I have been out of town for a few days, but wanted to check in.

I met an original Creamsicle owner recently, Mike Lopez, who still has his very nice Creamsicle, turns out he live just a few miles from my home. As we spoke on the phone that first time, he mentioned that he had an original brochure with some info on the 914 LE cars. He remembers going to two local dealers and ended up buying his Creamsicle from Carlesen Porsche in Palo Alto, CA. Well we got together this past weekend and he showed me the brochure, and kindly let me take a couple photos. Its published by Porsche-Audi and seems to be a marketing piece in the form of a newsletter. I will include it on the 914 LE website soon…

It announces the 914 LE cars and declares that there were only 1000 total offered to American Porsche Buyers, starting in April 1974. This is the only official place I have seen in writing that affirms the 1000 914 LE car production quantity, I have been searching for this for a long time. There are other interesting tidbits in the brief text which is included below.

The hunt continues for more information about the 914 LE cars. The article mentions that there was a marketing kit with advertising, photos and more. I want this kit and will find one if it is available. If you have one…please let me know!

Mike showed interest in meeting the rest of us and said he would be at this Saturdays breakfast jaunt….I hope he will show up. I have invited him and 2 other Bumblebee owners to the event, 1 cant make it, but if the others show up we will have three 914 LE cars together…

More later...

asdc

drgt

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so then it seems that the "grasshopper" is a myth????

nice car, I think that is the one I've seen on Hwy 17...does he commute to work in it???

Just because this 'ad' does not mention the Grasshopper LE cars, doesnt equate to 'they didnt make them' for me. Remember that the porsche.com websitem indicates they were made and several 914 old-timers from throughout the country testify to seeing them, very credible sources.

This 'ad' also mentions a 'special all black interior'...say wha? There are several Creamsicles with tan interior, and one with a cinnamon interior, documented by the COA, and every Bumblebee I have seen has a black interior that looks typical of every other black interior 914 from 1974, unless I am overlooking something.

Mike L has been driving his car to work on Highway 17...for 30 years, daily...but he recently retired...yes this is the car from Highway 17, which is how I found him too. I tailed him off Hwy 17 and followed him to where he parked, after I coincidently saw on the highway him one morning.

This reminds me of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade...
Or was it Monty Python and the Holy Grail?

I make joke. I jus keedeen.

Cool find, LE guy.

Trekkor

Jeff, that PA newsletter is the same one that a fellow send me 15 years ago, and have not been able to find recently. It was, mostly, on the basis of the info there that I was so adamant that there was no "grasshopper". Hey, I'd like to be proved wrong, but I still think it is unlikely. It is more likely that they were personallized cars. The advertising kit would be a real find. This is a real Crusade for sure.

Dave
An LE Crusader

Jeff,
I got a closer look at the Creamsicle that I found in Tacoma, WA on Monday (sorry, forgot to get VIN). Car appears to have original paint and very nice interior. Been sitting for at least 15 years. Complete, 5th orange Mahle in the trunk, minimal rust.

Some questions: Is the correct LE front air dam fiberglass? It is on this car. The car has a major dent in the driver's door. Are new reverse "PORSCHE" side stripes available? They seem to be vinyl. Or are they paint? Repair will require replacing at least one side. Possible this car could be left with mostly original paint. Hard to tell until it is cleaned up.

Jeff,

Nice find on the literature and the new LE member.

Some thoughts: if the grasshopper was never mentioned in the literature but now seems widely assumed to be an LE, how then do we assess the 1000 unit figure? Is that now also suspect?

Just wonderin'.

Great car photo, too.

Jeff,

I met Nick and his most amazing Bumble Bee at the MWC. Nick stated that the stripes were supplied in the trunk of the car so the new owner could decide if he/she wanted them on the car. His car did not have them applied.

Is this the case with this car was well? Was this the case with all LE's? Did most dealers take it upon themselves to apply the stripes or did some hit the shores with them applied?

Jeff,

Nice find Dude.

Just a question, since you are the holder of all LE knowledge, was there a package code or special color code for these cars?

