https://www.pcarmarket.com/auction/1970-porsche-914-6-5/

amazing that they even THOUGHT that this could go into production. Even includes a Ford Pinto rear end!

There's been a thread or two about this prototype over the years. I agree, very happy the 914 didn't take this sort of turn into production.

Gotta think about all the hatchbacks being pushed into the market back then. Not very many of them looked very good. Folks had Vegas which were a little better looking than the Pinto's. Ah, the 70's.

I agree that is butt ugly. I however, did like the Vega. Had two friends who had them. A silver '73 we did a turbo charger on and then my other frond had the really cool black and gold Cosworth Vega. Both were cool cars to drive.

Had a work friend with a Vega. Statistical oddball as last time we chatted he had well over 100k miles on the original engine. No cylinder sleeves, I think.

Relocating / Repositioning / Adjusting the fuse-board..... not the worst idea in the world.

oh come on, none of us would throw it out of the garage!

I would unless I was George Jetson.

Dad a 1974 (not as desirable as the earlier Camero looking ones), he put a 2.8 with the "wildcat" heads on with 4spd. It was a fun car! Knew a few guys that shoehorned V8's in them as well.

Im surprised Porsche doesnt want it, It is a concept vehicle per say even if its not designed by Porsche itself.

Can we start guessing sell price?? I say 195k.

first series ford pinto was a pretty car i think. despite the grenade reputation.

the french thing is definitely not pretty.
not even particularly mad-interesting in a typical french eccentric way.

toss up whether it or count goertze's bread van is worse?

Several threads about that one already.

Also, it irks me to no end when people call these cars "Porsche Prototype" as if Porsche had anything to do with them.

Once overheard my old partner Bob asking a client; " Did anyone get hurt in that wreck?" client answers What wreck? Bob " The one that you drove up in"
Coming George...this is 1 of 1 >> whadda' you think
Marty

I kinda like the hardtop part of it.

Michael, proper Chevy Vega @Root_Werkes , not very streetable . Proper Pit-model of the Day as well !
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Needs mud flaps

I want the wheels

Here we go: this is where the french got their inspiration for their prototype 914-6


https://www.flickr.com/photos/triggerscarst...57628265839779/

Current bid $2200?? There is a real -6 under there somewhere. People have fixed up a lot worse.

Before I got into the 914's I did the GM H-Body thing. MANY Vegas & Monza's of all variations & power plants.
Crappy build quaLITY BUT THEY DIDNT RUST!

thanks, good to see that article in original color format.
pangra was pretty interesting.


the frenchies might have been trying to copy their buddies over at matra?
a very interesting company.
if they were they didn't do a very good job.

bonnet/matra d jet. 1964 rear hinged sort of like........a ford GT40?
matra m530. 1967 m530 was a french competitor for the 914?
slightly predates 914.
m530 is a genuine piece of french eccentricity.
(none in australia that i know of, though there is rumoured to be one lying around in a paddock near perth, never been confirmed) a few d jets get around.




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french had an obsession with hatchbacks before anyone else.
citroen lay claim to invention. they have a thing about weird doors and hinges.
before you even get into all the other weirdness.


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Early Chevy Vega rusted so bad the radiator would fall out

Saw this Pontiac Frankenstein at Cars and Coffee this morning.
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It's metal.

Wow!!! The comparison between a 914 & a Vega is simply insane. Those guys had nothing better to do. It's no wonder Detroit is in the toilet.

Imagine getting a ticket in that...and the clueless officer just writes in: Copper colored/ Pontiac Aztek/ convertible!

has an original dunlop sp 57 spare if you look closely.
looks inflated! might dent the bonnet lid when it grenades.


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hidden under the french stuff is apparently a pre production test 6.
got a weird chassis number.
1800005.
on the porsche plate affixed in the front trunk.
paper work appears to misquote the number as 130005 ? and the error gets perpetuated in further paper work?

anyone ever come across this numbering of pre production chassis -
nothing like those numbers in info section of the website here.

