsche 916 weighed 165 pounds less than the 911S and had a top speed of 145 mph.

Although the company planned to produce 20 examples of the 916, just 11 were built and only one was officially exported to the United States by Porsche. Their low production figures were partly due to their intended sticker price of nearly $14,000, which was considerably more than some of the Porsche products.

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