First Registered Model Year, Introduction Of The 914 Options

[AlanG]

There's always been great debate about when the 50th anniversary of the 914 is/was and a lot of it hinges on when the 914 first came into being.

My question is, does anyone have a 914-4 with a VIN that starts "469" and/or were there any 914s (with the possible exception of the 2 914-8s) that were registered as 1969 model years?

Just curious.

[ClayPerrine]

The "47" in the vin number of the four cylinder cars is for VW type 47, which was the internal VW model designation of the 914. The 7 in the vin is not part of the year model designation. Only the third digit is the year model.

IIRC ... all of the 914s built in1969 were 1970 model year cars. In automobile production, the model year is does not correspond to the calendar year. The build date can be in November of 72, and still be a 1973 model year car. This is done so they can have 73 model year cars in the showrooms at the start of 1973, and to beat the competition to market with the "next year model" car. The two 914-8 cars that were registered as a 69 model were build by Porsche as prototypes. They were not built in serial production, and they were built at the Porsche racing facility.


I don't know what they would have done about the VIN if production of the 914 had continued to 1980. My guess would be they would make some changes and have a new VW body type number.


Clay