There’s a price that many enthusiasts are willing to pay for originality that transcends logic. In the case of the Porsche 912, this is a model that was at one time the cheapest air-cooled model you could buy, with untold thousands of them cast into scrap piles after a few accidents or one blown motor. Those days are gone, and now a highly 0riginal 912 like this one here on eBay will command very strong money that still looks affordable compared to a 911 of the same vintage. This is a 1967 model that is said to remain highly original and has just three owners from new.
There was a time when I really didn’t care much for Porsches. I felt the hype was overblown and that the cars themselves didn’t live up to the price tags they commanded. But in life, as I’ve found, the cases of something being truly overblow both in terms of experience and valuation tends to occur with fairly obvious scenarios, where something is either way too good to be true or clearly indicative of a scam. The 911 is neither of those things, especially in vintage form. They are truly good cars, full of character, and making the sorts of noises you made with your mouth when you were a kid pretending to drive (well, if you liked European cars like me.) There’s the shape, too, which has never come close to being replicated by any other sports car, modern or vintage.
However, there’s also limits to the fever dream of air-cooled Porsche ownership. A reader of this site and friend helped me navigate some uncomfortable back channels recently as I chased a 1968 912 that had been hidden from public view for decades. That’s all I’m going to say aside from the fact that the attempted rescue was a dead-end once the number of dollars I’d have to present just to look at the car, which was insane, to say the least. For as much as these cars are a treat to drive, it does get to a point not unlike the VW Bus of the same vintage: these are still archaic implements, low on power and creature comforts, and there’s a definite tipping point where those detriments take on real meaning as the price ticks higher. In the case of this very nice 912 with its asking price of $57,600, one has to ask: is there enough driving pleasure here to warrant a $60,000 investment?
That’s a very personal question. This is a lovely 912, with one of the nicer interiors I can recall seeing in an old air-cooled Porsche in recent memory. The seller notes the interior has been restored in places with cognac leather and a handsome wood dash trim kit. The body is said to be highly original and free from major accident damage or rust; the engine and transmission have both been previously rebuilt. The 912 of this vintage came equipped with a 1.6L flat-four churning out 90 horsepower, which was certainly enough for the time but a car that requires some planning on today’s busy on-ramps. If you want originality, there’s sometimes no limit to the price that will be paid, and that’s likely what this seller is counting on.
Nice car. As for price, what I’m seeing these days is cars in as new condition regardless of origin selling for hefty asking prices. The cost of labor and materials is so high that buying an already restored or original car is cheaper in the long run. In the ’60s and ’70s I was restoring cars as fast as I could buy them. A gallon of paint and thinner cost around $35. I just bought a quart of paint to finish our latest race car build for $350 with thinner and hardener costing another $160. The 4 ounce bottle of hardener was $56 alone. Hate to say it but the sport is kicking out us non millionaires.
Well said and true. I am currently looking at cars in the lower price range that only need a few issues addressed to return to road worthy condition and have given up on my dream cars.
I love this car, but I loved them a heck of a lot better when they were several thousand dollars. A limited supply, obviously. Nicely restored, for sure. Just not worth 60 large. Half of that will buy me a brand new car with a warranty that will put one heck of a smile on my face. I wouldn’t mind reliving old memories with a car like this, but not anywhere near that price. Investors have ruined so much. At that price this car is probably going to be gotten by someone with an already large collection. Is hoarding really that much fun? Morally speaking, wouldn’t it be better to let someone else share some of the joy? Just because you have the dough, doesn’t mean you have to throw it around and deny most of us pleasures in life. Time to change some things in this country.
I anticipate that things in the old car hobby (and everything else, for that matter) will continue to trend in a negative direction, as the economic power of the majority is systematically diminished by those who are in the minority numerically but in the majority financially. The deliberate damage to our economy provides the opportunity for some in the minority numerically to accumulate many resources/assets at reduced prices (at the expense of the numeric majority), providing them with the capital to pay what many might consider exorbitant prices for, in this instance, collectible automobiles.
