1965 Porsche 912
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Year of manufacture1965
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Car typeCoupé
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Chassis number451081
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Engine number740303
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Lot number36
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ConditionUsed
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Location
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Exterior colourGreen
Description
• First Series (1965)
• Three Instruments
• Bodywork colour Irish Green (cod 6406)
• Dashboard painted to match the bodywork (very few examples)
• Black leatherette interior
• Completely restored engine (100 km)
• Matching Number and Matching Colour
• All original booklets
• Excellent basis for a high-level restoration
In the 1950s, the Porsche 356 had been in production for too many years, so the carmaker decided to create a new model. The technical design was carried out by Ferry Porsche, while the aesthetic design was done by his son. His son tried hard to create a cabin that could accommodate four people. However, he soon gave up on this task and opted for the classic 2+2. Right away the car's lines were elegant and balanced. The first version was presented in 1963 and is still in production today, although it is fair to distinguish between two very different categories. The first was produced from 1963 to 1997 and still has an air-cooled engine, the second was produced from 1998 to the present and has modern engines.
In 1965, to replace the outgoing 356, Porsche debuted the 912, which was an economical variant of the more famous Porsche 911. The 912 retained the coupé bodywork (and, from 1966, also the nameplate) and all the mechanicals of the latter, apart from the engine, which was the air-cooled, 4-cylinder, 1584 cm³, 90 hp boxer engine of the last Porsche 356 SC. The interior was also simplified compared to the 911. It was put into production as a transitional model between the withdrawal of the 356 SC and the arrival of the Volkswagen-Porsche 914. It was a good success, thanks to its aesthetic identity with its 6-cylinder big sister and its considerably lower list price. Performance was modest, but fuel economy made up for it. Production ceased at the end of 1969 to make way for the 914, but in 1976 a small series of 912 E's with a 2-litre 4-cylinder boxer engine (of Volkswagen origin) with fuel injection and 86 hp were produced for the North American market.
The magnificent example we are offering at auction is one of the very first Porsche 912s (1965) in excellent condition. The car is characterised by a number of outstanding features in the world of Porsche collecting. Starting with the colour (perhaps the most beautiful in Porsche's colour range) Irish Green code 6406, which covers the entire bodywork. The interiors are partly preserved (the two front seats have been rebuilt), the car has the three original instruments on the dashboard, and this example is one of the few to have the dashboard in the same colour as the bodywork. The engine has been completely disassembled, checked, cleaned and reassembled as originally (and runs like clockwork) and to date has covered about 100 km. The car is equipped with all its original documentation (original booklet, Porsche coupon booklet, Porsche owner's manual). The car will be auctioned at Milano AutoClassica 2021 in perfect condition. The car is ideal for those who want a ready-to-use car or for those looking for a unique example for a high-level restoration.