Where did this car go? I know it's a long shot..., Trying to find my mother's 914 from the 70s Options

[amphiduck]

My mother just recently unearthed some pictures of her 914 that I believe she bought new in the early 70s. From the pictures, it looks like it would be a 70-72 model, but I'm not sure. Any light on the subject as to what year this car could be? Also, she doesn't have a VIN or license plate number, but she did sell it in the Chattanooga, TN area sometime in the mid-late 70s. Her name before she married my father was Barbara Cunningham, now Barbara Brown. I'd love to find out if it is still around, but have no clue how to proceed.

Thanks for the help!

And the doberman in the picture was Dirk, who my mother claims rode shotgun several times.

[Tom_T]

If you have the old license plate number, then TN DMV/BMV may have a way to do an info. request for the car if it's still registered somewhere (CA has a process for that, which is old school paper app & microfilm/digital search for a fee).

Another option may be to find the original dealer who sold it new, or used if that was how she bought it. There's an outside chance that they may still have an old records archive for it.

If you have pix of the F & R bumpers (70 MY had the sharp cornered bumpers & 70-72 base 914s had color matched painted bumpers & then 73-74 were black like the rockers/valances & 75-76 were big bumpers), as well as interior & dash (p914.com has some good info. on model year detail differences), all of which could help ID the MY.

A few things I can guess from looking at it that may help you defining the particular 914 & MY in your search, are that:

1. It's a non-appearance group & non-performance group 914
(why - no vinyl on the sails & 70's would've probably been too soon to have it removed for a repaint, esp. with apparent great condition of paint, & no alloy wheels)

2. Those look like the base level painted steel wheels with the plain chrome hubcaps (i.e.: with not Porsche crest nor VW logo), so it's probably a base level early 914/4. Your Mom may recall which it was /4 or -6?

3. Its color looks to be L21E Tangerine - but lighting, photos & displays can distort colors (as seen even between these 3 photos), so it could also be L20E Signal Orange or L32K Phoenix Red.

If it is Tangerine (Blut Orange/Blood Orange), then that would place it as a 70, 71 or 72 - unless it was a 98 special order Porsche color out of those MYs. If Phoenix Red or Signal Orange, then it could be 73-74 for the former or 70-74 for the latter colors. If your Mom bought it new, maybe she recalls which MY.

4. The tan (officially #31 Beige) interior color was one of the least common ones, along with the darker brown.

5. Those side stripes were used 70 up to mid-74 when the LE style negative stripes came out with the LE's timing, but IIRC you could get the stripes in both styles thereafter form dealers etc.

6. Dirk riding shotgun was probably quite necessary, given your Mom's good looks! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
(Of course, us old folks were all at least somewhat better looking back in the 70's! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) )

Good Luck! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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