What is your perspective of the interest level in the 914 today?

How many years have you been involved with 914s?

Is your interest growing, stable, or waning and why?

With 914s, what more are you wanting to explore or are you already completely satisfied?

How many more years will you...er, another 914 owner you know...continue to be interested in 914s before they move on?

It seems like 914s are going some popularity to me. While I still get some "VW" comments, I get more real interest than negative comments. The car get a lot of attention every time I drive it. Even at Porsche events.

I have had it almost 6 years. I continue to improve it every year. I do not plan on selling, it is fun to drive. It is not fast and I do not plan on making it fast. It's a numbers matching car, which means something to me. If I wanted a modified car, I would buy one and not touch this one.

I am looking forward to many more adventures.

Move on?
It was my first car and will be my last car.

I will always have to have a 914 in my collection. I have had 914’s for 13 years and have enjoyed the relationships i have developed with my fellow teeners here in SoCal and have no plans to move on from them. Ive got a GT project to finish building when i retire and I just added an LE to my collection. Drove it this weekend for the first time and had a blast! I do plan add a 911 of some sort to my collection to join my 914’s and 308 here in the near future.
I plan to leave them to my daughters.

To paraphrase Steve McQueen in the movie LeMans.....


914's are life. Everything else is just waiting.



Clay

I got it in 1982, been with me most of those years. The few years my brother had it, I was so depressed I was seeing the numbers 914 everywhere. I had to get it back to feel better. Better than Prozac. It is more expensive to work on it now, but from young to old, most gearheads and non-gearheads smile when you say "I've got a 914". After the NARP years it is nice to see these race proven mid-engine sports cars will be given their due. I just love it because it is fun.

Same, same--50 years in May 2022

I think interest is growing. Saw a local car that looks relatively rust free that is a complete basket case. Wants 5k for it. I think it will sell quickly.

My Frankenstein 914 is going no where. Doing the 928 thing right now but that is up in the air if that will be long term. Really want a 931 to do the 924 turbo Carrera treatment to or a 951.. but 914 is staying. The 911 bubble has passed me up as there are almost zero good deals out there anymore for those.

Well, here is food for thought. My friend traveled to Italy last week and attended a HUGE swap meet called Auto e Moto d'epoch fiere Padova. Manufacturers had booths, and Porsche was there. Porsche Club Italy also was there, and in the next door booth to Porsche, they had this.... seems they have officially embraced the 914. At their booth, where they displayed several cars was this promotional photo of a 914 front and center. The cars are not just gaining popularity, they have clearly embraced the heritage. An noteworthy were two 914's that were for sale and both sold pretty quickly, 28,000 Euros for the cleaner one. And he said, they were driver quality, not restored cars. Click to view attachment

On that note...I was contacted recently by a new 914 owner from northern italy, who just bought and imported from the USA, a project 914LE. Bellisima

What is your perspective of the interest level in the 914 today?

I think my perspective is warped because I spend a lot of time on this site:)

How many years have you been involved with 914s?

I got my first 914 around 5 years ago. I have/had several 911's and 944 turbos over the years(recently got a 04 Cayenne turbo). Been into Porsche's almost since I could drive. Almost got my first 914 in my early 20's (purple with GT flare and koni's ) but passed because the accelerator pivot was broken. Ended up with a 911 SC a few years later.
Since I already had 911's a 914 with a 6 conversion seemed like a nice addition. Jumped in with both feet and converted my first 914 to a 6 right away. Purchased 3 more searching for another car to do a GT clone. Plan to end up with just one (maybe two)

Is your interest growing, stable, or waning and why?

Still growing. Have another 6 conversion in the works so expect to be into 914's for a while.

With 914s, what more are you wanting to explore or are you already completely satisfied?

Always interested in the mods people are doing with these cars. Seems there is no limit. Like reading peoples build threads. 914world is a great resource.

How many more years will you...er, another 914 owner you know...continue to be interested in 914s before they move on?

I think that I will have a 914 in my garage for many years. I would probably get ride of some of the 911's first.

john

Agree with general consensus here - I think they'll continue to appreciate and grow in popularity. Wherever I go, people love this car.

While always an admirer (and wishing I would have bought 10 years ago!), I've only owned mine for two months...so interest isn't waning anytime soon. I am extremely fortunate to have found a gorgeous example of a 46 year old unmolested survivor...without paying through the nose. I freaking love it!

