How Many 914s Remaining? Options

[nick mironov]

914 Info shows that there were about 119,000 914s built. Is this an all-market total or US only?

How many road-worthy 914s do you think are remaining? Not counting parts cars, junkers, or rollers, but including running street-legal and track cars and ones that are being repaired or worked on.

[GWN7]

If you use the figures known (119,000 produced) less the number of cars shipped to North America (83,000 from the factory recall) that leaves 36,000 shipped to all the other markets (23 countries) that's 1,565 cars per country (260 cars per manufacture sales year). Granted certain countries wouldn't hit those numbers (more sold in other places than others), but if there are 1,308 cars out of the original 1,565 sold there, that means there are a lot more than previously estimated around here (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Best way to find out is to call your DVM and ask (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[johannes]

In germany they have very precise data because all cars are controlled...
So they exactelly know how many 914 are registred and allowed to go on the road.
see quantities here:
http://www.914-club.de/aktuell.htm

Does that mean that as of 2005, they had a total of 1,308 914s "tagged"? That seems like a wretchedly low number... Especially as a national count.

Yes, 1,308 is the exact amount of 914 registered in Germany. To be registered the car must be controlled by the "TÜV" and approved. If your car is not approved by the TÜV, you are not allowed to put it on the road. There may be a few hundred of rusted 914 in the junkyards ...

In France we cannot acceed to the registry so we estimate from number of cars registered by the 914 club. We think there are less than 500 cars remaining.

If you scan ebay.com you have an average 10 cars for sale in USA.
an average of 2 cars on ebay.de
and you see a 914 from time to time on ebay.fr

[johannes]

If you use the figures known (119,000 produced) less the number of cars shipped to North America (83,000 from the factory recall) that leaves 36,000 shipped to all the other markets (23 countries) that's 1,565 cars per country (260 cars per manufacture sales year). Granted certain countries wouldn't hit those numbers (more sold in other places than others), but if there are 1,308 cars out of the original 1,565 sold there, that means there are a lot more than previously estimated around here (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
Best way to find out is to call your DVM and ask (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

There were big differences in selling per country ...
I would say that most of the 36,000 were sold in Germany.

I got this information for the french market ... please don't laught ... this is sad

1974 : Sold 18
1975 : Sold 3
1976 : car was only sold in USA

[davep]

I got this information for the french market ... please don't laught ... this is sad
1974 : Sold 18
1975 : Sold 3
1976 : car was only sold in USA

Good information here. However, the 'only sold in USA' is not correct. Yes, the USA market was very large however Canada was a market similar to the USA. It would be more correct to say that the 1976 models were only for North America (NA). I'm not sure of the Mexican market. Anyway, Canada did do things a little differently than the USA. Very few 914's were imported officially until late 1971. We got a lot of 1972 models and very few 1971 models. I do know of at least one, very early, 914/6 that VW Canada sold. Yes it was to an employee of VW Canada, so it may have been due to a special request. How many others were imported, I don't know. I did see a list some 25 years ago that showed importation figures for Porsche in Canada. The list started in 1959, and the sales figures for 914 started in 1972, so I'd have to assume these were model years. We got a ton of Conv. D's but very few speedsters. Since the speedster ended in 1958, I'm confident the Carerra speedsters were special request imports like the 914/6.

Canada got its own literature, advertizing, owners guides and apparently its own equipment list. I'm guessing the heated rear window was a major part of that list. I don't recall seeing many cars here without that option. Since the USA uses an odd size gallon (they are short a fifth) the Canadian MPG are much better than what one sees in USA ads. There are also references to Canadian cities instead of USA cities in some ads. So while Canada went its own way on many things, the Canadian market was a part of the much larger NA market.

