Still a great deal, Porsche 914 with exceptionally low mileage

At Amelia Island this past week, we learned that the Porsche car market is still quite hot. Top-tier Porsche road cars, especially 911s, are hot, as are most other flavors of the German sports car, putting them out of reach for many potential buyers.

But there still remains an air-cooled vintage Porsche that is both desirable and affordable: The mid-engine 914.

The Pick of the Day is a 1971 Porsche 914 in attractive Willow Green and driven just 27,545 miles since new, according to the Oakwood, Georgia, dealer advertising the sports car on ClassicCars.com.

The Porsche has only had two only owners, with the original one owning the car for an unbelievable 45 years, the dealer notes, which is not only documented via the service records but by the original Buyer’s Order from 1971 showing the first owner’s name matching all the receipts.

When the second owner took over the care of this car, he completed an entire brake rebuild, installed a new hand-brake assembly, and importantly, replaced the entire shifter assembly. The 914 has been repainted in its rare original color of Willow Green with an apparent reupholster of its seats and door panels in non-original vinyl patterns. Some small cracks are evident in the dashboard.

In the photos with the ad, the front and the rear trunk compartments, known for being serious rust-prone areas, look close to be spotless, as does the engine bay along with its nearly inaccessible “hell-hole” portion. The floor pan looks extremely nice with no signs of rust or rust repair.

This 914 has always enjoyed thorough maintenance, the seller says, which is documented via a folder full of receipts that also document the low mileage on this Porsche.  The car still has its original AM/FM radio, which the seller says works fine.

Volkswagen originally slated the 914 as its replacement for the outgoing Karmann Ghia, and Porsche was to use it as the entry-level car to replace the 912. Designed by Porsche and powered by a VW-derived boxer engine, the car would be the first mid-engine production car for both manufacturers.

Late into the project, VW pulled the plug on marketing the car in the US as a Volkswagen, so it was sold in the US as a Porsche. It is interesting to note that in Europe, the 914 was sold as a VW Porsche 914.

Compared with today’s values for other air-cooled Porsches, including the 911 and 912, as well as the earlier 356 models, the 914 is the only real bargain left in the market. This amazingly clean example has an asking price of just $17,900.

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.