Warning!
We have 15 years of archives. Links older than a year may have been updated to point to similar cars available to bid on eBay.
This site contains Ebay partner affiliate links, which may earn us a commission at no additional cost to you.
The 912 had a fairly short run as Porsche’s entry-level coupe. Though it had a lot of early success and seemed well liked, its appeal seems to have waned rather quickly and after a short 5 year production run it was replaced by the 914 as Porsche’s cheapest offering. It did reappear for one year as Porsche transitioned from the 914 to the 924, but it is that first run that was most interesting. Perhaps the 912 simply was too similar to the 911, a trait that now stands as one of its best features, and as Porsche released the 911T the writing on the wall was clear, the 912 would be replaced. Nearly identical in appearance to the 911, the 912 used a 1.6 liter flat-four derived from what had been standard in the 356. This smaller and lighter engine had the effect of creating a more balanced chassis relative to the 911 and early 912s were reputed to handle better than their more expensive sibling. On the short-wheelbase models produced from 1965-1968 those dynamic differences were at their most pronounced. In 1969 Porsche decided that with the release of the 914 and 911T that production of the 912 would no longer be viable and the model was discontinued. Here we have what looks like a very nice example of one of the short-wheelbase models: a Bahama Yellow 1967 Porsche 912 Coupe, located in Oregon, with 58,516 miles on it.
I am a big fan of variety and selection when it comes to car color. As such, I really enjoy coming across variants I haven’t seen before. While I have always been aware that Sand Beige existed and was available on older Porsches, I cannot recall actually coming across one. Now, I will say, Sand Beige isn’t an exciting color. This doesn’t make me take notice in the way a Blood Orange 911S or Riviera Blue GT2 does. It isn’t electric, but it is different and I still enjoy taking in any color simply so as to understand the nuances of the shade and the subtle distinctions that distinguish it from standard colors available at the time. Here we see it on an early short wheel-base 1966 Porsche 912, located in Ohio, with a nice Tan interior and 70,160 miles on it.
I have expressed my fondness for the Porsche 912 for its overall simplicity as well as the potential it offers to buyers seeking vintage Porsche 911 style, but without the 911 price. These were entry-level cars that bore a strong resemblance to their more famous big brother, but were fitted with a flat-4 rather than the 911’s flat-6. There were even claims that the 912 was a better-handling performer than the 911 due to its lower rear weight and thus better balance. For the most part, any 912 will fit that bill. The example we see here will be somewhat of an exception to the typical rule. Due to their entry-level nature few 912s have survived in excellent condition so most of those that do survive tend to come at a nice value. Now and again we come across one that appears to have been kept in much better condition throughout its life. While values for those examples still won’t come close to a similar-condition 911, they still command pretty good money. Here we have one aiming for the top of the market: a Bahama Yellow 1966 Porsche 912, located in New York, with 75,000 miles on it.
The Porsche 912 was originally conceived as a budget model because the 911, quite simply, had become too expensive compared to the outgoing 356 model. On the surface, you got the updated looks of the 901 – but underneath was a more simple and frugal flat-4 similar to the unit from the outgoing 356. This helped to keep costs down but performance was less exciting, and for a long time the 912 was the “also ran” compared to 911. But stratospheric rises in prices – especially of early 911s – meant that it was no surprise to see the 912 get drawn up as well. The simplicity is almost more appealing than the 911 in some ways; as the adage goes, it’s more fun to drive a slow car fast, and a 912 is just the type of car that you can drive flat out without worrying about lighting your hair on fire and jumping backwards off a cliff. As with all Porsches, some of these 912 have been modified to race, such as this 1969 example:
I’ve chosen to feature this car almost purely out of curiosity. The Soft-window Targa is one of those cars where the design, from an aesthetic perspective, leaves me cold, but from a functional perspective I always find very intriguing. These cars are sort of an engineering peculiarity; only existent for a few years as Porsche’s answer to the need for an open-top vehicle that would also meet safety requirements the Soft-window Targa is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: a Targa where the window section behind the roll hoop could be lowered to create an airiness more akin to a cabriolet. These provided a variety of open-top motoring options between fully open and fully closed and with the integrated roll hoop they were sure to meet the increasingly stringent safety standards that Porsche worried would render the cabriolet obsolete. I just hate the look. With the rear window down these have always looked like something jerry-rigged in someone’s garage and no matter how interesting I think the design is I just can’t get past that. C’est la vie. Available for both the 911 and the 912, here we have a Burgundy 1968 Porsche 912 Soft-window Targa, located in California, with a stated 12,703 miles on it.
