Porsche was the first German manufacturer to bring to market a production mid- engined sports car in 1969. To celebrate this anniversary, the Porsche Museum has invited all fans of the two-seater to the “Typically Porsche Day” on Sunday, June 2, 2019 at the start of the special show “50 Years of the 914 – Typically Porsche”.
Over 120 owners of private 914 models, including from the club scene, will be in attendance. As well as a range of promotions, visitors to the “Typically Porsche Day” will also be able to enjoy expert panels on the 914. For example, former development and race engineer Roland Kussmaul, former chassis developer and race driver Hans Clausecker, as well as engineer and race driver Günter Steckkönig together with author Jürgen Lewandowski will look back at the genesis and legendary moments of the Porsche 914. Anthony Hatter, Head of Design Quality Style Porsche, together with former Porsche development engineer Jürgen Kapfer and product developer for race cars Hermann-Josef Steinmetz, will explore the question of the roots and above all the future of the mid-engined concept at Porsche and investigate why the mid-engined configuration, design, technology and lifestyle are typically Porsche today. Entry to the “Typically Porsche Day” on Sunday, June 2, is free.
50 years ago, Porsche was striving to expand its position in the market with a sports car in the promising segment beneath the 911. However, such a project would not have been viable for the small company on its own. The Zuffenhausen-based car manufacturer found a partner in Volkswagen, since at the time VW was looking for a successor to its then rather outdated Type 34 sports coupé, better known as the Karmann Ghia. Ferry Porsche and VW Director Heinrich Nordhoff shook hands on a joint project in the mid-1960s. When Nordhoff unexpectedly died in 1968, the project was in danger of collapsing. Ferry Porsche worked out a solution with the new Managing Director of VW, Kurt Lotz: the two companies established the VW-Porsche sales company. It marketed the project on the European market as the VW-Porsche. It was available in two versions: the 914 with a four-cylinder engine from Volkswagen and the 914/6 with a six-cylinder engine from Porsche. In the USA, both variants were sold under the Porsche marque.
