Spotted: the elusive 914S, Real world sighting Options

[Millerwelds]

Spotted in Folsom CA a few weeks ago. Black trim around the windshield looks original.

Talk amongst yourself's...









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[SirAndy]

Spotted in Folsom CA a few weeks ago. Black trim around the windshield looks original.
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The funny part is that the factory flyer that talks about the '73 "S" doesn't actually show a car with the black vinyl around the windshield.
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[914Sixer]

First 1,000 1973's had vinyl around front windows

[Steve]

The Porsche Museum calls the 914-8 the 914 S

[wonkipop]

The Porsche Museum calls the 914-8 the 914 S

..........and the factory is far/kin/well right. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)

[rgalla9146]

I remember ever seeing only one 914 with the vinyl around the windshield.
I did not know it was a ' 914 S ' (?) feature.
I like the idea from a style angle and would like to see again in the wild.

[sixnotfour]

I had one..

[Robarabian]

I have one... its in waiting.....

[Robarabian]

I have one... its in waiting.....

[Dave_Darling]

I remember ever seeing only one 914 with the vinyl around the windshield.
I did not know it was a ' 914 S ' (?) feature.

It's not.

There wasn't a factory "914S". There was an advertising brochure printed up, and a few dealers who used that label, but the factory said "NO."

Even then, the advertising brochure (as Andy pointed out) shows a 914 without the A pillar vinyl.

The A pillar cover was on the first 1000 or so 1973 914s. (I am not sure if that was only 2-liter cars or both 1.7 and 2.0 ones.) An interesting look, but the bottom of the vinyl was unfinished and would curl up and distort.

You could do the same to your car if you wanted to.

--DD

[JamesM]

Spotted in Folsom CA a few weeks ago. Black trim around the windshield looks original.

Did you happen to catch the VIN?

I have one sitting at the side of my house. 2nd earliest 73 2.0 in the VIN database at the moment.

[JamesM]

I remember ever seeing only one 914 with the vinyl around the windshield.
I did not know it was a ' 914 S ' (?) feature.

The A pillar cover was on the first 1000 or so 1973 914s. (I am not sure if that was only 2-liter cars or both 1.7 and 2.0 ones.) An interesting look, but the bottom of the vinyl was unfinished and would curl up and distort.

Based on the VIN numbers of the 2.0s I have seen it on and the statement that it was only on the first 1000 (not sure the source of this) I suspect it was only the 2.0s

[Robarabian]

Mine is a 1.7... so it must have come both ways...

I remember ever seeing only one 914 with the vinyl around the windshield.
I did not know it was a ' 914 S ' (?) feature.

It's not.

There wasn't a factory "914S". There was an advertising brochure printed up, and a few dealers who used that label, but the factory said "NO."

Even then, the advertising brochure (as Andy pointed out) shows a 914 without the A pillar vinyl.

The A pillar cover was on the first 1000 or so 1973 914s. (I am not sure if that was only 2-liter cars or both 1.7 and 2.0 ones.) An interesting look, but the bottom of the vinyl was unfinished and would curl up and distort.

You could do the same to your car if you wanted to.

--DD

[Dave_Darling]

Mine is a 1.7... so it must have come both ways...

Thanks! I'll try to update the ol' memory banks with that info.

--DD

[Millerwelds]

The black window trim would not have been exclusive to the "S" but was being done at the same time the S was being marketed. So the two could have crossed paths meaning the black window trim could have shown up on a model marketed as an S.


http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=107851

[RFoulds]

I have one in Ravenna Green. I don’t prefer the A pillar vinyl but because it was unique to so few cars, I did keep it.

[bkrantz]

First 1,000 1973's had vinyl around front windows

Sounds like a perfect way to speed up corrosion. Even if that can be done on a 914.

[pfreiburger]

My 1973 VIN # 4732900480 (in the 1st 1000 group), a 1.7 California car, has the pillar trim. I actually prefer the car without it, but it has grown on me a bit.

[TMM914]

My 1973 VIN #4732900444 (also 1st 1000) is a 1.7 and has pillar trim. Sold new in Ontario Canada.I am the second owner.

[wonkipop]

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i think the original batch of early 73 914s (1000 or so as mentioned) as well as having a pillar vinyl (if they had b pillar vinyl/appearance group) also had no additional badge on rear trunk panel. both the 1.7 and the 2.0. they only had a 914 as a badge there.

if you look at the published magazine articles of the time where they test a 2.0 you can clearly see the rear badging lacks the additional 2.0 number. just says 914.

i've seen a very few examples for sale on BAT as well that were very intact early 73 cars of both varieties. 2.0 and 1.7s that have very slightly mismatched coloring on the badging as if the 2.0 and 1.7 badges were either later added if lost, or were mismatched from the factory (hard to believe vw or porsche would be that poor at quality control) or they were added at the time back in the day but some months later.
for one of the cars, in the comments column, an original owner of a new 73 2.0 back in the day signed on and related a story of how his car was called back in by the dealer and the 2.0 badge was added.

if all thats true there was definitely some uncertainty early on with how to badge or market the cars. even from porsche and vw themselves? before they settled on the final identification on the two models by calling them 1.7 and 2.0.

as to calling them an S in the rest of the world. thats certainly true of the UK and japan. i've seen and have copies of the UK distributor ads. AFN referred to them as an S in the UK. however the cars did not have the badging. they had 2.0 attached.

as to being referred to as an SC in the UK, i've not seen evidence of that.
i think that arose from a published road test of a privately imported 73 914 2.0 imported to australia after a crayfords right hand drive conversion. the australian owner probably big noted it to the australian reviewers as an SC. the car had a front air dam spoiler fitted to it with 914 SC written across it. aftermarket add on by a very self concious owner trying to counter act aggresive owners of "real" porsches.
no - i don't own a VW sort of moment. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)


additional to the sales literature in the USA that called the 2.0 an S there is also the CARB documentation submitted in 1973 for emissions certification. in those documents the 2.0 is listed as 914/S. and the 1.7 is referred to as 914/4. that wasl also very early on in the piece when the cars first start arriving or maybe just in advance of the first cars hitting the showroom. the documents were submitted to CARB by VW North America.