if they wre to reproduce it.....

[boogerboy72]

not saying that it will ever happend but if porsche remade the 914
wouldnt they have to go in with vw? because it was a joint thing. Or does porsche own the rights to it?

[tat2dphreak]

the way I've ALWAYS understood it is: VW owns Porsche.. Porsche(the man, not the company) created VolksWagen first.. then created Porsche... that's the info I got from a history of VW website and several VW guys.

so, a recreation of the 914 could be a vw or a porsche or both...

also, I know SOMEONE will say it so I will diss them now: the Boxter is not a recreation of the 914 IMO... it may be created with similar ideas in mind... but to me, just doesn't pass for a modern 914...

the 914 was different in styling cues than the 911, but the boxter is a mid-engine, under-powered 911... I would be pissed if I owned a new Carrerra and had people mistake it for a boxter when seen from the front...

[M. Hendrix]

I wonder what would happen if Kublai Kahn was President of the United States of America?



M

[jamcleod]

i think that, whereas there is some commonality between porsche and vw, they are separate companies. the older herr doktor designed the peoples car with its torsion bar suspension and boxer engine, but after the war, the porsche company started in Gmund austria separate from the vw factory. while building the first 356's, porsche used many vw components. sorry, but 914's are 30 year old technology and would never be built again... on the other hand, they are building a new 914... type 986!

[skline]

Well, all the dissin in the world wont change my opinion, I think the Boxster is a late model 914-6. It is really hard to tell the 911 and the boxster apart from the front. The side and rear are where they differ the most. This is just my opinion though and everyone is entitled to one. Right?

[tat2dphreak]

yes, everyone is entitled to their opinion.

[M. Hendrix]

NO!

M

[kellzey]

The Boxster is not a more modern 914.

The Boxster took styling design after the 550 Spyders. Look at a 550 Spyder and the original Boxster prototype, there is more in common there than with the 914.

The only thing they really have in common is the mid-engine design (which multiple Porsche cars used) and the rear license plate area shape...

[tat2dphreak]

right down to the single exhaust pipe in the middle...

[Ron Meier]

From our research department for all of you:

The 914 body was orginaly designed by Bayer Ag, yes the asprin people. The body was made completley out of composite resins, plastic. It was a unitized body. VW bought the rights to build it. They were planning on using it as a replacement for it’s aging Ghia. They tapped Porsche for assistence because VW still could not really build a sports car. The Ghia looks nice but is not really much more areodynamic than a Type 1, way too much “dirty” air passing under the car. Since Karmann was already building the Ghia bodies they got the job for the 914 bodies. Some parts are “pure” Porsche, while others were common off the shelf VW parts. It was as you all should know badged VW-Porsche in Europe.
Porsche and VW are not and were not the same company! While Herr Doctor designed the Type 1, it was built by the Kdf factory which later, after WW2, became VW. In 1950 the good doctor started producing the 356. Meanwhile back at the VW factory the brits were hard at work getting things going again and did not have any desire to go racing. Which is where Ferdinand was heading. Things get kind of convoluted about this time with the forming of AutoUnion which was later to become Audi. The four rings of the Audi represent the four companies that founded AutoUnion. Audi is now part of VAG (Volkswagen Audi Group)
BTW: The new Harley motor is built under licence from Porsche.

[M. Hendrix]

There is a second round of spin-offs including Recaro also.

I pay attention, it's all I have.


M

[kellzey]

Tad...

Not the exhaust pipe... look at the shape of this area on both cars... surprisingly similar in size and shape....

[jamcleod]

like somebody would take and copy "styling" from the 914

[M. Hendrix]

I see no similarity




M

[Biggy72]

correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Ferry porsche, Ferdinand's son, design the early porsches? Ferdinand died in 1951 and didn't get out of Jail for quite awhile after the war. He also had quite a bit of money confiscated. This all came out of "the small wonder" a kinda biographical history of vw up through the mid 60's. I always thought that Ferry just carried on his dad's tradition with the porsche's since after WWII there wasn't much time for Ferdinand to do much before he passed away. This would mean that they both had similar beginnings and both stayed fairly related, although still seperate companies. I believe today that VW has bought out Porsche though and they control them and Audi and this is why such vehicles as the Tourag (sp) can be built today.

[skline]

Well when I finish my Chalon I am putting the Boxster S emblem on the back of it. That is all they will see when I pass them by.

[R. Boger]

Leave it to my son to open (the can of worms) Although good question son.

[Ron Meier]

Hey, the research dept did the work on the post. Personally I don't give a rats a$$ who owns what, where it came from, as I like my 914 and whatever the hell someone wants to call it or compare it to is fine in my book. I just ain't that nerdy. For it's time, it was unique.

[Biggy72]

I did a book report on "the small wonder" back in like 7th grade....

It's a pretty cool book. My gpa bought a few double cab pickups back in the 60's and with one of em they gave him this book. Kinda beat up, but good readin.

[Biggy72]

oh ya and just because I was on the varsity nolege bole team doesn't make me nerdy....