...wonder when the '70s Corvette v8 " Mid-engine" prototype car will show up on some glitzy Auction platform ? Motor Trend cover car & built on a 9146 unibody

I think the 914 spy photos have this car beat
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As far as ugly sixes goes, this one has to be right up there:



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Surely, the irony won't be lost on the OP.

there were two rotary/mid engined XP corvettes.
the one with the big 4 rotor engine was converted over to a V8.
gm still own it in their collection.
its built on a unique chassis from scratch.

the smaller one built on the 914 body with a two rotor engine lives in the UK where it was found. a hard core gm enthusiast owns it? he acquired it but it was stripped of the drivetrain. i believe he has procured an original gm 2 rotor experimental engine somehow. don't think its in the car though. i believe the drive train currently installed is a mazda rotary.
one of the reasons it was hidden away and forgotten about was someone high up in GM hit the roof when he found out it was built around a 914 and ordered it destroyed.

the big four rotor car must have packed a punch. no substitute for cubic inches.
would be very similar to the engines in the mercedes C111 in terms of grunt. i think the only mercedes C111 they get out these days has also had a v8 subbed in so it can be driven. the rotary engines are all kept on shelves. museum pieces.

At first when I saw the photo from the rear, it looked like a 'tent / camping option for the 914.

I guess you missed the whole discussion started by George about that yellow "914" when they got it?

Reading that link... Did Porsche authorize a design contest? Were they unhappy with the looks of the 914 and was curious if anyone could do better?

i doubt it.

count goertz and his bread van - they probably could not refuse him
been involved in the design of the 911.

hispano special was the spanish distributor. he would have been indulging himself?

who knows why guirgaro did one, but it would have been all about himself for sure?
and he was good. his intended target probably was not porsche.

as to the frenchies. looks like they got a flogged out test car and who knows what basis they procured it in representations. (wonder how it drives?).

i'm guessing porsche just kind of closed their eyes to it all and tried to smile!.
they were getting a bit of a barrage at the time over the aesthetics.
highly polarised.

anyway, time and the american market proved them right.

its not hard to work out that all critiques of the 914 at the time were from conservative "classicists". they were all trying to negate the equal front bonnet/rear boot look of the 914. they could not get their heads around it. every one of those revisionist "improvements" was an attempt to put a long bonnet on the 914 and transform the rear into something like a continuous turret (not a boot or trunk).
i can remember in the early 80s in aus. the only folks who thought 914s were good aesthetically were architects. everyone else said they were crap because they did not look like an alfa or a fiat 124 or whatever (long bonnet, short boot).
now.......i guess everyone sees them for what they were. unique rather than conformist?
porsche must have despaired back in 69 when they realised the world really wasn't that modern....or functionalist? i can't imagine they were all that interested in everyone else revising their germanic thinking. but they had to endure it?

I think that that one IS the ugliest. A WEALTH of great parts though including a factory 914-6 rebuilt engine. Some people have too much time on their hands and wast it creating a monstrosity

It just needs to lose the louvers and the rear wing.

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here you go steve.

re guiguaro.

he had just opened his own studio and hung his shingle out.
he flew a self funded kite with the tapiro in 70. a motor show queen.
his target was the other name on the bonnet badge.


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he got a bite.
straightaway karmann hired his studio to do this in 71.
paying job.



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next thing he is doing this for vw in 1972.
bigger paying job.

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followed by the grand prize in 73.
practically got himself a life time contract.


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he stole the work for vw out from under pininfarina.
who had been mucking about with vw right through the 60s.

the tapiro was the best investment he ever made backing himself.

right at the end audi bought out his studio (ital design) and he and his son walked away and retired handsomely.

there was nothing quite like the tapiro in 1970.
design critics referred to it as the origami style or folded paper look.
vw were straight on to it.

heres whats left of the tapiro.

looks like it would be even a challenge for rustoration specialists on this site.
typical 914.
it was on a pole at his studio but when he sold up to audi, i think he moved it home and put it in his garden. he must be fond of it.

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look close at tapiro its all there.
just more flamboyant/exaggerated for impact on the scene.
gets tastefully toned down for/by vw.

bonnet lines and folds.
signature flicks at door/roof pillars.

vw must have loved seeing their badge on the bonnet of this thing.
everyone else played down vw or plain pretended it wasn't one with their takes?


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another detail in the giugiaro relationship to VW and porsche i have come across a couple of times.

there is a gap year in f. piech's career.
1972.
leaves porsche in late 71 in circumstances less than happy at the termination of the EA 266 project by leiding.

pops up again at audi in 73 - presumably with the approval of leiding - maybe even recruited after suitable time cooling down.

in between he does some consulting work for mb on a 5 cylinder diesel engine.
squeezes in two months or so in the studio of g giugiaro at ital design!

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he is not working on a porsche.

if he really did say that about the golf he sure had egg on his face a couple of years later.