As well, the community here is amazing. Until we're all gone (hopefully, a long long time), the love, collectibility and sheer fun of these cars isn't going anywhere!

I think they continue going up, I’m 24 years old and as passionate as the next person just not as knowledgeable. I worked at a Porsche dealerships and the new GT2RS and Carrera GT’s and all the expensive toys are nice but something about old 911’s, 912’s, and the 914 bring a different joy to driving that you can’t replace. Waiting for mine to come back from the body shop and the 2258 to come back from Jorge at European to start meeting up with everyone here!

Interesting topic. I find it hard to believe that I've owned my 914 for 12 years. I bought it because my DD at the time was a boring, soulless appliance and I needed an outlet for fun driving. I've always liked 914s from a distance, since I was a kid.

I have no regrets about buying it -- it's been at the center of some great memories. But it's also less essential to me now. I'm busier, have less time to drive it, and bought a DD that I enjoy so I don't feel the pent-up need to drive a fun car on the weekends. The liability of owning it (maintenance, crash safety) weighs on me a little bit. Maybe the best argument for keeping it is the community -- here and the local Cars & Coffee scene. And I'm not gonna lie, it still puts a giant grin on my face to drive it (when I'm not intently listening for some new noise to see if it's on the verge of leaving me stranded).

The market in general has come a long way in a dozen years. In the past two years, I've had a couple of unsolicited "Is it for sale?" comments; that had never happened before.

The car is an esoteric classic. It's in a class by itself IMHO. Perhaps with my older generation getting older, it will become even more esoteric. How have similar cars fared over the test of time?

Don't really see much difference than with any other older car. As they age, good examples and parts continue to get harder to come by. This drives prices up. I feel fortunate to have found a diamond in the rough 914-6 conversion about 18 months ago. I grumbled at what I had to pay for it and continue to grumble at what it's taking to redo everything. BUT, not really going to find it any cheaper.

Know a few guys redoing older VW's, they are in similar boats. It still costs $10-15k to put a good paint job on a Ghia. I guess T1 engines are still sorta cheap compared to a flat 6.

What a design!!!

Bought my first one about 20 years ago, have had 4 total, ....sold my latest one 9 months or so ago.

I will always be interested in 914's,.....for some portion of the population, these cars just call out to you.

I'll be satisfied with one more that I will hopefully buy in the next few years.

Obviously, there is much more interest in these cars now, and it is growing. I am happy about that because it increases the values for those of you that already have 914's. I am also happy about that because there are many small vendors, parts manufacturers, and mechanics on this site that have dedicated a lot of time, effort, imagination, and sacrifice in order to keep these cars on the road. I ASSUME this popularity is helping those guys out....and they deserve it.

On the other hand, I liked it better when few other people cared, because everything was cheaper, and it just seemed like we had something special that nobody really understood.

Finally, I could see these cars continuing to appreciate and becoming like 912's, 911's, etc. On the other hand(and this may be unpopular), I could see these cars falling back out of favor by the masses as they actually buy/own the cars, and don't feel like they are as sophisticated/sporty/sexy....choose your own term, as the other cars in their stables. I mainly see this as a possible viewpoint by car collectors who own many high end cars. Either way, nothing can put a smile on your face like a 914.

I have been a car guy for most of my 69 years, most recently involved in the world of 914 for about a year. Very addicting. Every so often I will hear the "I thought they were a VW product?" A simple reply is to mention the 1970 Lemans 24 hours and placing in 6th overall.

The engineers got it right some 50+ years ago

1. interest level in 914 today?
same as always. the cars have never lacked for genuine admirers.
surprised by recent more widespread hype. was not like that 30 years ago.

2. 33 years now. 46 with ac vws.

3. interest = stable. why = gives me same kicks then as now. with added kick of having to work a bit harder to find parts and solve problems as car gets genuinely old.
keep reminding myself owning a 914 in 2021 is like owning a model T in 1974 (except they don't seem as old fashioned as a model T did at the same age).

4. would like to build a sleeper with c polo 4 motor. but time and $ to burn up will run out before that happens. instead just drive what i have as often as possible.

5. will stay interested to the end.

My gut tells me I need to drive my 914s more

"Unusual" cars will always have some level of interest, and the 914 is certainly unusual. The current infatuation with Porsches and other cars from the postwar era will probably fade, but the 914 also has a dedicated cult following.

For me, I had 3 in the 90s, and thought I was over them. Turns out not so much.

