The Porsche 912 is a sports car produced by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany, for the 1965 through 1969 model years. An entry-level variant of the 911, it was also offered in compact 2+2 Coupé and Targa body styles. The 912 was fitted with a 1.6-liter air cooled flat-4 from the last of the 356s, slightly detuned to 102 SAE horsepower at 5800 rpm, and with a slightly lower rear weight bias, was known for its nimble, balanced handling.[2] The 912's high-efficiency boxer engine, low drag, and low weight allow it to get up to 30 mpgus. Initially priced at US$4700, more than 32,000 912s were built from April 1965 to July 1969. Sales of the 912 initially outpaced the 911 (introduced in 1964), boosting the manufacturer's total production until success of the 911 was assured. The 4-cylinder 914 superseded the 912 for the 1970 through 1975 model years. In 1976, The 912 enjoyed a one-year revival with the U.S.-only 912E powered by the 914-derived 2.0-liter VW "Type 4" flat 4 with Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection delivering 90 SAE horsepower at 4900 rpm. Just 2,092 912E Coupés were built from May 1975 to July 1976, when the 912E was superseded by the 924.
History
912 (1965–1969)
In the early 1960s, Porsche planned to discontinue the Type 356, which would leave the newly introduced Type 911, with its more powerful six-cylinder powerplant, as the company's sole product. Concerned that the considerable price increase of the 911 over the 356 would cost the company sales and narrow its brand appeal, in 1963 Porsche executives decided to introduce a new four-cylinder entry-level model based on the 911. Like that vehicle with its internal factory designation of "901", the four-cylinder 912 was originally known at the company by a number with a zero in the middle, but the "902" designation was never used publicly.[3] "912" as a project number was initially used to indicate the 12-cylinder boxer engine developed for Porsche 917 racing car.[4]
In 1963, Porsche assigned Dan Schwartz, later Chief Departmental Manager for Development, Mechanics, a project to oversee design and construction of a new horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine for the 902, utilizing components from the new 901 six-cylinder engine, that would produce higher performance than the overhead valve 356SC engine while being less costly and complex than the
Motorsport
Sold to the public for street use, the Porsche 912 has also proven successful as a race car, from production years to current vintage events. In 1967 the 912 contributed to Porsche factory rally history when independent Polish driver Sobiesław Zasada drove a factory-loaned 912, bearing Polish plate 6177 KR, to capture the European Rally Championship for Group 1 series touring cars.[13] In the 1967 Rally of Poland, the third oldest rally in the world and one of the oldest motorsport events in the world,[14] Zasada drove his 912 race No. 47 to finish first overall out of a starting field of 50 entries.[15]
As a vintage rally car, on January 29, 2012, Hayden Burvill, Alastair Caldwell, and their #35 1968 Porsche 912 finished first in class, and 7th overall in the 2012 London to Cape Town World Cup Rally; a 14 country, three continent, 14,000 kilometre, 26 driving-days event.[16]
External links
References
- Basil Cardew. Daily Express Review of the 1966 Motor Show Beaverbrook Newspapers Ltd, 1966^
- 912 and 912E Original Specs Quick Info 912registry.org, retrieved 2015-12-02^
- Karl Ludvigsen. Porsche - Excellence Was Expected Princeton Publishing Inc., 1977^