Written sources and other proof says the 914 was officially imported to the following countries:

1. USA – obviously. Excellence was expected says approximately 60% of all 914s were sold in the USA

2. Germany – of course (but they weren't imported to Germany....)

3. Italy – I have seen 2 Italian 914 ads, and an Italian 914 Tech Spec book

4. Japan – A Japanese website says that several (maybe as many as 65) 914/6 and 20 1974 914 LE cars were imported there, surely there were many more standard 914s. The restorers guide depicts at least two Japan-only equipment items, a tach and sidelight marker lens, and I have a photo of a Japanese 914 door jamb sticker.

5. France – I have 2 French Sonauto ads

6. England – Crayford offered the RHD conversions

7. Australia – Crayford offered the RHD conversions

8. Canada – I have a photo of a 914 Canadian maintenance record

9. Sweden - Were’nt they the only country requiring the headlight washers and passenger convex mirrors?

10. Finland - I have seen a COA with a 'Finland equipment option' listed

11. The Netherlands - but no known proof.


So is that it…just 10 countries plus Germany that we have proof of?


But what about:


Spain?

Austria?

Switzerland?

How about South America, and Mexico?

Nigeria?

The Netherlands for sure.

Austria, Switzerland and Spain... very probably, but I have nothing to prove it

Oh, and the were NEVER imported to Germany

cheers,

Jeroen

Good one, Jeroen!!

i am led to believe finland too. one guy said his receipt said it had the "finland option". something to do with headlights

yup, I've seen at least two 914-6's in the US that have the "finland option".

well cool.

WHAT IS IT !?

we've asked this before and i don't think even Timo knew what it was - really.

( completely off topic - it's possible Joy will be unable to accompany me to FL for the RennSport Reunion. in the event i can go and she can't - you want to tag along and share expenses ? an offlist response is probably best ...)

how about too loud????

Do they not have the strictest rules regarding vehicle noise?

What! In Switzerland don't they have the Smartcars, Swatches and all those tiny tincan cars too. No way could they just ban the 914...well, maybe just cuz they catch fire so easy along with all the other VW's.

Geoff

How about the Republic of Palo Alto where it's illegal to wash your car? I've applied for a pass-through permit so I can drive the /6 from San Jose to Candlestick for the AX event this weekend.

It'll come up before the city council next week.

Brazil....we have a member from there. He posted pics of his Aub coloured one. Pics were taken in a big warehouse...

I've heard the finland option is always on headlights. which seems kinda strange, since 914's do have pop up lights.

You may have something there Carl...but for the foreigners, Carls talking about local politics. Palo Alto bans leaf blowers because they are too loud. Bet Brads former 914 Julius would be stopped at the border for sure...

Antonios Aubie car in Brazil was bought from a local collector...it was never imported to Brazil from The Factory. There is also a 914 in Argentina. I wonder if the Hussein Bros had a 914 to go with that yella 9-eleben Lawrence found in EyeRak? We also know of two 914s in Mazatlan, Mexico...brought in by their American owners...

They had the headlamp washers on the rubber bumper cap. Actually seen one. Was in rough shape or I would of bought it.

i'll ask Adrian Streather on the 911 list - he lives there, and is quite an authority on Porsche matters (just wrote a book on 964's ...)

and when i did, this is what he said:

" No this is not true. They cannot ban a certain model of car. I get the
magazines and I have never seen anything about such things. The VW-Porsche
914 (as it is known here) is quite rare. In fact very rare I have never seen
one on the road.
As individual autos they can be taken off the road based on noise grounds
but they can also be registered as historic where emissions and noise do not
count. The 914 came out before 1976 when such regulations were introduced.
There is still a VW-Porsche 914 club here in Switzerland.
I have check the web before I answered this email and there is nothing
listed related to the 914. It may be you cannot import them anymore for
normal registration but that law applies inmany countries. I wonder if your
colleague has them mixed up with Austria which has got really strict with
this stuff. "

It is interesting that VW Canada, the official importer, did not bring in the 914 until about 1972. They had been importing Porsche since 1958. I think I know of only one 1971 model that came into Canada, so they may have begun importing late in 1971. I'll have to see if I can contact VW Canada for better information. I did see a list, perhaps 20 years ago, with annual importation data. Some of the owners manual seem to be Canada specific. I remember a parade tech quiz about 1989 where the data that I knew did not jibe with the data in the US owners manual that was listed as the reference.

