What Is It?, Silly Question Options

[Larmo63]

I am not new to classic cars, or Porsches in general. As a relative newcomer to the 914, I look at it, think about it, and try to come to terms with it as to what it is. By that, I mean is it more Volkswagen, or is it a Porsche? It may seem like a silly question, it has a multitude of P-car parts, but says VW on the glass. The deckled says Porsche, but the steering column is pure Volkswagen. The transmission and engine (in mine) is a Porsche design made by Volkswagen? It is a radical departure from the Karmann Ghia which it replaced. Weird. Split personality disorder?

[EdwardBlume]

I am not new to classic cars, or Porsches in general. As a relative newcomer to the 914, I look at it, think about it, and try to come to terms with it as to what it is. By that, I mean is it more Volkswagen, or is it a Porsche? It may seem like a silly question, it has a multitude of P-car parts, but says VW on the glass. The deckled says Porsche, but the steering column is pure Volkswagen. The transmission and engine (in mine) is a Porsche design made by Volkswagen? It is a radical departure from the Karmann Ghia which it replaced. Weird. Split personality disorder?

I break it down by understanding that a car is a recipe of parts from 1000s of suppliers. While the parts can go on from VW or Ghia, the design came from...., and the fit and function came from.....

After all of that conjecture, its a 914.

That said, if the 914 had no race history and not so much success on the track (even today), and if it wasn't so fun to drive.... it would be an unnoticed miserable failure. Thats kind of why they stopped building them. It was a financial failure.

The concept endured however, and I see today's Cayman as basically the same idea. Porsche design and function, subvented performance, wider market.