For Porsche, the 912 was a sales success. It initially outsold the 911, and between its introduction in 1965 and the (first) end of production in 1969, Porsche was able to sell in excess of 32,000 of these little cars. This one is a solid Californian car, that has one very unusual factory option. Located in Huntington Beach, California, it is listed for sale here on eBay. With bidding currently sitting at $30,000, the reserve has not been met at this stage.
The owner refers to the 912 as being a very nice, driver quality car. That is probably under-selling the Porsche just a bit because the condition is quite good. The Polo Red paint has a great shine to it, while the photos of the underside of the vehicle reinforce the claims that it is free of rust. The Fuchs wheels fitted to the 912 aren’t original, but the owner does have the original wheels and hubcaps that will go with the car. All of the chrome and trim is present, and in good condition, so this is a car that seems to be ready to drive and enjoy.
Being a traditional Porsche, the 912 is rear-engined. In this case, the engine is a 1,582cc 4-cylinder engine, which produces 106hp. The transmission in this car is a 5-speed manual, which the owner says shifts smoothly. The combination of engine and transmission allowed the 912 to achieve fuel consumption close to 30mpg, while the car was also capable of pushing up to a top speed of around 115mph. The engine and transmission are of 1969 vintage, and the engine has also recently received some top-end work. The owner provides a link to this YouTube video. It features the engine running, and it does sound clean and crisp.
It’s when we delve inside the 912 that we find the unusual factory option. The driver’s seat is not some form of later addition but is a factory fitted Recaro bucket seat. I’ve been on the search for other cars with this option, and vehicles fitted with one as a driver’s seat only are few and far between.
The owner holds a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, and this does confirm that the seat is an original fitment. The rest of the interior is in good condition, and there really isn’t any work required, as the presentation is quite good.
On the surface, this Porsche 912 looks like a better than average driver-quality car. That optional driver’s seat does make it a slightly unusual vehicle. These were a popular car when new, and while they have managed to be overshadowed by the 911, they remain a popular car today. You will be hard-pressed to find a decent example for sale for under $40,000, although prices above $50,000 are quite common. It will be interesting to see what this one finally sells for and whether that Recaro seat has any impact on that price.
This is a nice looking car. I would want to see the Kardex to confirm that the Recaro sport seat as being original. The COA is not a 100% reliable source. The COA on my ‘67 stated that it was a 911RS and that was incorrect. The Kardex is the only reliable source for factory options.
I like the stock passenger seat better!!
Be nice to see the Kardex and…………..so this is not the original drive train to this car?
Early 912’s are a nice balanced drive lacking the tendency of at least my 911’s to swing the front end out on acceleration, and the drivers seat is cool if original to the car but what am I missing?
Having had 2 911 P-cars and regretting daily I sold the last, I’m having trouble seeing this non-original 912 as worth thirty grand…but then I’m not the average buyer with this kind of discretionary income.
I for one think the option for Recaro drivers seat is ridiculous. Looks way out of place. Reminds me of a 1965 Mustang with the bench seat option. Again, ridiculous. Honestly I can’t believe Porsche would offer this. Nice car but I would need matching seats.
Love the car, yet being sold as a Porsche one would think that the optional Recaro, at least, would have a similarly styled upholstery pattern as the factory seat…in actuality this may not be true but it does look out of place, rare or not.
Bought a new ’76 912-E from the factory while we were in Europe for three years. Gas prices were over $3 a gallon and we wanted to tour without breaking the bank. 911 was only 2K more but the gas mileage wasn’t that hot and it had to be premium fuel. The factory would do anything you wanted to order those days so the one off driver’s seat in this car isn’t that unusual. We ordered full instrumentation from the 911, 6″ alloy wheels, left and right mirrors, A/C and 140 mph tires, all extras not included on the basic car. Would cruise at 120mph all day and go the full length of Germany on one tank of gas.