Flex Fuel: 1973 Porsche 914 2.0 – SOLD!

May 13, 2022, Update – We confirmed the seller of this “Classifind” deleted their listing, so we’re now able to call this one “SOLD!” While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call us directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.

Once the unloved stepchild of the Porsche family tree, the high demand and rising prices of vintage air-cooled 911s have been trickling down to the entry-level, mid-engine 914.  Our latest example is this yellow-over-tan 1973 Porsche 914 2.0 originally listed in April 2022 on Craigslist in Collinswood, Virginia (Washington DC). The seller reports their 914 currently relies on carburetors for fuel delivery but the original fuel injection is available if you are interested in returning this car to Concours condition.

Currently offered for $21,900, Classic.com, the analytics and search engine for the collector car market, reveals the ask is well below this guide’s one-year average of $36,902 based on 19 sales ranging from $12,000 to $95,000.  Similarly, the  Collector Car Market Review Online Tool reveals the seller’s ask falls between this guide’s #2 “Very Good” estimate of $29,000 and its #1 “Excellent” appraisal of $42,000.

By the late 1960s, both Porsche and Volkswagen saw the need for new entry-level sports cars for their respective divisions:  VW was hoping to replace its aging Karmann Ghia while Porsche wanted to replace the 912 with a distinctively different model.  The two joined forces to co-develop the Targa-topped, two-seat, mid-engined 914 roadsters.  While in Europe 914s were labeled VW-Porsches, in North America the car was only sold through Porsche dealerships.  Originally intending to sell the vehicle with a flat four-cylinder engine as a Volkswagen and with a flat six-cylinder engine as a Porsche, Porsche decided during development that having Volkswagen and Porsche models sharing the same body would be risky for business in the American market, and convinced Volkswagen to allow them to sell both versions as Porsches in North America.

Six weeks after designers presented the first 914 prototypes on March 1, 1968, development became complicated following the death of Volkswagen’s chairman, Heinrich Nordhoff in April that same year. His successor, Kurt Lotz, was not connected with the Porsche dynasty and the verbal agreement between Volkswagen and Porsche fell apart.  In Lotz’s opinion, Volkswagen had all rights to the model and no incentive to share it with Porsche if they would not share in tooling expenses. With this decision, the price and marketing concept for the 914 had failed before series production had begun. As a result, the price of the chassis went up considerably, and the 914/6 ended up costing only a bit less than the 911T, Porsche’s next lowest priced car.

Launched in the fall of 1969, Motor Trend named the 914 its Import Car of the Year for 1970.  Unfortunately, slow sales and rising costs prompted Porsche to discontinue the 914/6 variant in 1972 after producing 3,351 of them.  However, the 914/4 such as the example featured here became Porsche’s top-selling model during its six-year production run with well over 100,000 units sold worldwide.  Long considered the step-child entry-level car in the Porsche community, the nostalgia growth of all things air-cooled in the past six years helped fuel the popularity of 914/4s and prices are starting to reflect that.

We came across this vintage Porsche 914 commercial that really is a composite of vintage video clips of 914s being put through their paces when new:

Based on the excellent pictures provided, this 1973 Porsche 914 2.0 appears to be a well-maintained and solid driver-quality example you enjoy as is or take it to the next level should you so choose.

Here’s the seller’s description:

“1973 Porsche 914, 2.0 car

87k miles, good condition, runs and drives great,
original engine, changed to carburetor but have original FI equipment,
great investment.
car is located in southern Virginia”

Do you have a Porsche 914 2.0 story to share?  If so, comment below and let us know!