One-year-only models tend to get brand aficionados salivating, even if the model in question isn’t all that incredible. Nowadays, it seems anything air-cooled is looked at through rose-colored glasses in that there are no longer any “bad” models – everything is a collectible. I seem to remember a scene from the movie Old School where Craig Kilborn drives a 911 SC over a bridge as it blows up in a fireball when it hits the water; it was a mere movie prop at that point, and now the SC is one of the hotter 911s you can find. This 1976 Porsche 912E is indeed a one-year-only model, but it’s also far from the most powerful one model ever offered and was the low-cost option when the 914 disappeared. Find it here on eBay where bidding is at $35,000 with no reserve.
This is just nuts to me. A few years ago, dyed-in-the-wool enthusiasts would have laughed at the thought of any “E” model getting this kind of money. The 912E was the model you bought if you either wanted to save a few bucks or get a few more MPGs per tank, as the seller points out this model was good for 600 miles after a fill-up. Now, I’m not judging the seller at all – good for him, actually, especially if he bought this 912E cheaply a few years earlier – but more to the guy bidding this up to $40K, what are you thinking? I’ll get off my soapbox, but if it were my money and I needed a Porsche, I’d be buying the best 968 I can find as those are poised to increase nicely over the next few years. A 912E? I suspect its star is near the dimming point.
The seller’s car does present exceptionally well, with clean lines, sharp black paint, and an absolutely mint interior. I could do without the whale-tail which seems like overkill on a model like this, but that’s an easy fix. The seller claims this is a highly original specimen, from the paint to the interior, it’s all still factory correct. That alone is an achievement, and I suppose could drive bidding higher as any air-cooled 911 or 912 in original condition is a hard car to find these days. Here’s a thought: could you buy this economical 912E, put the original engine on the shelf, and drop in a hotter setup, changing it back to stock when it comes time to sell?
It’s a thought, and I wonder if there’s a bidder out there looking at this car as a cheaper entry-point to a classic 911 in the same sort of condition. That’s the absolute truth of the matter, as a 911 in original condition with a spotless interior and beautiful paint would be pulling $65,000 or better at this point. The seller claims to have ample documentation as well, including a long service history paper trail, so this 912E certainly seems to check all the boxes in terms of what you want to find when buying a classic sports car that will set you back a few bucks to own. What do you think – is a near-perfect 912E a smarter buy than a ratty 911?
In good condition these are nice cars and great drivers. We bought one new from the factory, brought it back to the states, and used it for road rallies, track days, and weekend cruises with Porsche Club of America. Put a bit more power into it by desmogging, exhaust and suspension updates, and fuel injection modifications. As gas prices went up over the years the 500 to 600 mile range didn’t hurt either. Do agree the whale tail is a bit much but the front chin spoiler and duck tail rear do wonders for high speed stability. Note the duck tail on this ’74 Carrera. Nice car here.
Seeing this 912E bringing that kind of money is just silly. And get rid of that turbo tail! For me the Porsche 911 is simply out of my reach. I guess I’m fortunate to have owned 3 in the past. Starting with a 76S then moving on to a 84 Carrera, and then finally a 97 993 Targa. These are wonderful cars to own and drive if you can afford to do so. They were so well built and truly analog cars without of the safety Nannie’s. The tactile experience you get in a classic 911 has been lost in new cars. The 912E will give you a lot of that without that classic flat 6 engine sound and power delivery. Me personally I have no desire for the 912E because to desire the classic why not have the whole package. Not knocking the 912E and to those who have never owned a 911 a 912E will still be a wonderful experience. Just don’t expect even modern economy car performance from the wheezy 2.0 liter engine. Sure you can remove the power plant and install something hotter but there is no cheap solution so if you are going to do that just by a 911.
Just for poops and giggles I looked up the 0-60 time for the 912E. It’s listed at 13 seconds. For reference the cheapest car Chevrolet sells is the Spark. Car and Driver lists the 0-60 time of 10.8 seconds.
Anecdote:
I have a 1976 912E. It doesn’t feel slow. But recently I was beaten off the stoplight by a box truck, so it is not fast. They will easily do 90 on the highway. I drove my car from Connecticut to Texas over a long weekend and was getting closer to 700 miles on a tank!
It is difficult to compare ‘malaise’ era cars to today’s vehicles. From zero to sixty the 1976 Vega had a better time than the 912E but neither was as quick as today’s Spark. So what? Damn near every vehicle written up on BF can’t compare to similar vehicles produced today in performance, fuel economy, handling, safety etc. There’s been a plethora of SS396s written up recently. The base 2022 Malibu has a zero to sixty time of 7.8 seconds with a 163-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder and a CVT. That’s a 1.5 seconds slower than a stock 1969 SS396. With a light foot the Chevelle could get almost 14 mpg combined on a good day versus 32 mpg for the new Malibu. In a drag race the Chevelle will smack the new Malibu. When it comes to the ‘twisties’ a stock Malibu will leave the 396 behind time after time. Depending upon comparison parameters every new car will be worse or better than something produced in the last 20 years or more. Why bother?
I believe the 912E was the only 912 which offered AC as a factory option. It was a gap filler, maybe not a great car today but not too bad 40+ years ago.
A.G. We ordered our car from the factory with the AC and the larger AM-FM radio plus the 6″ Fuchs wheels. Could pretty much order whatever you wanted in those days. Numbers stated on drag times are correct but on the Hallett race track in Oklahoma the 912E ran the same lap times as the 911s due to better handling. That Type 4 engine is a lot lighter than than the 6 cylinders.
That spoiler needs to go. Probably slowing the 4 banger down.
It has the look. It has the ride and handling (and lighter in the tail isn’t a bad thing) it basically a 140mph chassis with a 110mph engine. That might keep people out of trouble. A buddy had one and we upgraded the engine several times.2.5 liter, cam etc. It was a really nice car without all “performance”. Long interstate trips or up through the mountains.Smooth, quiet torquey. I was always JUST on the wrong side of the market curve to own one. Now it seems I’m on the wrong planet.
For bedding girls you meet at the Dairy Queen, not the country club. The DQ girls do not understand this is a “cheap” Porsche, and they think you are Mr Moneybags. That encourages a lot of non committal affection, at least on your part. Always a big lure of these cars, anyone that says differently is lying.
“Gary”, We are all well aware of your opinion of Porsche owners, and this is not that type of audience.
We are all car lovers here and realize the performance potential and driving enjoyment that one gets from owning a vehicle with the engine hanging over the rear end.
You can go ahead and jump into your Dart Slant 6, if that is what floats your boat.
Your right, a six in a Dudge is all he will ever be able to afford, that is why he complains. Sounds like a college boy who never made it big, so now he blames the system.
Whale tail, looks out of place!
Pretty car, but far from original. The 1976 912E did not have center vents on the dash or the center console with the a/c controls. If a car had A/C it was added under dash. This car also has the larger mirrors added and the later wheels. The more I look it almost seems this car has been built to mimic the 77 and newer SC chassis. I think the majority of the interior is from an SC, the wheels, the mirrors, and not sure but maybe the rear quarters are wider like the later cars. No matter looks like a nice car. Wish they showed a picture of the engine and underbody.
Well as Leno says, “it’s more fun to drive a slow car fast, than a fast car slow.”
In a previous lifetime, I had a 68 912, and I really enjoyed it.