1973 Porsche 914 /4 – Retro Classsics Stuttgart 2022

The Porsche 914 /4 arrived as a mid-engine sports car you could daily-drive, then put away with its roof panel stowed neatly in the rear trunk. It was sold as VW-Porsche in Europe, Porsche in North America, and teased as “Volks-Porsche” almost everywhere. Under the practical concept sat an engineering layout that looked straightforward on paper but was unusually modern for its time.

Technical Details:

The Porsche 914 /4 is a two-seat coupé built around a longitudinal mid-engine layout, using an air-cooled boxer engine and rear-wheel drive. In early form, the Porsche 914 /4 used a four-cylinder engine from the VW 411 (VW Type 4 family), chosen less for fireworks than for keeping the price accessible. The mid-engine placement was one of the concept’s strongest arguments: it helped deliver a safe, largely neutral road holding balance thanks to favorable mass distribution. Structurally, the car was built on a frame-floor assembly with a welded body and an integrated safety roll bar, combining open-air usability with a clear emphasis on occupant protection. The removable targa roof panel weighed about 8 kg and could be lifted off and stored under the rear trunk lid, turning the Porsche 914 /4 from closed coupé to open car in minutes.

Chassis design was a blend of Porsche thinking and pragmatic componentry. Up front, the suspension used wishbones with longitudinal torsion bars and strut-type dampers. At the rear, the driven wheels were controlled by semi-trailing arms, with coil springs and concentrically arranged telescopic shock absorbers plus an additional Vulkollan hollow spring. Driveshafts with double joints transmitted power to the rear wheels. The steering was rack-and-pinion, supplied by ZF, paired with a three-part steering column. Disc brakes were fitted to all four wheels, reinforcing the car’s sports car positioning. Thanks to the favorable weight distribution, the chassis could do without anti-roll bars. In period updates, Porsche and Volkswagen responded to criticism: for the 1973 model year, the gearshift—often described as very notchy—was improved, and the previously rigid passenger seat became adjustable.

Engines and outputs evolved over the production run. The text notes that in 1974 the Porsche 914 /4’s displacement grew to 1.8 liters with power rising to 85 PS, and that a 2.0-liter four-cylinder option with 100 PS was available. The production overview provided also cites a 1,971 ccm four-cylinder boxer with 100 PS at 5,400 rpm, a top speed of 195 km/h, and a weight of 950 kg. After the six-cylinder 914/6 was discontinued, the four-cylinder line continued as the Porsche 914 1.7 and 914 2.0.

• Manufacturer: Porsche
• Model Name: Porsche 914 /4 (also marketed as VW – Porsche 914 /4)
• Year of Manufacturing: 1970–1976

Design:

Design is where the Porsche 914 /4 divided opinion most sharply. The proportions were unlike the familiar rear-engined Porsche shapes of the era, and the body’s clean, flat surfaces gave it a distinct, almost hard-edged profile. Pop-up headlights became a signature feature, but also a talking point: some saw them as futuristic, others as awkward. The targa layout shaped the whole silhouette. With the roof panel in place, the car reads as a compact mid-engine coupé; with the panel removed, the fixed safety bar remains as a visual spine running across the cabin, emphasizing function over glamour.

Practicality was built into the design, too. The mid-engine packaging left space for two luggage compartments—one at the front and another at the rear—making the Porsche 914 /4 unusually usable for a sports car. The cabin layout carried its own quirks: the parking brake lever sat to the left of the driver’s seat, and between the seats there was a narrow emergency perch that made the car officially a three-seater on paper. That small detail says a lot about the era’s regulatory and marketing creativity. Overall, the 914 /4’s design was less about decorative elements like grilles or chrome and more about packaging, visibility, and the distinctive targa concept.

Historical Significance:

The Porsche 914 /4 was born from a Volkswagen-Porsche cooperation and was positioned as a “Volksporsche” concept—an accessible sports car that still carried Porsche genes in its engineering approach. Although early Porsche history had already experimented with mid-engine layouts (the text references the 356.1 and 550 Spyder), the broader 1960s trend back toward mid-engines in racing—sparked by successful Lotus and Cooper designs—set the stage for a German series-production mid-engine sports car. The 914 premiered at the IAA in 1969 and was constructed under Porsche’s overall design responsibility, carrying the type number 914 as a signal of its Porsche lineage.

Manufacturing and branding reflected the shared parentage. Most 914s were built by Karmann in Osnabrück, and in Europe they were sold under VW-Porsche badging. In North America, due to the shared Audi/Porsche sales network, the Porsche 914 was marketed as a Porsche and fitted with Porsche logos and crests, even though the four-cylinder cars were still produced by Volkswagen. In total, the Porsche 914 series was built in just under 120,000 units, with the Porsche 914 /4 accounting for the vast majority: 115,000 delivered in one passage, and 115,631 cited in another. This volume matters because it shows the Porsche 914 /4 as the mainstream expression of the 914 idea: the version that carried the concept through to 1976 and shaped how the model is remembered in the used market and enthusiast scene.

Quirks and Pop Culture:

Few cars carry as many identity jokes as the Porsche 914 /4. In Europe, the VW-Porsche branding led to nicknames like “Volks-Porsche” and even “VoPo.” The car’s unclear positioning between Volkswagen and Porsche also amplified criticism of early build-quality issues and rust susceptibility. As the Porsche 914 /4 aged into budget territory, many examples were not carefully preserved, while others were heavily tuned, creating a split legacy between neglected survivors and enthusiast-built projects.

The model also picked up a surprising motorsport-adjacent trivia point: the Porsche 914 series is noted as having been used as Formula 1’s first official safety car at the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix. Even if that detail is often discussed as an odd footnote, it fits the 914’s broader story—unusual, sometimes misunderstood, but repeatedly turning up in places people don’t expect.

Display and preservation:

The vehicle was exhibited at the Retro Classics Stuttgart in 2022. This car show is one of the major events on the classic car calendar in Germany. In 2022, it took place across five exhibition halls. Visitors can enjoy special showcases, hunt for rare parts and books, and buy cars—both private sellers and dealers offer a wide range of classic and youngtimer vehicles. In 2022, there was a noticeable increase in low-mileage youngtimers and classic cars.

Conclusion:

The Porsche Porsche 914 /4 is best understood as a packaging-led sports car shaped by cooperation and compromise. Its longitudinal mid-engine, air-cooled boxer layout and rear-wheel drive delivered the neutral handling balance the concept promised, while details like four-wheel disc brakes, ZF rack-and-pinion steering, and the 8 kg removable targa roof panel made it feel thoughtfully engineered. Design debates, branding confusion, and early quality and rust issues complicated its reputation, yet the Porsche 914 /4’s production volume shows it fulfilled the role the partnership intended: a widely sold, distinctive mid-engine coupé that broadened the idea of what a Porsche-branded sports car could be.