Interest level? The climbing prices and abundance of positive comments tell me that the appreciation of 914 is growing after decades of public neglect and scorn.

Years involved? I lusted after a 914 since I first saw one 50 years ago. I have been an owner for 30 years.

My interest? I have been at 100% for a long, long time. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Wanting to explore? Nope. Completely satisfied. There is nobody I want to trade keys with.

Move on? To what? My Cayman R is a fabulous car. If I was forced to pick only one, it wouldn't be the one with AC and traction control.

Click to view attachment
^^^ One Thousand Words. ^^^

Sadly, my inexpensive Porsche has become a moderately expensive Porsche. It doesn’t bother me but the growing interest has been proven by the gain in price.

16 years addicted.

Interest is stable and trending upward.

Just bought JRZ struts & 935 front suspension, queued up for GT flares and having 3 piece wheels made for the car. I’d say I have some exploring ahead.

I plan to be buried before my ownership expires. Assuming we can still buy Dino juice to feed it.

Had my first 914 a 73 back in 76 bought for $2800 or $3000 drove for 4 years and sold for 3K. Got back into it in 2016. I want to learn and improve my cars for a long time, at least as long as I can physically. What I want to explore is to learn as much as I can about the LE cars and make the ones I have perfect. And drive them.

I have been 914'nd since 1998. Drove to high school and we get some winters! Now some twenty years later, I enjoy them more than ever.

After finishing my fathers 914-6.
I am ideating between a 64C outlaw or a 74 914 with 2.2E six and metal flairs.
Then I still have two more 914's to finish...


I'm just getting warmed up.
Matt

I think interest is growing - if only because the market for 911's of the same era has climbed to the point where people interested in the marque are looking for the next entry point. The same is/will happen with the transaxle cars as they age.

These are quirky, instantly recognizable (even if you don't know what they are) cars that are very analog, relatively easy to work on and get parts for with a good, supportive community.

I got my first 914 in high school in 1983 - had it for 13 years before it was totaled (not my fault!) When life finally allowed, I started hunting a few years ago and found one just like "mine" but much, much better - l'll never sell it.

My interest is growing as I am approaching retirement with all the benefits that come with that - time, resources, etc. Probably looking to add a /6 at some point.

I'm looking to explore/learn more hands-on mechanical maintenance and upkeep and with online resources like 914world.com I'm only self-limited.

I'm pretty sure I'm in the world of 914's for good.

What is your perspective of the interest level in the 914 today? Probably a little higher than in past years and pretty much split between Boomers who used to have one and Gen Z kids who wonder what it is.

How many years have you been involved with 914s? Have owned my car for 35 years.

Is your interest growing, stable, or waning and why? Stable. Did the PCA thing when I first owned it. Most members accepted 914s as well as any other model but the politics in the club itself left me disappointed and I eventually left.

One anecdotal observation though. I first started driving in the mid-60's in a British car. Did rallies and the occasional autocross. On the road, sports car drivers would wave to one another. These days drivers of older cars still do but it is rare that drivers of newer Porsches do. I'm guessing that most of them don't have any idea of brand history.

With 914s, what more are you wanting to explore or are you already completely satisfied? I actually live in fear of the next thing that could go wrong with my car. I am at the tipping point between German reliability and the maladies that crop up in a car nearing 50 years of age and 190,000 miles.

How many more years will you...er, another 914 owner you know...continue to be interested in 914s before they move on?. Can speak only for myself. I'm keeping my car.

Have two, looking for a Ravenna. Agree with a lot of what is said above. Get a lot of positive comments. Rust is certainly a problem but not in my climate. Fun to drive. Age is making it a bit of a battle to get out of. Have a number of upper P car models but this is the one for the Sunday drive. Like that most of the puppies have no clue. Always fun to have both hoods up and have them figure out where the engine is at. This site and 914 Rubber have made it easier to take care of than some of the others. The prices have certainly gone up in the last year/ Makes it harder for the entry but seems to mean a lot more are being salvaged rather than scrapped.

What is your perspective of the interest level in the 914 today?

Interest level high, buoyed in part because of everyone here and my perception of increasing interest in the car collecting community (BaT, anyone??)

How many years have you been involved with 914s?

First car 1971 Signal Orange in 1975, it replaced a 1973 Mercury Capri and was succeeded by a 1972 Alfa Spider.
Drove two (I totaled one) from 1981-1986 during surgical residency, only left me stranded one single day!
Got back in the game in 2008.