I think I understand the majority of what you’re saying but I might be in the minority because I’m not sure that I agree with it. But maybe, precisely because I’m in the minority, the majority would disagree with me. Something like that, anyway. Nice 912, would like to have it, but I lack the majority of the funds.
@ Euromoto: Simply put, the bulk of wealth in our nation is increasing concentrated in the hands of the wealthy minority – by design. As the economic power of everyone else declines, they continue to scoop up assets. As an example, during the real estate crisis of 2008, many people in a town near where I lived lost their homes to foreclosure. Investors bought hundreds of those houses and converted them to market rate rentals (at S.F. Bay Area prices). In this case, it results in a priced to the current market Porsche that everyone else would like to purchase and enjoy for the price of a Toyota.
Careful when you wish for a reversal of fortune, so to speak. Seldom do you come out on top.
Dream car, but the price on 912’s has simply outrun common sense. It doesn’t take many deep-pocket collectors to come to this point; that, and diminishing supply, have moved them well above what average drivers can even think about. I hope whoever buys it will enjoy it for the rest of us:)
A couple of things.The 912 is far from underpowered.At 200 pounds lighter than a 911 I cruise mine easily at 85, getting up to 35 mpg ( its a 5 speed) and then you get on the twisties and it is nimble and fun.Add to that how lovely these early cars are to look at and how incredibly well they were built and you have one wonderful package.Upkeep..just had a full service on mine for under $300 by Anton’s in Sonoma.I say these cars are worth every penny..or do you really want a truly boring SUV?
Sorry, but I have to disagree about the “far from underpowered”. I bought a ’69, 912 in 1976(at college), 2nd owner: the “power” compared to my little British sports car was much less and the “handling” was “decent”, but not as good as my little LBC. Yes, I could modify the little beast(or “wolf in sheep’s clothing”, as we usually called them) with bigger tire, head job, etc, but that cost was too expensive for a college kid. There were other numerous problems that I was able to repair, but that would take too long writing about. Finally sold it in 1986, and was happy it went to someone who might enjoy it more than I did.
For someone who was fortunate enough to enjoy one of these cars in the early 70’s And recently had the opportunity to drive a similar driver quality 912. My advice is don’t mess with the memories it’s not really worth the price of admission
Yes, that was my point. The cars of our youth really were not that good in comparison to modern ones, but we remember having fun and being young. If the old car market wasn’t so horribly distorted by inequality, then us old timers could own one or two to drive once in a while and chuckle about how great we once thought they were. (of course, there was nothing else at the time and we had nothing else to compare them to) The trip down memory lane has gotten too dear for most of us these days, so just remember them in your head. That is free. Of course to flip the coin, so to speak, these ridiculous prices today have done a few things well. They spurred an industry in repo parts and we do get to see pristine restored examples that perhaps we might have not otherwise seen, of course, not like most of us could ever afford those cars. Will just have to be satisfied looking from the other side of a roped off display as some undeserving person sits next to them with a look of distain and wont speak to you about the car. Okay, lets flip that coin back again. Modern owners of these restored cars, many times are not even car people. Many will refuse to talk to you, and prefer closed shows only open to people like them, if they even show them at all. Many of these cars will be lost for decades at a time, just moving from one trust fund type to another.
Agreed, as part of my shops routine,I drive “veteran” cars weekly, cars have improved tremendously in an operational sense in 50 years. Like thinking about going to a 50 year school reunion, don’t mess with the memories.
Well this is going to be interesting.Next month we have an Air Cooled Affair Breakfast Club Rally around Sonoma County..obviously only air cooled cars allowed (hope to see a couple of 2CVs).I will be driving my 56A Outlaw and my buddy, who only owns water cooled P cars, is borrowing and driving my stock 1968 912. It will be interesting to hear his feedback after 100 miles of spirited driving on country roads in an “old dated” Porsche..
I paid $4,400 for a new 912 in 1966. That’s $43,100 in today’s dollars. Not “cheap” back then!