Every variant of Porsche from the mid 50’s 356 to the modern day supercars have their loyal followers, and the 912E, is no exception.
The 912, replaced the 356, and was produced from 65 – 68. It was the original entry level 911, a very similar car to the 911 but with a Porsche modified VW flat four engine. Then came along and the a collaboration beteen VW and Porsche that resulted in the mid engined 914. The 914 has always struggled with Porsche enthusiasts because of the VW collaboration, but it has its followers and as far as bang for your buck goes probably can’t be beaten.
Roll forward to 1975 and Porsche was retiring its 914 model and phasing in the new 924. But the 924 wasn’t ready to go to market and Porsche badly needed that entry level model offering in the US market – enter the 912E – for one year only to bridge the gap between the expensive 911 and new 924.
There were only 2092 912E’s produced making it one of Porsche’s rarest models, but given its 4-cyl power plant it has never been as popular as the 911’s. This is until now when its making a resurgence.
Whats with the E ?
The 912E was but on an identical chassis and interior as the Porsche 911S, but came with less with less-expensive maintenance and service costs due to the four-cylinder engine. In 1976, contemporary reviews noted that the 912E handled even better than the 911 because of the better balance resulting from the lower weight of the four cylinder compared with the six, which made the 912E less tail heavy, and less prone to .
The E is for Einspritzung, or fuel injection in German. The 912E uses a Porsche-designed revision of the engine (2.0 liters) with a longer 71mm stroke crankshaft new rod bearings and new pistons to increase the cylinder bore to 94mm. The 912E was fitted with the Bosch L-Jetronic Air Flow Controlled Injection system that was later adapted for the 911’s flat 6.
The Internet will tell you the 912E is the most practical daily driver Porsche has ever made. It will tell you its the best Grand Tourer Porsche to leave the production lines….I intend restore this one, throw in a tent and head across the Nullarbor…Bradly Brownell, thanks for the inspiration and the photo. Oh and the cool throttle boot idea.
Restoring a Porsche 912E 