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Posted by: Joe Bob Oct 5 2014, 03:28 PM

Was talking to a 356/911 restoration shop. The partner mentioned that they picked up a low mileage 914 "S". Now I remember that the "S" designation was an ad exec's pipe dream. It was never sanctioned by HQ. The ads ran in the US only.....

I believe a few ads were published and then everything was pulled.

Am I correct in my memory?

Anyone have any links to the ads? Just want to validate my opinion.

Posted by: JawjaPorsche Oct 5 2014, 03:44 PM

Some early ads for the 1973 914 2.0 called it the "914 S", but that was quashed pretty quickly when the dealers started complaining about it "diluting" their 911S model's appeal.

Posted by: balljoint Oct 5 2014, 04:57 PM

Hmmmm.

There may have been an extensive thread aboot this in the originality forum.


There is way more proof of a Yenko 914 than a 914S.

Posted by: RobW Oct 5 2014, 05:02 PM

Fact or fiction, a 914 S is a fully optioned 1973 2.0.

Posted by: RobW Oct 5 2014, 05:03 PM

The same one you could order a la carte in 74-76.

Posted by: dlkawashima Oct 5 2014, 05:07 PM

It's just the name they were going to give the 2-liter fours until they decided to go with the displacement instead. I don't believe it had anything to do with it being fully optioned.

Posted by: ejm Oct 5 2014, 05:13 PM

I have a brochure that includes the "S" model.

Posted by: stevegm Oct 5 2014, 05:20 PM

What year is the brochure for? Would love to see that. It would be great to know what years it was advertised and the specific differences in that car.

Posted by: SirAndy Oct 5 2014, 05:27 PM

As already explained above, there aren't any differences. The year was 1973 and the then new 2.0L was initially called "S" by a few misguided dealers.

Posted by: balljoint Oct 5 2014, 05:30 PM

Actually the "s" designation was really only utilized if you were purchasing more than one car.

Posted by: AvalonFal Oct 5 2014, 05:32 PM

Buy one here.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1972-PORSCHE-914-Red-Car-The-Super-Porsche-INTAGE-AD-/281332171477?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4180b442d5

Posted by: mgp4591 Oct 5 2014, 05:44 PM

Now that's what we need- a Yenko 914! I've got a Motion 427 914 right next to my oceanfront property in Nevada...

Posted by: Joe Bob Oct 5 2014, 06:26 PM

Could you scan it?

Doubtful that the "S" designation would show on a COA......

Posted by: RobW Oct 5 2014, 06:32 PM

Looks more Porsche copy than local dealer copy, but who knows what the dealer advertising agreements were back then...


Attached image(s)

Posted by: Johny Blackstain Oct 5 2014, 06:35 PM

I always understood it to be a Porsche advertising campaign that got halted midstream because it offended someone, somewhere. S got replaced w/ 2.0 before any ever left the factory.

Posted by: stevegm Oct 5 2014, 06:41 PM

Is there a copyright on it? If so, in what name? That might shed a little light on it.

Posted by: bandjoey Oct 5 2014, 06:51 PM

I have a photo I took at the State Fair of Texas Auto show of a yellow 914 with the advertising license plate showing 914-S. I'll have to get it off another computer and will post later.

Posted by: dlkawashima Oct 5 2014, 06:52 PM

Share your proof please.

Posted by: sixnotfour Oct 5 2014, 07:05 PM

Attached image(s)

Posted by: ejm Oct 5 2014, 07:14 PM

Not easily. At 10" x 14" it's bigger than my scanner. There's no model year noted but the cars pictured are 1973's and the last page has specs that list engines as 1.7 or 2.0 in the "S".

Posted by: Joe Bob Oct 5 2014, 07:16 PM

High rez jpegs, 1/2 and 1/2.....if you would please.

Posted by: tumamilhem Oct 5 2014, 07:30 PM

In 1973 Porsche initially marketed the new /4 2.0L as the 914 S. However, it was never sold as an S (a Porsche salesman might have sold it describing it as an S but it was never officially badged as an S and is not the proper model name). The 914 S is the same thing as the 914 2.0. There is no difference. Porsche decided to go with the badging as 1.7 and 2.0 (1973-1974) then 1.8 and 2.0 (1975). I am guessing, but it is likely they probably dropped the S because the 96 bhp 2.0L 4 cylinder hardly qualified as an "S" in comparison to it's big brother's already established "S".

Here is the original ad in high res:

Posted by: Joe Bob Oct 5 2014, 07:34 PM

Porsche salesman? Weren't these sold at the VW dealers?

Back then there was Porsche/Audi and VW dealerships in the US....the European models were sold by P/A.

By 73 the 914/6 was discontinued. Correct?

Posted by: ejm Oct 5 2014, 07:38 PM

Sure thing tomorrow

Posted by: dlkawashima Oct 5 2014, 07:47 PM

LOL. You're just messin' around, aren't you?

Posted by: tumamilhem Oct 5 2014, 07:47 PM

The /6 was made from 1970-1972. In America, all 914s were sold at Porsche dealerships. Only in RoW were the /4 sold at VW and the /6 sold at Porsche. That's how its confusing identity crisis began overseas.