[Bleyseng]

other than the USA market, I have to say the rest of the 914's went to Germany, Canada and the Netherlands, in that order.

still sticking with my estimate. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[johannes]

On this page you have all the production with information about EUR - USA ...
I suppose Canadian cars are counted in USA ...
What kind of engines do you have in Canada ?

http://914evolutech.free.fr/SITE/page%20ga.../production.htm

You can see

1975 Only 165 cars sold / produced ? on Euro specs ...

In France they only sold 914/6 and 914/4 1.7 until 1973
From 1973 they only sold the 914 2.0 ... No 1.8 was sold in France ... (that makes my 1.8 kind of unique ;o)

[davep]

In Canada we got the W series in 1971 (very few cars), EA in 1972 and 1973, GA in 1973 and 1974, EC in 1974 and 1975, GC in 1975 and 1976.
Canadian cars were essentially the same as the USA market cars. Decals were the same as USA. We did not get the California equipment.

[davep]

On this page you have all the production with information about EUR - USA ...
http://914evolutech.free.fr/SITE/page%20ga.../production.htm

Interesting. I'm assuming the years are model years since over 1000 914/4 were built in 1969 calendar year. That begs the question, what were those 2 914/4 USA market cars listed under 1969 model year. Had to be prototypes if listed with the 914/4. Then 914114 and 914120, both 914/6 should also be included.
1976 production was 4100 not 4075. Several over the 4075 are listed as owned by club members.
The 47 in front of the engine type must designate the use in the 914 (as VW type 47). The engines were different than the 411, 412 and so on. The differences are minor and would be made after the core engine was built. Pilot bearing, flyweel and alternator come to mind. Then the engine tin to finish off the engine.

[Bleyseng]

On this page you have all the production with information about EUR - USA ...
I suppose Canadian cars are counted in USA ...
What kind of engines do you have in Canada ?

http://914evolutech.free.fr/SITE/page%20ga.../production.htm

You can see

1975 Only 165 cars sold / produced ? on Euro specs ...

In France they only sold 914/6 and 914/4 1.7 until 1973
From 1973 they only sold the 914 2.0 ... No 1.8 was sold in France ... (that makes my 1.8 kind of unique ;o)

Can you fix the production numbers on that chart??

for 76 there were 4075 2.0L produced
and 25 1.8L produced
for a total of 4100 cars in 76.

We have one club member posting the 4099 VIN.

[johannes]

On this page you have all the production with information about EUR - USA ...
I suppose Canadian cars are counted in USA ...
What kind of engines do you have in Canada ?
http://914evolutech.free.fr/SITE/page%20ga.../production.htm
You can see
1975 Only 165 cars sold / produced ? on Euro specs ...
In France they only sold 914/6 and 914/4 1.7 until 1973
From 1973 they only sold the 914 2.0 ... No 1.8 was sold in France ... (that makes my 1.8 kind of unique ;o)

Can you fix the production numbers on that chart??
for 76 there were 4075 2.0L produced
and 25 1.8L produced
for a total of 4100 cars in 76.
We have one club member posting the 4099 VIN.

I am afraid I can't fix this. It's not my website ... I'll contact the owner anyway.

[horizontally-opposed]

I'd guess (and I stress GUESS) the number is closer to 25,000 (on the low end) and 55,000 (on the super high end) 914s left when you count in all the fixable non-ops and race cars out there.

The *right* number is probably 30,000-ish. Of course, I am wild-ass guessing here, but then nothing so far other than the German figures are accurate or representative. And the bulk of the cars were sold in the U.S. and the bulk of the cars that survived did so here. The bulk that were destroyed probably, too.

While a lot of 914s have surely been crashed, trashed, cut up, and rusted away, these are still "special" cars, the kind that people kept in their garages or alongside the house or barn when it stopped working, etc.

914s are certainly getting rarer by the week, but I have a hard time believing that 85 percent or more of them are gone or are never coming back.

I think applying the percentage of Porsches that survive and then reconsidering it against the survival rate of other "914-similar" cars is a better approach...

pete

[dflesburg]

How many are running?

How many are sitting on Jack Stands in some garage not running?

How many are dead forever...

All I know is I know....

mine still isn't running....

[VaccaRabite]

How many are sitting on Jack Stands in some garage not running?
All I know is I know....
mine still isn't running....

Mines on a rotisserie. I guess that counts as Jackstands. but it sure as hell ain't on the road.

Zach