Is your interest growing, stable, or waning and why?

Stable, I have three cars and feel responsible for maintaining and driving them.

With 914s, what more are you wanting to explore or are you already completely satisfied?

Completely satisfied

How many more years will you...er, another 914 owner you know...continue to be interested in 914s before they move on?

Hope to have at least one until I stop driving.

Paul

slightly off topic but not far and related to above.

i went along to the society of post war arse draggers meeting last night - a club literally dying on its feet here (a comment was made, "last one out don't forget to turn out the lights" towards the end of the evening).
reason - the society was debating whether to allow me to be a member and expand their register to my car, which i forcefully argued against on the grounds of NARP. i couldn't resist the temptation to give back all i got 30 years ago!

but.......i had a very interesting conversation with a gentleman i hadn't seen for a long time who has hung on to his two 356s beyond 40 years. he revealed to me that the large superannuation funds are buying cars as investments and warehousing them. if that is true it goes some way to explaining the rise in values for particular kinds of cars in particular types of condition (even some 914s?). it would seem that not just wealthy individuals are involved in car collecting these days, but also large investment corporations. interesting if true.

Double ditto. 49 years in may 2022. Early friends kidded me as the FeO (iron oxide, or rust) car but still have it and its outlasted all but one of them! In my will to my son.
As for interest, it draws way more attention at early morning coffee events than almost every other Porsche. Many comment that they’ve heard of 914s but gave never actually seen one. Haw haw haw.

What is your perspective of the state of our 914 interests today?

From what I have seen across the Internet, it seems that the interest in the 914 is growing with new owners showing up here and there. That and the rising prices of the car from seeing auction numbers for pristine 914s. Joining the different 914 Facebook pages that I know of and then finally joining here at the 914World forum. I've drawn some attention when I've attended some local car meets here in my town and people have asked me what kind of car it is.

How many years have you been involved with 914s?

I've been involved with 914s for as long as I can remember. I was born in 1987 and I grew up riding around in my father's Marathon Blue 1974 914 1.8L which he bought new from Ely Porsche Audi in Hayward, CA. I've had the opportunity drive a 72 and 73 both were 1.7's from what I can remember where I used to work at an independent repair shop in my town. After driving the other two years I am glad I have the 74 with the tighter gear shift haha.

Is your interest growing, stable, or waning and why?

My interest in the 914 is stable as I only have the one which my father bought new and he still owns. But it's interesting to learn about the subtle differences and changes throughout the production years. I work on the car when I have time. The car still needs work, but it's a driver.

With 914s, what more are you wanting to explore or are you already completely satisfied?

I've wanted to experience a -6 for a while, if I ever come across the opportunity to drive one after driving a 1984 Guards Red 911 the first experience of a Porsche flat 6 for me when I used to work at the independent shop. Other than that I am satisfied with the 914 I have the opportunity to drive and work on as I am still learning about the car as I work on it.

How many more years will you...er, another 914 owner you know...continue to be interested in 914s before you move on?

I hope to be interested in the car until I stop driving.

Im on my second 914, and when I sold my first in 2019 there were alot of interested buyers- and I should have kept it because 10K in 2019 translates to 15K on BAT in 2121. But the car is like a beautiful girl, it gets a lot of attention- different than muscle cars or my Datsun pickup- So this car will attract people for a long time- The 914, Lancia, Lotus, the pretty Jags all have a style that will last.

I test drove one in 1975 while in college in CA. Married, job, house and kids, moved back to NJ. 40 years later retired looking for a project found a 75 914 that was a CA car. Very little rust. Put it up on blocks for a year and went through the whole car. Just finished rebuilding the spare motor I bought for $125.00 to a 2056. I will never sell it, willed to my 7 year old grandson. They can be a money pit and sometimes a PIA to work on, but plenty of parts still available. The fun factor of driving the car is like driving a go cart on the street!

I talked to a father at a college parents day who had invested in a fund that buys investment cars. That was about six years ago so I bet it has paid off for him. I remember him saying he put in 200K to try it out.

In August I added a 2nd restoration project in the shop. Just going to sit on it for awhile. Better than money in the bank as far as I am concerned.

There is something about a mid engine two seater with an air cooled engine. I know what it is, it's fun.

I just stripped the threads on the speedo gear lock pin...... so as of today, F#@! THE 914!!!