Quaint 914 Targa Could Be the Porsche You’ve Always Wanted
Crossing the block in January, this 914 Targa offering by Barrett Jackson looks to be in excellent condition.
Prices for vintage Porsche 911 models have skyrocketed lately, but one model has values which have stayed relatively flat. The Porsche 914. While it doesn’t have the pedigree or the speed of a 911, it still is very much a Porsche through and through. After all, it was slated to be the entry level coupe to replace the 912. What does that all mean? Low costs.
This particular 914 Targa is lot #348 at Barrett Jackson’s up-coming January Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. With no reserve on this 1976 Porsche 914 Targa, chances are you won’t have to throw down too much green to see yellow in your garage.
An eight year production run gave us 914’s of various improvement from 1969 through 1976. Safety requirements mid way through the run saw the tidy chrome bumpers disappear with unsavory plastic bumpers taking their place. But performance improvements came along with those changes. By 1976, the 914 had sway bars for vastly improved road holding. Engine size also grew, with ’76 models having a 2.0 liter motor putting out just a tick under 100 horsepower. A muscle car this was not. If you wanted more power, you’d have to go to the much more rare 914/6.
Light weight did make it a wonderful car to drive, and this 914 is up to the task. The 5-speed transmission has been refreshed, along with other components. The brakes have been thoroughly reworked, with new front and rear brake lines and rebuilt calipers clamping down on new rotors. Keeping things running is a rebuilt alternator, and keeping things smooth is a re-surfaced flywheel.
Many like us see the Porsche 914 Targa as the Porsche Boxster‘s predecessor, even though there have been other entry-level Porsche 4 cylinder coupes in the past. Now that the Porsche Boxster has 4 cylinder power again, the ties are closer than ever. There’s a bit of a difference these days between the sales of the mid engined cars and their larger siblings. For the 914, it definitely outsold the 911, being Porsche’s volume seller for years. According to 2018 sales figures, that’s no longer the case. The Porsche 911 out-sold the 718 nearly 2-to-1.
Photos: Barrett Jackson
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