The Common Sense Solution.(Escape Roads)

Byline: ERIC TEGLER

The 912 is a rather forgotten Porsche.

See one on the street and your brain registers 911. But the 912 was more than a junior 911. In the mid-1960s it helped Porsche ease its 356 customer base into the new 901 (911) series. Automotive journalists of the era described the 912 as a common sense solution.

What was the problem, you ask? Only that the new 1964 911 sold for around $6,490, a hefty jump by any standard over the roughly $3,990 the 356C retailed for in 1964, its last year of stand-alone production. Porsche needed to offer a branch to its followers, and it made sense to present the swish looks of the inaugural 911 in the attractively priced four-cylinder 912.

Indeed, the $4,700 912 was nearly indistinguishable in appearance from its better-performing stablemate. The 912 shared the 911's unibody chassis, independent suspension and overall dimensions. What set the 912 apart and allowed it to sell for $1,800 less than the 911 was its use of the 1582-cc, twin Solex carbureted central-cam engine from the 356. The 90-hp powerplant was proven and familiar to Porsche devotees. In Europe, where such things mattered even then, it also offered sensible fuel economy.

There were other, minor differences between the 912 and the 911. The 912's instrument panel housed fewer instruments, its dash lacked imitation teak, and in place of the 911's wooden steering wheel the 912 sported a plastic one. But such differences weren't enough to dissuade buyers. In 1965 the 912 outsold the 911 almost 2-to-1, with 6401 examples rolling off the line. The 100,000th Porsche built was a 1967 912 Targa for the Baden-Wurttem-berg police. The 912 continued to outsell its more powerful brother until 1968.

A total of 29,000 912s, several of which enjoyed racing success, including the 1967 European Rally title, were built at the Porsche and Karmann plants. Production ended in 1969, and the mid-engine 914 took over the entry spot in Porsche's lineup until ...