CLASSIC DRIVE: 1967 Porsche 912

The 912 is the often-unloved stepchild of the 911 family, but, with the passage of time, that notion is fading. Should enthusiasts give this variant stronger consideration?

Words: Wilhelm Lutjeharms

Images: Duwyne Aspeling

The shape of early air-cooled Porsches appeals to most 911 fans. The design – devoid of skirts, extended sills, wings, pronounced inlets or, for that matter, outlets – is eminently classy and elegant.

• Find a classic Porsche to buy here.

Today you need relatively deep pockets to purchase a neat classic 911, but there is another option if you seek an enjoyable driver’s car. It comes in the shape of the 912; however, until a few years ago, it was the “911” no-one was really interested in.

Differences

With only the 912 in sight and this vast open landscape as a backdrop, you can quickly be transported back to May 1965 when the 912 was launched. The original price was DM 16 250 (compared with the DM 21 900 a 911 demanded), but then again, this lower price was partly justified since the 912 used a modified version of the flat-four cylinder engine from the 356 Super 90 (updates resulted in peak torque being developed lower in the rev range). It featured a new four-speed gearbox (a five-speed unit was optional), but apart from that, the body, suspension, steering and braking system were taken from the 911. Being fitted with a smaller engine, the 912 also tipped the scales 59 kg less than the 911.

Inside the cabin, the wood-rimmed steering wheel was replaced by a black plastic unit of the same size. The vanity mirror in the sun visor was optional, the gear lever was trimmed in rubber (as opposed to leather) and there were rubber floor mats in LHD models. Even so, at a quick glance it is difficult to spot the differences compared to a 911.

Restoration and details

The bare metal restoration this 912 received also included a full engine rebuild. I’m shown the thick folder that contains all the details of the restoration process. All the bills add up to a significant sum of money. But you would expect that, parts had to be bought and imported and the car was totally stripped.

A document by Porsche confirms that the car’s original colour code was 6603, Golf Blue, and that the interior featured brown leatherette trim. However, when the previous owner restored the car, he decided on a different exterior colour with beautiful red leather seats – a contrast indeed, but a very suitable match. It might not be the original combination, but it looks the part and is very luxurious. 

All 912s featured a flat four based on the motor in the last of the Porsche 356s. The 1.6-litre engine was based on the 616/16 powerplant, but was called 616/36 as it featured cast-iron cylinder liners inside a finned alloy jacket as well as light alloy heads and crankcase. The compression ratio was reduced from 9.5 to 9.3:1. 

The result was a reduction by around 4 kW compared with the older engine, but whereas it offered a similar torque peak, it was produced lower in the rev range. The addition of a new camshaft, valves and valvegear resulted in a freer-revving engine – such a traditional characteristic of 911s. 

However, there were 912s that featured a different engine. In 1976 Porsche exported impact-bumper 912s to the USA fitted with a 2.0-litre flat-six engine. It was only for a single year and only for that market. If you are after a 1970s Porsche, these are probably the most affordable models on the market. 

Behind the wheel

Get inside and you’ll find the seats are so soft that they cushion your posterior and back like no modern Porsche can. Before I set off I need to adjust the seatback’s tilt slightly aft, otherwise my scalp brushes the roof lining. 

Again, overall there is little that separates the 912 from a 911 in terms of the cabin configuration. This specific car’s interior is spotless and it is easy to see money has been spent on every part – the interior is in a top-notch condition. 

As with 911s, there are five dials behind that thinned-rimmed steering wheel. Being a 1967 model (the invoice date is August 1966) this is one of first ’67 model year 912s to be produced). As a matter of fact, earlier 912s featured only three dials in their instrument clusters. The speedometer is marked to 120 mph (192 km/h) and the rev counter’s red line is from 6 000 rpm. The former is not that optimistic: period road tests recount impressive true speeds of around 190 km/h. 

The black steering wheel is large by modern standards, but affords enough leverage to manoeuvre the car at low speeds. In its centre is the soft Porsche crest. The metal strip below the dashboard gives a brighter tint to the otherwise dark dashboard, while the period-correct Becker Europe looks perfectly in place. 

I turn the key and with some help of the throttle pedal, the 1.6-litre engine comes alive. As expected, the sound doesn’t remind you of a flat six, but then again, it shouldn’t. However, when I start to accelerate through the gears, the motor has a distinctly rawer voice than what I recollect of 356 engine notes.

I expected a rather lazy and slow car, but I am pleasantly surprised. The gear lever has a slow and rather vague way of slotting through the gate. But, it only takes a few shifts and a minute or two to figure it out. The dog-leg first is left and down, while fourth and fifth are very close to second and third in the H-pattern. 

Although the red line is just after 6 000 rpm, I decide to change before this mark. During the first 3 000 rpm the car does feel slow (as most 911s of this era do), but then it starts picking up speed and the rev needle easily passes through the next 2 000 rpm. Sure, it is not as rev happy as comparable 911s of the time, but it gets the job done and I often see 130 km/h on the speedo with the car still being able to comfortably increase its speed. 

Other than that, the experience from the cabin is pure 911. You have that lovely clear view over the bonnet with the pronounced fenders on each side. It offers a comfortable ride and it feels light on its wheels. Sadly this part of the world offers long open roads, but no challenging mountain passes. I would have loved to experience the 912 threading through a few twisties, as I expect it would deliver a copious number of low-speed thrills right on demand. 

The fact that this car is equipped with Fuchs wheels, instead of the standard hub caps with Porsche crests, lends it a further nod towards a 911. Needless to say, if you can’t quite make the financial stretch to an early 911, say a T for example, don’t discount a 912. Apart from the outright performance, which might be less than a 911, the 912 ticks all the boxes of an early 911 – while it is also lighter than its bigger brother. I, for one, would not mind to have one in my garage. 

As automotive writer Jerry Sloniger pointed out at the time: “Acceleration is not the be-all and end-all of motoring. It is a decent index, but road behaviour between 60 km/h and 160 km/h is far more useful. There the 912 shines”. That is a very accurate description… and it rings true to this very day.

Specifications:

Model: 1967 Porsche 912

Engine: 1.6-litre, flat-four cylinder, petrol

Power: 67 kW at 5 800 rpm 

Torque: 122 Nm at 3 500 rpm 

Transmission: 5-speed manual, RWD

Weight: 970kg

0-97 km/h: 11.6 seconds

Top Speed: 192 km/h