Please help me make sense of these license plate frames below so I know whether or not to include them on the 914 Classics Authorized SWAG webpage. They are from Porsche and/or VW-Porsche dealers, but I do not know and am trying to find out if they sold the 914.

http://bowlsby.net/914/Classic/Swag.htm

My only reference is a Porsche-Audi dealership list from September 1973, 8th edition that came with all 914s from that era. Find a link to it on the webpage above.

Do you have other 914 dealership lists you can scan (.pdf) and email to me for reference?

I am inclined to either not include these license plate frames below on the SWAG webpage unless you can confirm that these are legit 914 dealerships.

Note that apparently the same dealership or dealership group have both only Porsche frames and VW-Porsche frames (i.e. Competition Motors). Which one sold the 914 - one, both or none?

Was the 914 was sold at any of these dealerships? Info I have is that before the 914, dealerships sold VWs, and/or Porsches, sometimes just one or the other. Some dealerships sold both and I believe the 914 was sold through these dealerships early on. From around 1973 forward Porsche+Audi was created and I think it was Excellence was Expected says there was great resistance from current dealers to change over to become new Porsche+Audi dealerships – due to the high costs of starting new dealerships, advertising, building construction, etc. That probably explains why these frames below do not say Porsche+Audi on them (they were earlier than the P+A alliance), but I would like to know for certain. They may be legit 914 dealers if they predate the P+A merger, but I would like your input. Please only comment if know for certain do not speculate.

Thanks in advance...

My brother bought his 72 914 from Temple Porsche and Audi in Tampa.

In 1971 I moved to Hermosa Beach, being the surf dude I was. (still am) I moved to a street a few blocks from the sand called 1st place the apartment was a few hundred feet off of Pacific Coast Highway.

I would walk to the laundromat up on PCH weekly. On these walks there was this Porsche car dealer between my apartment and the laundry. This dealer was the infamous "Vasek Polak" dealership. Vasek always had on display in the showroom many various race cars they had campaigned 550, 904, 906, 908, 910, 917 and others.

On one of my trips I noticed a 908/2 race car sitting right next to a brand new 914-6, I had to go in to look at this. Sitting side by side the cars were very similar, wheels out on the corners, mid engine, low etc. It was clear to me the 914-6 was a race car for the street... There and then began my love for 914's I also recall seeing the window sticker price, I think it was $5600 (?) and thought OMG I will never be able to afford a car that expensive!

So to answer your question Vasek Polak Porsche sold 914s early on.

Jeff, this window sticker was in some manuals a fellow gave me... it lists the dealer.

Cool collection of pictures Jeff...

I wonder if the Vasek Polak is the most sought after and reproduced license plate frame there is?

Its on the list, thanks.

Its on the list, thanks.

Its on the list, thanks.

Could be Mike...if'n your car came from V-P. Mine came from Rusnak, so I have Rusnak frames. And there are some other cool ones listed...Hawaii? Alaska? Canada?

Would be great to see more dealerships listed if there are more and of course photos of any other 914 dealership and dealer SWAG people can contribute.

Please post photos of what you have here.

I know some of the history of Thornton Motors in Stockton as I bought my last VW in 1964 from them. I have an old lic. plate frame from the dealership waiting for someone that wants it, in the meantime I will pursue info on the dealership.

Bought my -6 from Forest Lane in Dallas. I've search for a frame for 2 years. The only one I located sold on Pelican for about $200.

My 74 1.8 came from Kendon VW in Harbor City CA.

Took me a while to find a plate frame, quite rare. I got one from a guy in England who picked up a micro bus that had the frame on it...

Looks great! Added to the webpage, thank you.

Added this Kendon frame too, thanks.

Jeff,

I'm pretty sure that all of the CA ones you show here & on the site did sell 914s, but around 70-71-ish during the rolling requirement to add a Porsche+Audi building & area to their dealerships, those dealers' frames were also changed over to Porsche+Audi (IIRC they could use up their old stock of frames).

Can't speak to most of the other states' dealerships specifically, except Phoenix, Pittsburgh & Indy, where I had relatives & visited in 69-71.

Call, Oemail or PM me for a meal or whatever, if/when you're in Anaheim for that Fall conference you mentioned back in April/May.

PS - my 73 2L was originally sold from the Garden Grove dealer, although they had changed by that time.


Tom
///////

One interesting tidbit about Kendon. I heard he got the first 914-6 delivered to Southern California and it made Vasek Polak really upset as he wanted the first delivery in his show room.

Thanks Tom. I am pretty sure the Porsche+Audi reorganization did not occur until around 1973, not as early as 70-71, but maybe I am wrong? I sold my EWE many years ago so cannot look it up.

Porsche ran the 914 program from mid-1974, which is one reason why the 75-76 cars seem a bit different than the earlier model years.

Will look you up next time I am I town, thanks for the invite.

There are several frames related to "Harbor Cities" which is surprising to me...that's not that big of an area. Kendon, Atlas, Circle

Musta been a hot market for 914s back then!

There must have been more 914s sold in Southern California than anywhere else on earth…..

Bought my '73 2.0 Appearance Group, Sepia Brown 914 new from Ely Porsche Audi in Hayward. On Mission Street just south of Lewelling.

