Sportomatic transmission, Has anyone seen one? Options

[Gustl]

@gustl
Do you still have yours?
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

No, I sold it in 2009 ... it was a pleasure to drive in the lowlands, but as you might know I live in the mountains, where it turned out that the Sporto isn't my 1st choice

Here's one nice shot in the alps, still with the german licence plate (just before I registered it in Austria):



The current owner in Slovenia completely restored it to its factory specification:




little additional info about the amount of produced cars:
The Porsche factory itself stated, that they built 16 units of the 914-6 Sportomatic. Some other sources report 21 or even 25 units. The difference might be the result of counting prototypes or not, but that's just my guess.
Back in the days when I owned my Sporto (by the way, the very last factory built 914-6 Sporto) I did some intense research together with some other 914 guys and we found 12 or 13 factory original 914-6 Sportos in existence - and some later Sporto conversions.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/wavey.gif) Gustl

[SirAndy]

This thread has some more info:
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=256406

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

[wonkipop]

have not driven an early 911 sporto.
not that many were ordered by australian buyers.
def a USA market thing in the main.

but have driven this. NSU RO80.
very first rotary engined cars. original wankel engines.
all were fitted with 3 speed semi auto gearboxes with the fichtel and sachs electronic clutch then mated to what is effectively a manual trans. same thing was done for the 911 sporto using the porsche box and transaxle.

power about the same as a 911T engine. approx 110 hp.
except very weak torque and engines had problems with snatching and jerking when mated to a standard manual gearbox. so all RO80s got the sporto box.

fun to drive. took a little bit to get used to. usual habit that everyone says which is you rest your hand on the gearlever habitually (just about everyone does that in city driving with a manual. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ). so you have to really make yourself keep both hands on steering wheel. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) good for the discipline i guess.

i can't imagine a 911T with one of these boxes. leisurely driving? or at least straight line acceleration.

the RO80 was not what you would call quick off the line.
but boy was it smooth. the closest thing to an electric car in 1968.
no engine vibration.
once you get them up and rolling they keep their pace up too.
a bit like a 914. no need to slow down in corners.
pretty shocking for a 1968 car.





i guess the sporto 914/6 is these days a rare creature and has rarity value as an artefact. but i can see why they would not have shifted many of these units.
you just would not have wanted one unless it had the grunt in the engine to make up for it.

i have also had a very close look at a citroen GS birotor that was in the shop right through the lockdowns in 2020. same deal as the NSU. that had a NSU-Citroen Co-motor wankel in it. basically same engine as the NSU. mated up to a citroen version of the same sportmatic gearbox. the F+S electronic clutch combined with a citreon 3 speed gearbox. very advanced car for its time. suffered the same fate as the NSU.
the one in the shop is the only one in north antarctica. so it was a real rare treat to get a good look at one. also got a few rides as the passenger with the mechanic - as lookout for him. the birotor is LHD which was fun in the city traffic!


the best 914 with the best shift pattern was one of the 914/6s that came here originally.
it had a 4 speed box. with short ratios. special order from the factory for the distributor. i drove that a couple of times when it belonged to a mate of mine.
that car was a dream to shift. of course it lacked the top end for high speed autobahn cruising but i don't think that was what the aus distributor had in mind as a use for it.
very fast off the line in city traffic with the first to second shift. in many ways this would have been a good option to tick on the box for a 914 in the early days of the car but the factory did not think so obviously. but then again like the sporto maybe not many buyers would have opted for it? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[windforfun]

I used to own the 1971 914/6 sportomatic that George Hussey owns. I sold it to him in 1998 for $25,000. There were 4 of them made. One is in Sweden, 2 in the USA and the other one is unaccounted for.

WOW!!!

[Gustl]

@SirAndy - thank's for digging out the old threads (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
re-reading all this old stuff was interesting and funny together - and brought up some cool memories (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[rgalla9146]

the best 914 with the best shift pattern was one of the 914/6s that came here originally.
it had a 4 speed box. with short ratios. special order from the factory for the distributor. i drove that a couple of times when it belonged to a mate of mine.
that car was a dream to shift. of course it lacked the top end for high speed autobahn cruising but i don't think that was what the aus distributor had in mind as a use for it.
very fast off the line in city traffic with the first to second shift. in many ways this would have been a good option to tick on the box for a 914 in the early days of the car but the factory did not think so obviously. but then again like the sporto maybe not many buyers would have opted for it? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

A four speed 914 6 ?... that is even more unusual than a Sporto !

[wonkipop]

the best 914 with the best shift pattern was one of the 914/6s that came here originally.
it had a 4 speed box. with short ratios. special order from the factory for the distributor. i drove that a couple of times when it belonged to a mate of mine.
that car was a dream to shift. of course it lacked the top end for high speed autobahn cruising but i don't think that was what the aus distributor had in mind as a use for it.
very fast off the line in city traffic with the first to second shift. in many ways this would have been a good option to tick on the box for a 914 in the early days of the car but the factory did not think so obviously. but then again like the sporto maybe not many buyers would have opted for it? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

A four speed 914 6 ?... that is even more unusual than a Sporto !

might be the one and only.
i gave davep the chassis number.
there might be an interesting story to it.
its still here.
the present owner runs the 356 register.

[Shivers]

I drove the vw version around town for a few hours. 1st to 4th and step on the brake. Rinse and repeat. It worked but it was all the work with none of the fun.