If so couldn't they be indentified through order records? I mean all these LE cars had to be special ordered didn't they? Have we ever contacted the "older" Porsche dealers to see if they have any records that go back that far?

I too am intrigued by the illusive "grasshopper" story and wouldn't mind doing some field work if you need help in tracking info in my part of the country.

We need Cap'n Krusty (John Larson) to weigh in on what the dealers got and did. I had no idea that they may not be factory applied stripes.

The color codes were U1 and U2 for black and ivory respectively. One friend had a dash badge that he had personallized. That may have been a Canadian dealership thing though. I'll have to contact him for more info.

The OE LE air dam I have is more plastic like... not fiberglass.


B

As Dave P mentioned does the Cap'n have any info on this topic?

Oh Cap'n my Cap'n

So here is all I know about these questions...thats my story and I'm stickin' to it...


The white/green cars *might* have been simply personalized cars and I have thought about that for awhile. The VOA negative stripes were available from the dealers in black, gold, yellow, orange and green...so its possible. I have never seen the gold stripes anywhere...anyone else? Discounting that several old timer 914 guys from several parts of the country have reportedly seen Grasshopper LEs, then the only offical support for their existence is the Porsche.com website where it mentions them. I guess it would take a trip to see Klauss Parr and dig through the P-car archives to find more evidence...unless there is anything in the marketing kit...??? There is no other official refence to them other than Porsche.com.


Jim, I hope you can get me some info / contact data / photos on the Creamsicle...you teaze...

I have had the side stripes fabricated locally in the correct colors, so they are available. The OEM front spoiler is white fiberglass, I guarantee it, I have an OEM NOS one as well as the one on my car. It is smooth on both sides and looks sorta plastic-like, but it is a white gel coat fiberglass, molded on all surfaces. Its very elegant...


John this newsletter indicates that only 1000 were made and we have no contradictory information...so I guess its 1000 total. Some think that 500 black and 500 ligh igvory cars were made. This sounds reasonable but I have nothing to back-up or contrdict it. If 500 Light ivory cars were made, any grasshopppers would have come from those 500...but its anyones guess.


Eric, without hesitation, NO. There are several sources that contradict this...The window stickers list 'Porsche side lettering' as part of the 914 LE equipment and Excellence Was Expected says that the 914 LE cars were the only 914s provided with side stripes from the factory. Nicks car as beautiful as it is, has had a couple panels resprayed and is not fully in original paint, so maybe they were removed during repairs? Some owners leave them off, which is what Mike Lopez did with his Creanmsicle...it was repainted recently and he didnt want the stripes...



The paint code was U1V9 (Bumblebee) and U2V9 Creamsicle. There was no M-XXX number like for other 'optional equipment' items or even a descriptive name like 'appearance group', just 914 'Limited Edition'.


The factory just built and distributed them. I suspect that the dealers had a choice on what cars they would accept or order, but I have no knowledge of those protocols. We do know that all 914 LE cars are not identical, some have other options...tinted glass, wirepr relays, air conditioning (delaer installed), rear window defrosters...Hey, keep looking for a white 1974 914...and look for green trim accents...let us know if you find one!


I would like to know about that Dave...a photo and story maybe?

Hope to see you guys on Saturday!!!

Wasn't there that one from Germany on Ebay that had a special badge?

Amazing.

I eyed his car VERY close. I saw no evidence of repaint on those areas... whoever did it is amazing...

They were completely different badges.

I will find Nicks correspondence to me if you like, but I am pretty sure he told me the front trunk lid and one of the rear quarter panels was resprayed. The yellow stripe or at least a portion of one would have had to have been removed for that...

Here is the badge from VIN 16276, the German 914GT car. If Dave can get teh one from his Canadian friend it would be fun to compalre them:

I'm not that interested. I believe you if you say it's true. I'm sure you've researched it.

I just remember the conversation with Nick when I asked him if he was going to put the stripe back on. He said "It came from the factory with the stripes rolled up in the trunk. The previous (original) owner decided not to install them." I thought it odd but after looking at the doors etc. I felt it must have been accurate. Maybe the PO removed them the day he acquired the car.

I like them with the stripes...