1974 LE Production Figures - A Calculated Estimate, Trying to find out how many LE were there Options

[Yohay Shinar]

Hi Everyone,

I am new to this forum and would like to share with you my little research on the 1974 Limited Edition 914 production figures.

It is well known that these cars were all produced between February and April 1974. The generally-quoted figure for total production is ~1,000 units, split 50-50 between the two color combinations.

I would like to shed more light on these assumptions.
The key is in the Karmann sequential number, attached to the front door jamb and stamped on the body. While commonly referred to as "chassis number", this is a "production job number" that VW has been allocating in its plants, since 1969 (note for instance that for 914-6, body numbering structure is different, and is Porsche-style).

More regarding this numbering system:
1. The numbers are allocated before vehicle production
2. Actual production does not necessarily follow this numbering, not in the paint shop and less so in the assembly plant.
3. Number allocation is made in batches of similar-specification cars, so that in between two VW1200 in Blue, there would be another identical vehicle.

I came across an excellent source (https://bowlsby.net/914/CanAm) with a huge amount of data. I could then draw the following conclusions:
1. This is a VW sequencing system through and through.
2. As hoped for and expected, the 914 LE numbers were allocated in batches for each color combination, and separately from other 914s. A single car only was out-of-batch, out of 178 numbers traced.

VINs for the LEs all fall within 14348 and 16764, and these probably represent actual off-line numbers. It is quite evident that these cars were not assembled in batches.

The next step was putting these batches together. Given the magnitude of the production numbers traced, this proved fairly simple.

CONCLUSIONS
Color-split: 60% of the cars were painted in the Light Ivory combination, the rest were Black. In four distinct calculations, Ivory turned out as being between 59.6% and 61.1%.
Total production: My estimate is for a total of 1,090 cars produced. Is 1,000 possible? Could be, but I think it is too low.
Production sequencing: first two days had Ivory cars only allocated. Whenever both colors were allocated for production in the same day, Black always followed Ivory.
Production allocation per month:
February (11 Feb - 1 Mar): 835 units, ~76.5%
March (4 Mar - 25 Mar): 180 units, ~16.5%
April (1 Apr - 4 Apr): 75 units, ~7%
Note that the relative share is stronger than the actual figure. Obviously these dates do not represent off-line dates.

Attached is a table with the estimated job allocation per day.

[JeffBowlsby]

The LE was US market only. GT was European market. SL was Japan market.

[wonkipop]

The LE was US market only. GT was European market. SL was Japan market.

i reckon there would be somewhere between about 1 and 3 SLs?
and probably only one left -----sitting in GA?

[JeffBowlsby]

The LE was US market only. GT was European market. SL was Japan market.

i reckon there would be somewhere between about 1 and 3 SLs?
and probably only one left -----sitting in GA?

20 SLs reportedly originally delivered to Japan according to the Matsuda Colleciton catalog. AA has the only surviving SL (a BB) that I am aware of, but I did find a photo of another online as posted on my site so we are aware of both BB and CS 914SLs. Luv the painted 4-bolt Fuchs.

[wonkipop]

The LE was US market only. GT was European market. SL was Japan market.

i reckon there would be somewhere between about 1 and 3 SLs?
and probably only one left -----sitting in GA?

20 SLs reportedly originally delivered to Japan according to the Matsuda Colleciton catalog. AA has the only surviving SL (a BB) that I am aware of, but I did find a photo of another online as posted on my site so we are aware of both BB and CS 914SLs. Luv the painted 4-bolt Fuchs.

i'm amazed there were even 20.
in the early 70s they were selling about as many 911s into J as Aus.
i stumbled across the figures once on the 11s.
it was not until 74 that more than 100 porsches were sold in aus annually.


they only sold 911s at that time. no 914s in aus.
in J i came across a figure of 120 911s in 1976.
i don't think the grey market really existed at that time. J like Aus was heavily regulated.

+ cars do rust in J severely. very humid.
most of the 914s in J there now were imported in from the USA more recently.

any surviving J spec SLs would have to be the rarest left on the planet.
they are nice with their painted fuchs i agree.

i did see one 914 on my last trip to tokyo about 4 years ago.
it was a 6. it was parked in the street in yanaka of all places.
i think it was an american spec grey import not an original J spec car.