One-Owner Survivor: 1976 Porsche 914

As a Corvair owner of almost 20 years, I can say that the number of Ralph Nader comments I’ve had to endure have dropped off significantly as of late. Does that mean that it’s safe to own a Porsche 914 without having to hear endless Volkswagen jokes? Many of us know that Volkswagen and Porsche worked together on the 914, which led to its reputation as something less than a “real” Porsche, but it’s a neat car based on its own merit (hey, it was good enough for Beth on The Rockford Files). Also, few things are as distinctly “seventies” as an Orange Porsche with bold, black “PORSCHE” stripes plastered just above the rockers; immediately, I am transported to old, bleached-out road racing films showing Porsches in action around the world. If you find yourself liking the crisp-handling 914, this 81,000-mile, one-owner survivor is for sale here on eBay in Clermont, Florida, and its high bid is currently $5,200.

As with most collector cars, the most important thing to watch out for on 914s is rust, and this one seems to pass the magnet test, as it has all-original paint and has not been restored. In fact, it’s spent the last 25-odd years in storage and was recently “revived” for sale. The seller says that the only visible flaw is “minor rust inside the driver’s side rocker panel,” which is shown here at an angle that may be too low to judge.

The front trunk is immaculate, and this is as good a time as any to mention the color, Nepal Orange, which replaced Signal Orange for the last two model years of 914 production. I think it’s the perfect color for a 914; in fact, any 1970s Porsche looks best (in my opinion) in a bright, neon color such as orange, yellow, or green.

While most buyers want to see what’s under the “hood,” it’s a fairly tough go in a 914 due to its mid-engine architecture. This car, being from the final year of 914 production, has the 2.0-liter flat-four, which was (close your ears if you don’t want to know) based on a Volkswagen engine. In US trim, the four put out 84 horsepower and ran it through a five-speed manual transaxle, enough to ship the 914 to sixty in about 11 seconds. That’s really not bad at all for 1976, and when combined with the 914’s excellent handling and four-wheel disc brakes, its no wonder that so many 914s saw track time. Can you imagine autocrossing one of these? It would be a blast.

The ad says that this one runs and drives as it should, with no smoke, odd noises, or leaks, but “a light tune-up would take it to the next level.” In the posted video, it seems to run and drive pretty well, but the speaker says that it could use new tires and some brake work. Also, the fuel gauge is showing very empty, so either there’s no gas in the tank or that system also needs some work.

The interior also has that 1970s charm, with its neat plaid upholstery; the seller says that the driver’s seat shows “light wear,” but I’d say it might be a little worse than that. The passenger side, however, looks almost mint, and the upholstery material itself (Black and Gray Tartan) appears to be readily available at reasonable (for a Porsche) prices. The dashboard has a few minor cracks as well.

I’d have no problem cruising around in this 914, and I’m already set up to hear the same old jokes due to my Corvair experiences, so a couple Volkswagen comments wouldn’t bother me a bit. Since 914s have been appreciating over the years, especially when they’re in pretty nice original condition like this one, what do you think the final hammer price will be?