If, like me, you’re a fan or collector of automotive sales brochures, you know that there’s a certain cachet to the colors shown on cars in their brochures. They’re often high-impact, or very of-the-moment, or sometimes they just show the car’s lines better than others. The original Ravenna Green paint of this 1973 Porsche 914 2.0, same as on the cover of that year’s catalog, is certainly high-impact—a safety color, in fact, chosen for how visible it makes the car to other drivers, so it’s both high-impact and intended to prevent impacts—and very much of its early-’70s time. What it does or doesn’t do for the 914’s clean lines I’ll leave up to you, but even if you’re not a fan of the color, there’s no denying the appeal of its originality to this 54,203-mile car. If that appeal is strong enough for you, no need to go to Bridgewater, New Jersey to see it until PPI time rolls around—check it out first on eBay, where active bidding has crested $12,500 as of this writing and the reserve, if there was one, has been met.
Here’s the cover of the 1973 914 sales brochure, which the seller is kindly including with the car, along with such accessories as the original tool kit, jack, and spare tire, and a bra for the nose. This car’s spec really is nearly identical, with the optional chrome bumpers and the same four-bolt Fuchs alloy wheels, which, if you’re ready to go whole-hog into the hyper-particular Porsche restoration world, are date stamped to the car.
The biggest visual departure from the brochure is that this car sports a warm brown interior instead of the usual 914 coal-bin black. I think the color combo looks great, and although the paint is described as a bit tired, the interior looks really fresh, with just a minor issue with the vinyl on the center console catching my eye. The crack-free dash hosts a Blaupunkt radio that is not period-correct to this car, but rather to the paranoid ’90s, when we removed the faceplates so nobody would break in and steal our cassette decks.
If you got excited up top when I referred to this car as a 2.0, I’ll remind you that the 2-liter 914/6 with its Porsche six was discontinued after 1972. This car boasts a 2-liter version of the Volkswagen 412’s fuel-injected flat four—if it’s any consolation, it’s nearly as powerful as the six and produces just as much torque, but at lower RPMs. It’s been sitting a while, but is said to fire right up, run smoothly, and shift nicely through all the gears. The consequence (or cause?) of that sitting, however, is that the brakes need work, so this isn’t one you’ll be driving home.
This is a really neat little car, nicely presented, but a bit disingenuously. Rust is mentioned on both the body and underside, but specific locations and/or pictures aren’t given. It’s not made to sound irreparable, but if it’s not serious, why hide it? Still, as a 40+ year old Porsche, 914 prices have started the inevitable upswing, and where the bidding currently stands represents healthy, but certainly not outrageous, money for this car considering its needs weighed against its outstanding originality. What would you do to make it brochure-worthy again?
I’m not usually a fan of that style wheel, but stripping the paint and leaving them in bare alloy improves the appearance markedly.
Stop or fix the rust as needed, and drive it. I can’t stand garage queens.
All it needs are some Fuchs and to be in my driveway
Ha. the 2.0 litre Factory wheels as shown not painted (polished alloy) are exactly as original and are Fuchs as well. The brochure car and wheels on the cover are 1.7 Factory alloys.
Great looking car. Is it my imagination or do the wheels of the car that is in the advertisement image look as if they have more curvature than the ones that this car has (which look flatter). Not sure what this means. Anyway, nice car and from I can tell in the photos, well cared for.
JC
Different wheels. The featured car has Fuchs alloys with the paint stripped off. The brochure car is wearing steelies.
The wheels on the brochure car are Pedrinis.
Steve M. – Those are Fuchs, but guessing you’re talking about 5 lugs?
As an NJ 914 owner, I know most of the owners in the state, but I’ve never seen this car. It looks pretty clean, love Saturn Yellow (I think) with the tan interior, yet the money shots aren’t provided. The hell hole, the longitudinals (with the rocker panels off), and some chassis shots on a lift are missing. Without those or PPI, buying this is a crap shoot.
As a former NJ 914 owner from a few of decades ago, the lack of those pix leads me to believe that it needs rust repair in all of those areas – the hinges on the pop up hatch are likely shot, and you can assume that the body pan behind the rocker panels has issues. I bought mine for $3,500 with 80k miles in 1982 and still regret selling it at 105k miles in 1985 for the same $3,500.
Just a glorified vw
Aren’t we all?
Hmm. Doesn’t look like any VW I have ever seen.
Those exact words (glorified VW) were spoken by the newly imported German shop foreman at the VW dealer I worked at when these beauties first hit the USA . Foreign Cars of Rockland , West Nyack N.Y. the dealer principal was Bob Grossman. We sold all species of foreign cars. Some were “Exotic”
I used to see Bob Grossman racing his Ferrari 250GT SWB at the Thompson, CT track back many decades ago.
He was a good driver who had a unique style: he would steer with one hand and hold his other hand stationary with fingers open around the rim of the wheel in case he needed to grab it suddenly. I never saw him do that, so the races he won were probably won with only one hand steering. You could see this if you sat up on the big hill next to the sand trap runoff area.
That was a good spot to view things, like the day that Donna Mae Mims, rest her beautiful soul, raced her new pink TR3 for the first time after moving up from a pink Sprite, and rolled it at the sand trap. She was a great competitor, and often a winner. Just not that day.
All the cars I saw her race were pink, her signature color you could say.
Memories, memories.
My buddy bought a new one in 73, same color as this one. Driving in beaters,vans and hot rods in my youth, this was a real wake-up car for me. A car that you could go through corners fast without to much fear! Changed me forever. I will never forget that car, well, with that color how could I.
If you have never owned/driven a 914/4, don’t knock it. A glorified V Dub it isn’t!
True. I also had a buddy in 1973 take me for a ride in his. He took a left-hand basically 90 degree turn at what seemed like three times the posted speed limit for that curve. It left a lasting impression on me and my shorts.
Have a feeling the prices on these will be going sky high, especially since a 356 just went over a Million at auction recently. Was thinking the bubble deflated but nnot yet! LOL
The wheels on the brochure are cast Pedrini wheels and as mentioned, the advertised car has 4-bolt Fuchs which are forged like the 5-bolt on the 914-6 and 911.
“I would hope it is sold to someone who can….bring me lots of green”. Flipper is either Dumb or Dumber.
I have a 1973 Porsche 914 brochure since December 31, 2013 or the first of January in 2014 on eBay. and it still in excellent condition no matter what. I admired that yellow car myself, and the Tan interior with inertia type seat belts. and two bumper things on the front bumper.