"Incredibly Modern" Options

[JeffBowlsby]

This sent to me from an LE owner:

https://newsroom.porsche.com/en/2020/histor...-914-19743.html

[bbrock]

I think this abbreviated version of the article makes Mauer seem more of a dedicated fan than comes across in the full text of the interview. Here is an excerpt from the full interview in the book:

Lewandowski: How would you assess the design of the 914 from a personal perspective?
Mauer: "I still find the car quite bizarre, but my impression has changed during the course of this conversation. I never really thougt too hard about the 914 until now. As a result of the last hour's discussion and the fact that I have understood the times in which the car originated, I come back to my original point - the thing is incredibly modern, particularly with regard to the initial models. It's incredibly impressive to see how the results are way ahead of anything else at the time. This wasn't really on my radar until now. The car has almost no floor plan, but this central element is extremely consistent. To have the courage to design such a big surface without a single bead or extraneous element is genuinely awesome. I really like the rear of the car. From a modern perspective, the process in getting to this result is quite fascinating. I still have some difficulties with the car, but for me what counts is what was achieved at the time..."

It's pretty clear the interview is the result of a man seriously considerig the 914 for the first time. Whether those impressions of a future role for a "pure" Porsche will stick is anyone's guess. I hope so.

As for him thinking this is a "real Porsche," it's not just him. What I really love about the book that contains this full interview is that it completely revolutionized my view of the 914's place in Porsche history. I already knew that the "Porsche in name only" is total BS as anyone who has wrenched on these cars does. I also thought the NARP label was undeserved but assumed that VW had a significant influence on engineering and design. The archival information presented in the book clearly shows that is far from the truth. This car was pure Porsche. The original concept was pure Porsche as was the design. The only input I can see that VW had was to quibble over swapping in VW parts to save cost whenever they were plug and play without compromising design. Even the selection of the Type IV engine made perfect sense from a purely Porsche design standard.

The only thing NARP about these cars was the sometimes awkward partnership in manufacturing and marketing. I didn't realize this partnership is the whole reason VW-Porsche-Audi delerships were created in the US. As a result of reading the book, I've come to believe "Volkswagen in name only" is a more accurate description of the 914. That's not from any snobbery of VW either. I've never had any issue with the VW heritage of these cars. It's a proud heritage. But the facts revealed in this book show the design of the 914 is pure Porsche.