SOT: When did the hood badge change? Options

[bbrock]

This might get some knickers in a quibbley but I'm trying to figure out had the 914 design team's vote to badge the car been honored, which badge would have come on my car. Porsche Classics shows the orange badge used through MY 1973 and the red badge beginning in MY 1974, but there is also this graphic showing the switched occurred sometime in '73.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/images.summitmedia-digital.com-20845-1664031721.1.jpg)

The best I can tell, the switch might have happened with the introduction of the 911 G-series in MY 1974 but I've had a hard time finding when actual production began. I did find this article saying it started in August, 1973 which might be a good clue.

That may be all I need to know, but does anyone have anything to add?

[scottsilvertt]

Enjoying the comments,

You could buy a 911, in 1974, still with orange bars.

And then this question, why, in the first place, did 914s leave the factory with no hood badge?

Did factory not want them?
Did designers not want them?
Did they try to make the car less expensive?
Who came along and said “no badge”?
Any other reason?

That seems to be a big decision to not put any mark on the front of a car.
They spent $ (marks) to put the Porsche letters across the grill, (mine in 74 were plastic)

I wonder if prototypes had a badge?

[bbrock]

Enjoying the comments,

You could buy a 911, in 1974, still with orange bars.

And then this question, why, in the first place, did 914s leave the factory with no hood badge?

Did factory not want them?
Did designers not want them?
Did they try to make the car less expensive?
Who came along and said “no badge”?
Any other reason?

That seems to be a big decision to not put any mark on the front of a car.
They spent $ (marks) to put the Porsche letters across the grill, (mine in 74 were plastic)

I wonder if prototypes had a badge?

We actually have a little insight into this from the 50 Years Porsche 914 book. This has rekindled my interest in the badge. From the book:

"In addition, as well as this lettering on on the rear, it was decided to investigate whether the use of the Porsche crest on the front hood could be approved.

This proposal already appeared as a recommendation on the agenda of the 24th program committee meeting on 20 March [1970] and was now agreed. This solution did not last long however, as the two models were released to the world as VW-Porsche 914 and VW-Porsche 914/6 shortly before the IAA."

I'm not sure who made up the "program committee" but assume the design team was well represented. So it seems those most intimately involved with the 914 determined it was worthy of the company crest, but the marketing lunkheads who I hold mostly responsible for the poor treatment the 914 has gotten for decades were already selling the car as VW-Porsche.

I've tried to image how that committee meeting discussion went and would like to think it was something like this:

"The matter of approving model nine-one-four to receive the Porsche crest is now open for discussion. Any comments?" The sound of a shoe pounding on a desk reverberates through the room. "Nein, nein, nein!! Nein crest. The car has a Volkswagen engine. It is not a Porsche. Not a real one anyway." This must have been the origin of NARP and caused quite a stir in a group sitting in the back corner of the room. A spokesman for the group responded. "Shut the fuchs up Franz. You don't know what your are talking about. We developed that engine. It is a great engine. It is worthy of Porsche." Now the room goes silent as people shift uncomfortably in their seats and look nervously around. They remember what happened the last time the committee voted against the engine design team. For a month, sandwiches and desserts from staff lunch sacks stored in the break room refrigerator went missing and were replaced with moldy cheese, shriveled sausage, and in one case, a handful of raisins so dry they may have actually been rat turds. Nobody wanted to relive that nightmare so the vote was unanimous. Yes, even Franz had to admit resistance was not `worth facing the wrath of a vengeful Type IV team.

Of course none of it mattered because the marketing team who stored their lunches in a different refrigerator, in a different break room, in a different town were not intimidated by the Type IV mobsters as they had come to be known, so continued with their bumbling plan to secure the badgeless 914's legacy as one of ridicule and controversy.