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.

[SirAndy]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)


The "Creamsicle" cars are not silver, they are Light Ivory (L80E)
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act=colors
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif)

[Yohay Shinar]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)


The "Creamsicle" cars are not silver, they are Light Ivory (L80E)
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act=colors
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif)

Thank you. Corrected.

[914werke]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)
Interesting hypothesis.
Curious what prompted your research, are you an owner of an LE?
My real world observation (albeit 50 yrs after the fact) would be that there were more
Bumblebees produced? They seem to be over represented in the remaining
known to exist & verified? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
Are there many 914's in Israel?

[JeffBowlsby]

A numbers guy with skills! An interesting analysis Yohay, you have the passion! Will study this further.

Would you have estimated production data per day on the two different LE configurations that you can post/share?

I am aware that there as several sets of twins and eve a triplet if I remember right...sequential VIN cars. Seems to me I have sorted on the 'chassis number' also to find lineal sequences.

I have several other LE cars I need to post to the Registry that will expand the data set but the essentials are currently included. Just need to find time to do it.

The 1000 total was only found in marketing data and the 500 each split was speculation, I have not seen any publication with the 50/50 split. Given the low surviving numbers and the difficulty in selling them to begin with, some have casually thought that they may not have made even 1000, more like 7-800. But no evidence to support that.

@davep

[mepstein]

It says "1000 American customers". Weren't some made for other countries?

[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?

[Yohay Shinar]

Would you have estimated production data per day on the two different LE configurations that you can post/share?

I am aware that there as several sets of twins and eve a triplet if I remember right...sequential VIN cars. Seems to me I have sorted on the 'chassis number' also to find lineal sequences.

I have several other LE cars I need to post to the Registry that will expand the data set but the essentials are currently included. Just need to find time to do it.

The 1000 total was only found in marketing data and the 500 each split was speculation, I have not seen any publication with the 50/50 split. Given the low surviving numbers and the difficulty in selling them to begin with, some have casually thought that they may not have made even 1000, more like 7-800. But no evidence to support that.

@davep

Alright guys, so here's some more data.
1. I flipped Black with Ivory! The numbers themselves are fine, only the other way around... That makes the Bumblebees 60% of total production. The Bowlsby registry lists an impressive total of 333 LEs, of which 63% are Bumblebees. So that 60% is reasonable.
2. Japan. My registry holds a single unit, which happens to have the earliest production job number, at the first day of (regular) production. My guess: 10 units were allocated for 07-1, additional 10 for 07-2. These are included in the totaled figures.
3. Europe destined GTs. I'd be happy to have any production job numbers for these cars. It may well be that they have been allocated next to US-market ones, but that requires some data.
4. I have also spotted a typo in week 7, so that current total LE figures are for 1,070 units, of which at least 20 are for the Japanese market.
5. Attached per your request is the (proof-read) production table, with the color split.

As for Israel, only three 914 were ever imported here as new cars, in late 1970. Obviously, none of these was an LE/GT/SL. Over the years some have been grey imported and the current local 914 fleet holds...three units!
And no, I don't own any 914. It is for pure passion for production numbers that I looked into these registries.

[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.

[JeffBowlsby]

I list the chassis number for VIN 16340 as 1319527. A very unique GT in that it has an original 1.8L engine.

[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.