Having long lived in the shadow of its more popular sibling, there’s more than a few reasons to choose this over a 911
Porsche’s 356 was a breakout car for the marque, debuting in 1948 three years after WWII and cementing the brand as a respected sports car maker.
By the 60s, however, the 356 was growing long in the tooth and its replacement – the Porsche 911 – was set to offer much higher performance albeit at a much higher price.
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Concern for insufficient buyers of the costly 911, the company – with Ferry Porsche at the helm – decided that they needed a more affordable model which came in at a similar price and specification to the outgoing 356.
To minimise costs, the idea was floated to use the same VW-derived engine from the Porsche 356 combined with the same gorgeous small-bumper body as the expensive six-cylinder Porsche 911. A modern manufacturer would balk at the notion, however the decision proved fruitful in buoying Porsche’s sales and bolstering production numbers in the early years of the un-proven 911, as well as ensuring there were many shiny new Porsches on the road.
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Utilising the 356’s lighter four-cylinder engine benefitted the 912’s chassis balance and handling. Contrasted with the 911 and its oversteer-tendencies, the 912 boasted a more even weight distribution (44/56) and arguably offers a more complete and well-rounded road-car package.
While 912s once lived in the shadows of its more popular sibling, they’ve found themselves immensely popular over recent years as classic 911 values quickly grew beyond the reach of many. Offering the same classic mechanical package as the 356, blended with the gorgeous lines of a pre-74 911, the 912 makes for a keen classic buying today.
This lovely white over black example stood out to us at The Healey Factory in Melbourne.
Originally a US-delivery, this 912 comes from three owners from new with full history. It was driven off the production line on February 7 in 1969, and was delivered to Francis Murray of Colorado on May 23.
Murray owned his 912 for 12 years before he sold it to Rhett Murray in 1981. Rhett Murray of Colorado retained the 912 until it was sold to a Victorian on January 22, 2018.
The 912 was granted Australian import approval on February 7 2018, 49 years to the day after it rolled off the production line. Following just 941 miles on Australian roads, the 912 underwent over $14,000 in works at Auto Coupe. Front and rear suspension, brakes, manual transmission, clutch and carburettors were all stripped and rebuilt.
Looking like a fully-sorted example today, this 912 may not get you where you want to go as quickly as a 911, but it will get you there feeling every bit as special.
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