I was going to purchase my brand new 914 2.0 at Max Dial Porsche+Audi on La Brea ave. In Inglewood. Bought it from Downtown L.A. P+A instead.
Got a better deal, a great couple hours Test Drive in the empty (back then) downtown streets too !
My salesman was Heinz Brinkmann, who was also a TV actor. If you remember "Combat" with Vic Morrow aka Sarge, was Brinkmann's nemesis .
Marty

Mine came from Ralph Cutright Porsche-Audi in Santa Monica, I just looked at the paperwork I have in the garage, I'll have to check the frame this weekend now!

I see you have that one on the list already.

I remember "Combat" Marty. Hope they rebroadcast that series someday.

I have an Aero Porsche Audi in Inglewood...were there two including Max Dial P-A?

Ely and Cutright are on the list...thanks!

Neufeld Motors in Redwood City California was a VW dealership. It was on Main Street out by the 101, Bayshore Freeway. If I remember correctly their Porsche Dealership was in San Carlos California on the El Camino Real, Neufeld Porsche. Which I believe ended up in Burlingame California which became Rector Porsche.

I have the Neufeld Motors frame in the first post, it has a VW and Porsche logo on it - this should be where the early 914s were sold. I also have the Neufeld Porsche+Audi frame already on the webpage. The way you describe it, I need to add the 'Neufeld Motors' frame...will do.

Aero Porsche @ 817 N. La Brea, Inglewood was there until '72-'73 (?)
Then by 1974 the name changed to Max Dial P+A, same address. I could drive by one of these days to see what is there today.
Also Westwood Porsche + Audi at Santa Monica+ Veteran (West LA) became the service facility for Beverly Hills P+A; and today it stands as a newly modernized B H Porsche dealership.

This week, I drove by where I bought my 914 42 years ago. The old Northlake Porsche Audi dealership is long gone. A huge LA Fitness building is there now.

Went from hauling ass to reducing ass.

On your list you have DJ VW, Porsche Audi, Isuzu in Billings MT, that is (was) and independent shop not a dealer. If fact there were no Porsche dealers in Montana at that time and today. The closest ones were Spokane, Minneapolis or SLC. I don't know if any of the VW dealers sold 914's but they did not sell 911/912 Porsches new.

Jeff:

You can add

Pine State Volkswagen Porsche+Audi
Hogan Road
Bangor, Maine

to your list.

James Smith

Maybe someone a little older can chime in, but as far as I remember the Redwood City location was VW sales and service only. A 914 would only have been sold and serviced in San Carlos…

Just a side note; the original start-up location for Performance Products was just across the street from Westwood P+A. They picked the perfect spot !

Not California, but my car was originally sold thru Porsche Audi North, Dublin Ohio.
The marine I bought it from was at 29 Palms CA, so it spent a good bit of time in the West

Thanks! I indicated DJ as an indy repair shop. Check out the P+A dealership list linked at the top of the webpage, it indicates there were 3 914 dealerships in MT back then (1973).

Thanks All, for your help. All updates/corrections above have been made. Keep the comments and SWAG coming if you know more, happy to update the webpage with new/better information if you post it here or send it to me.

Checked Stockton phone books and it appears Thornton motors dropped their Porsche affiliation at the end of 1969. 1970 phone book lists only VW. Porsche dealer was Travalle Motors for some years and now no dealership here.

SO do you think that Thornton never sold 914s, that they would have been sold only by Travale?

Here is a listing for the 1969 dealers: http://206.214.215.12/forums/showthread.ph...-Dealers-(1969)
I'm wrong on my statement in 73 there was a the dealer in Missoula, MT.
The books are kind of misleading, in the 69 list it shows Wilcox as a "dealer in Billings" but they were a VW dealer and did not sell Porsches. My Dad bough a 70E and went to Spokane as he could not buy one in MT at that time. He just sent me a email confirming this info. Trust me if he could have bought it by driving downtown vs. a 550 mile trip one way,he would have done it in a heartbeat.

Jeff,

I saw that "Martin Johnson Porsche+Audi, Oakland" is in your list, but no photo.
My car was originally sold there in May 1971

I think that I still have the original lic plates + frames, but it's somewhere in the basement - I hope to find it soon ...

Love this!

Done. Thanks Wolfgang!

I bought my first three from "Five Towns" in Hewitt, L.I., N.Y. Starting 1971.

My soon to be Best Man bought a 911 in bronze with a huge black "911" over almost the entire front hood. So they sold some of them as well.

Plate frame for the Connecticut dealers list
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I was told this sign came from the Jones P/A dealership in Springfield Mass which folded around 1977. Now it hangs in my garage
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Five towns? I don't have that on the list. Was it a VW, Porsche or VW-Porsche dealership and should I add it?

Webpage is updated to here.

I may be interested in your frame.

Got my '71 from Gruber Porsche+Audi in Cedar Rapids, IA in Nov, 1970, and my dad got his '71 914 from the same dealership later the next spring. I don't remember a specific license plate frame from the dealership- it's been a long time!!

Carlsen took over from Gus Mozart sometime in the early to mid 70's. I know they sold 914s out of the Palo Alto site, though I don't know exactly when they started.

Saw this one recently on ebay, but I'm not sure if it's from the 914 era. Mike Nagy might know ... I believe he has one of these license frames.
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The first 914 I ever sat in was in the Showroom of Art Bunker Porsche / Audi in Kansas City. (I found these images on The Samba via Google.)

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Thanks Dave, John, updates made.