The 1.7 and 1.8 are varied VW Type 4 engines. Both 2.0 engines - the /4 and the /6, are Porsche engines. The /4 2.0 was assembled by VW but to Porsche's specs and with different, more sturdy/quality materials. VW couldn't make the engine bigger than 1.8. So Porsche provided the specs for the engine and VW assembled it. It doesn't make it any less Porsche. It was just logistics. The /6 2.0 was taken from the previous year (1969) then discontinued 2.0 flat 6 911 engine. Ergo the 911 of the same year as the /6 was more powerful than the 914/6.

Posted by: tumamilhem Oct 5 2014, 07:49 PM

ALL 914s are S's because they are all Special.

Posted by: Joe Bob Oct 5 2014, 07:55 PM

Hey, I have been away 10+ years from 914s......selective memory. At least I remembered the "S" was not sanctioned by the factory.....that's why I asked.

I also know that the 1.8 was 74 and 75. They used the L-Jet and left over 2.0 motors for the one year only 76 912. I'm not a complete idiot.

Posted by: tumamilhem Oct 5 2014, 07:57 PM

^ Correctomundo.

Posted by: Joe Bob Oct 5 2014, 08:00 PM

That's what they told Clay while buckling on the hockey helmet before the short bus showed up.

Posted by: SchwarzHorse Oct 5 2014, 08:32 PM

It appears the '73 914 "S" must have the appearance group package, which partially consists of chromed bumpers, fog (driving) lights, forged-alloys (Fuchs), center-console with voltmeter, clock, and oil temp gauge, and a 2.0 liter boxer-flat 4 cylinder engine. That's what my car has except for the Fuchs which I replaced with cast Mahle alloys.

Posted by: mgp4591 Oct 5 2014, 08:36 PM

I dunno... looks alot like a Motion stripe to me...

Posted by: 1973 918 S Oct 5 2014, 09:08 PM

Here's another reference to the http://www.porschepassion.com/914.htm

Posted by: Larmo63 Oct 5 2014, 09:28 PM

Inside of a '73 dealer brochure…

http://s983.photobucket.com/user/Larmo63/media/IMG_2632_zps17af4f39.jpg.html

Posted by: TargaToy Oct 5 2014, 09:33 PM

This is the best explanation I've read so far.

Posted by: scotty b Oct 6 2014, 05:48 AM

Fix a mug of Coffee, and a mug of Jack and Coke and have a long, mind numbing day of reading :

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=107851&hl=914s

Posted by: RobW Oct 6 2014, 06:19 AM

Posted by: mepstein Oct 6 2014, 06:45 AM

Don't unleash the Tom T

Posted by: scotty b Oct 6 2014, 08:53 AM

The S is for Sux, needs a Suby Six

Posted by: Spoke Oct 6 2014, 09:30 AM

Both brochures mention an oil pressure gauge in the console instead of an oil temperature gauge.

Posted by: Johny Blackstain Oct 6 2014, 09:47 AM

Yes, I noticed that as well. Pretty sure it was a factory advertising campaign that got nixed mid stream. Again, no 914 ever left the factory w/ an "S" badge on the back.

Posted by: L8apex Oct 6 2014, 11:06 AM

The first brand new car I ever bought was a 1973 2.0. The dealer referred to it as a 914S, the brochures made reference to that, and it was sold to me that way. However, there were no badges or other references to 914S anywhere on the car; just 914 2.0.

Posted by: partsman Oct 6 2014, 11:22 AM

I found this somewhere... ( I think Jeff B's site)

Eric

Posted by: SirAndy Oct 6 2014, 11:33 AM

Posted by: SirAndy Oct 6 2014, 11:35 AM

Posted by: bandjoey Oct 6 2014, 11:49 AM

Yep. I took this photo and it's on my garage wall today. Posted I on another "S" thread about a year.

Posted by: Johny Blackstain Oct 6 2014, 11:51 AM

Ok, ok you win Andy- let me rephrase: the factory in Germany where the cars were actually assembled.

Posted by: SirAndy Oct 6 2014, 11:56 AM

Posted by: Johny Blackstain Oct 6 2014, 12:07 PM

I wonder... if you replaced the temp sender w/ a pressure sender instead & swapped out the gauge as well, would it be that simple & work? Or would you have to add wires to the harness? Seems like that & an "S" badge on an appearance group 73 2.0 are all that are needed to confuse the masses

Posted by: 69telecaster Oct 7 2014, 09:34 AM

I've had this since the mid-70's...

Posted by: tumamilhem Oct 7 2014, 09:43 AM

^ Interesting history. But again, never existed. The book is by a publishing company that is not Porsche, but Autobook. Probably saw the "ad" and titled the book because of it. Which is also not compliant with the ad as that the ad described the fully-optioned new 2.0L flat 4. This book indicates that it is a shop manual for the 914S from 1969-1972 (before the 914S was so briefly advertised in existence).

Posted by: Drums66 Oct 7 2014, 11:17 AM

......P-car lore, makes the 914 World go round!

Posted by: biosurfer1 Oct 7 2014, 12:30 PM

Workshop book for the 914....with a big picture of a drum brake right on the cover

Posted by: 69telecaster Oct 7 2014, 01:48 PM

Published in '73 with acknowledgement to Porsche Cars Great Britain for data and illustrations. Only covers the 1.7 engine. Probably totally unreliable.

You should see the pics on the back cover!