DaveP

Here is a COA for 914/6 with Finland Equipment:

Geoff,

The factory sent 2 cars down here for evaluation, I think in 1970, to Hamiltons the then Porsche importer in Melbourne. I think one car went back to the factory and the other stayed and is now owned by Brian Clearihan in Melbourne who runs the 914 register. All the other cars here have been privately imported. You keep hearing about them all the time. Last week I heard about a reclusive farmer about 500km from here who is said to have 10 of them stacked in a shed. People have been trying to buy them from him off and on for some years but he wont sell. The 914 futures market is not strong out here so I can't see him making a killing.

BTW Japan is also RHD.

Cheers

its not proof that they was sold there
but we have shipped parts to all of those countrys except spain, austria,and france.
here are some places we didnt expect to send parts to.pureto rico/eygpt/south africa/peru/holland/and korea?
who would own a 914 in korea???
germany and the netherlands are right behind california as our biggest buyers. go figure ?

being a little bored today, I decided to surf through older topics

here'a a scan from front and back side from an Austrian price list from September 1971 - model year 1972

so, this proofs that the 914 was imported to Austria
this also proofs, that the 914-6 was available in 1972

I know the South American cars were US imports, that were exported.

I have no idea where I picked that up.

(I have had other things that I had no idea where I picked them up..)




M

... and here's the 1970 price list from Swizerland

pretty interesting detail: they listed Sportomatic as option for both, 4 & 6 (tried to mark it with the black arrow and red circle)

Ok then, what was the 1972 914 "S" model???? All optioned out? The 2.0L four wasn't available yet...

Geoff

the Austrian price list says:

914 S
like 914, plus:

• chrome bumpers
• black vinyl at roll bar, including chrome trim
• dual horns
• steel rims 5 1/2 x 15 with 165 HR 15
• leather steeting wheel
• pile type carpet
• passenger's storage box

Gustl

Lets not forget that the Brazilian Aubergine car has a GB engine, that means it was not destined for the US or Canada. If the owner has the original Owners manual then it should state the selling dealer if not the importer.

You are right. I don´t. But, I know our laws here and I can say



is Sorry.



No, headlamp washers came mandatory here after they had stoped manufacturing 914s. Can not be that. Sorry.

My guess is, that Finland option has something to do with the papers, the way the car was imported or something like that. I am sure it is nothing concrete. How can I say that ?? I know there is only about half a dozen 914s imported officially as a new to Finland. I don´t believe Porsche have developed and/or manufactured anything special for us.

Today we have here perhaps couple of dozens of 914s here. Most of them are imported during the last 10 years from USA, but I know one from Swizerland too. So, the do sold them there

Oh, and if we have here something special they don´t have in souther Europe, we have cold winters and snow. So, if the Finland options IS something concrete, my guess is it has something to do with the winter and/or snow. Maybe winter tires or extra set of (steel) wheels for winter tires.

I thought it had to due with a rear window defogger.


Geoff

Swedes had the right side mirror with tiny reflections.


M

Thats a good one. It could be that. I`ll find out tomorrow when they came here mandatory.

Oh, Swedes have lots of crazy stuff ....

I think right side mirror have not been mandatory here very long time. Maybe from late ´80s, but I have to check that tomorrow too. Any other good proposals ??

I have not yet found any answers, but I am working on this. I´ll try to find out what really is that Finland-option.

I have one new guess too. It could be mudflaps. They have been mandatory here. I am 100% sure standard (= very high) 914 with out mudflaps would have been illegal here in the late 70s. Today thay are not any more mandatory here and for example I don´t have them in my 914.

Just heard, C13 Finland option for 928s up to 1987 have included mudflaps and headlamp washers. So, my last guess was not a bad.

Not!

Didn't the Finland option involve the headlight washer system with the expansion chamber (part 914 628 031 10) ?

I could swear I read this somewhere 'official'.

I don´t believe it. The headlight washer system was not required here up to the end of 70s. I don´t know the exact year, but I think it was sometimes at the beginning of 80s when the headlight washer system was required in all new cars.

I asked from other Finnish Porsche enthusiasts about this Finland option. They told me that 911s, 924s, 944s and 928s had the same kind of Finland option too. They told me it included mudflaps. So, I am 99% sure the 914 Finland option is, or at least include, mudflaps. Thats the only explanation that have sens.

crabs again, miles?

While looking throug the "Caught by Camera" book today, I've found a picture with text, that says that even Portugal had a Importer:



info: 80 km = 50 miles