I was trying to explain to my wife how today's Boxster, as Porsche's entry level car, fills the same role the 914 did thirty years ago. She doesn' t see it, she thinks the Boxster is far more expensive.

Since I am not up to speed on the inflation index, does anyone know what a 914 and 914/6 would sell for in 2003 dollars? Does it drop right in at Boxster level?

I don't know about the exact inflation numbers, but I think you could buy a stripped down vette for the price of a new loaded teener back then. Seems bout right by my math. My dad and brother are into vette's and just don't "get" my car. Sucks to be them
Ferg.

You are probably right about the Vette. That was before Delorean realized that if he was selling all they built at X$ with zilch advertising, then they could probably sell all at Y$. Let the market set the price for the Corvette. And it did.

Give me an original price range and I'll calculate the adjusted range for you in 2003 dollars.
-Ben M.

'70 914.6 - $4000

Explain it to her this way...in 1970 minimum wage was X in your area, now it's Y about 7-8 times more. A teener was $6000, a boxter is $50,000 7-8 times more.

Note: my math may be off, but BS baffles

I googled an inflation calculator and in 2002 dollars...the last inflation rates available, I got this:

$6,000.00 in 1970 dollars becomes

$27,906.98 in 2002 dollars.

a standard vw bug was 999 ( got any old national geographics ). now they are 20.
the sticker on my 74 2.0 was 8........x 20 = 160.

you are allowed 1 ruf 3600 boxster , 3 boxster s's , 4 regular boxster or 8 used ones. tom logic.

no wonder I don't like the boxter as much... their math is off... at 30k I would go for it, but 50k...the vette does start to look much better! they missed their price point on the boxter IMO

you aren't comparing the right beetle... you need to compare it to the one in mexico... still aircooled(until they run out)... about 10k the last I heard...

tat, we are trying to appeal to a womans sense of logic.( hopefully she has never seen or heard of the mexi beetle. ) ruf. ruf.

$18,900 (give or take a hundred bucks)

I dont't think that the Boxter is attracting the same customers that the 914-6 was in 1970.

there's your problem then:

women != logical

you are trying to rationalize a non-rational creature... just give her the money for another pair of shoes and leave it be...

Sixes were only $4K? I thought they were like $8K.

Introductoryu prices for Fours were $3600-3700 in 1970

Sixes were ~$5999...

Check the vintage ads...

Better yet...here is a window sticker:

I would do the math of a 914-6 $7k at the time to a 911 at the time which I think was $8k.
VS. a Boxster $45-50K to the current 911 which is roughly $60k or greater.
They look very similiar to me...

Steve

If I remember correctly, in 1971, I paid about 5k for my 4 1.7 silver, non-appearance group.

Joan A
(A logical woman)

Its really great to have you join in Joan...

The earliest window sticker I have is from a stock 73 car (1.7?)...$5200 and change...it has sway bars and center console...but does not indicate engine size.

Taxes may have added another 3-400...taking it to $5600 maybe tops? So the 5K figure in 71 mnay be a little high...Ill bet you financed it which might have taken it to that number though...

As I recall the cars got pricier and pricier too. Didn't the 73+ 2L cars cost as much or close to what the sixes originally did.

My last posts confirm that.

Don't forget .. it's not just inflation but also the Mark to Dollar conversion (which is now in Euros.) My guess is if you combine these, plus inflation, its close to a factor of 10. So a base 1.7 was 4k, and a Boxster is 40k. A "6" was 6k and a Boxster S is close to 60 (O.T.D)... So, in fact, they "are" equivalent "entry" level cars.

No charge for the stabilizer bars and center console probably indicate that it's a 2.0.

OK .... here is one in deutsch marks .... somebody do the math.

WOW!
Look at Doug, Mr. Window sticker.
Stickeramma.
Mr. Deutsch Mark.
Deutsch Mark Man...


Paul

Light alloy wheels? Gas burners?



M

what?!?

do i smell window sticker envy??



not sure, it has fuchs now.

You forgot "Deutsch Meister"
and of course he's "Make-in cop-ies" (of windowstickers)

-Ben M.

Kool Doug...

US Equip.
Leather steering wheel
Alloy wheels
Siilver paint

A US-market car, with German delivery???

I paid $4550.00 for my 73, 1.7, appearance group, Pedrini wheels, A.C.(500 xtra) new. My 75, 2.0, with the same package(not sure about original wheels) say's $8000.00, factory delivered price, on the original Okla. title. That's a $3500.00 increase in two years. Let's see, $1750.00 per year. 28 years.

$49,800.00

All I know is that I was making $1.35 an hour in 1970. (Pumping gas, working part time after school.) I couldn't afford to buy one then, now 33 yrs later I make a bit more now and still can't afford one.

Darn kids!!

Besides, I have the best car Dr. Porsche built (cept for the 956)

HAAA!! that's PDF (purdy dang funny)!!



the original owner purchased it while in the service, in '70 and had it shipped back in '71.

Being somewhat of a geek, I went to the FED's CPI calculator. According to this, if your 1970 914/6 cost $6500, then it should cost $30757.73 today. Add in all those luxo items (good heating/cooling, leather, power crap, etc.) and you're probably in the %45k ballpark. Add the wide/low-aspect wheel tires and you get to $50k.

I'm saving my pennies... I wish they'd do a awd version (4 wheel drifting with awd is FUN).

the official pre-announcement - with official (highly optimistic) pre-pricing ...

Where can I get one of those "crash pillows"?

Maybe the problem with the Boxter is that it was not developed in a joint venture with VW!

Yeah, that's the ticket. Sell most of them with a VW 4 cyl, a Porsche for the masses, as it were, and then let Porsche sell some 6 cyl models at a higher price to maintain the cachet of the brand.

I think I am onto something here.


do I win a t shirt?

Okay this is a 1998 sold new to a older fellow in Fla. and then to me with 18000 miles. I purchased the car in 12/15/2002 for $22,000. The MSRP hard to read is $45,100.
I am also a 914 owner and 911 owner. Theya re all great cars and I will concur with the statement that this is where the 914 would have gone if it had stayed in production.
CCLIN914BOXSTERTIME

lest you think this concept -too- ridiculous to happen again, go have a look at the Tuareg (V8 SUV) and Cayenne (Turbo V8 SUV)...

All of today's cars have many features that were not even thought of in the '70s. These things add to the cost of the vehicle. The cost of a Boxster is higher than the cost of a 914 in today's dollars partly because of these items.

It would be interesting to see if they could make a profit on the car if they got rid of the "optional" updates (power stuff and other luxo doo-dads) yet kept the manditory safety items (airbags, etc). It would be a pretty basic car, but it just might be fun (and lighter)

I'll probably put out the cash for an "S" when they reach 10 years old or so... but only if the battery tray rusts