Mid-life: ’70 Porsche 914/6 GT
By the late 1960s, the 912 was overdue for replacement. It was based on the 911 so it became pretty costly to build and competition from the Datsun 240Z made the 912 look like a wimp. Porsche had strong ties to VW so they collaborated on a new mid-engine car called the 914. It was badged as a VW-Porsche in Europe. It was known as a Porsche in the US but never carried the Porsche crest on the hood. Like what Ferrari did with the first Dino. It was not as sleek in styling as a 911 but it avoided most of the drawbacks of the mid-engined layout. The base VW-derived engines gave adequate performance and the handling is sharp with terrific brakes and phenomenal steering. The 1970s was all about bright colors adding more fun to the entire package. The 914/6 got caught up in a squabble between the VW and Porsche management. The handshake agreement between the two companies died along with VW chief Heinz Nordhoff. The result was a more expensive chassis than originally anticipated. When the 6 finally came to market, it was marginally less money than a 911. They built only 3,300 units before pulling the plug. That means the 914/6 is pretty rare and collectible. And today’s find is one nicely modified example. We usually gravitate towards original cars but when it comes to a car like a 914/6, modifications can add oodles of fun to the package. This owner’s dream car cost significantly more than the ask and if the quality of the work is good, this could be some deal. The car is set-up like the class winning LeMans cars and it sounds like no expense was spared. The engine is now a 3.2 liter unit producing a solid 245 hp. Consult the listing for details on the build. Hagerty has stock 914/6 GTs at a high of almost $60 grand. So this one at a $64,000 asking price could be a good deal. Read the entire list of equipment and see more pictures by clicking here.