Sometimes, it’s difficult to tell the Porsche 912 and 911 apart. They look the same and have similar on-board technologies, and yet there are significant differences among these classics. For once, the 912 was more affordable than the 911, which made it a better option as an entry luxury vehicle than the 911. The original 912 launched in 1965 was also less powerful than the 911, being equipped with a 1.6-liter flat-four engine of the 356 1600SC, but it definitely didn’t deserve the name of “Poor man’s 911.”
Fortunately, Porsche fans and gearheads are rediscovering the 912 today and learning that it is a classy, gorgeous Porsche car that was just misunderstood in its day. This is both good and terrible news for Porsche 912 lovers. It's good news that their beloved car is now receiving the acclaim it deserves, but it's bad news that the so-called "affordable" Porsche pricing has increased.
“As with all air-cooled Porsches, 912 prices climbed faster than a Falcon 9 rocket until a few years ago when they began to level off. But even now, clean, low-mileage examples can hit $70,000, and the very best ones top six figures,” says Hagerty. “Entry level? Pfft. Not anymore. Ironic, given the car’s humble origins.” For all Porsche fans, this is why you should buy a classic Porsche 912 instead of a 911.
The 912 Is Still More Affordable Than The 911
“To bridge the price gap between the 356, which was still being produced at this time and the 911, in 1965 Porsche launched the 912 – a less expensive and significantly less powerful variant of the 911,” says Porsche.
Under the hood, the “entry-level” Porsche had a 1.6-liter air cooled 4-cylinder flat-4 from the outgoing 356 SC, which the automaker paired with a 4-speed manual transmission. This engine could generate 90 horsepower at 5,800 rpm.
Evidently, this engine helped Porsche keep costs down, so they could come to the market with a lower pricing point. Hagerty reports that the “912 bore a $2000 price difference.” This is pretty impressive if we consider that Porsche introduced the 912 with a base price of $4700 (equivalent in purchasing power to $44,284 today). By contrast, the six-cylinder 911 had a MSRP of $6,500, as per Hagerty. The affordable pricing has contributed to the 912 success, and by 1970, Porsche has sold roughly 33,000 units from this model. The 912 was once far less expensive than the 911, but millennial enthusiasm and nostalgia have pushed this car back into the spotlight. Today, Porsche purists can find a 912 on Hemmings for as little as $29,950. According to classic.com, the average sale for a 912 is $50,697, while the highest sale reached $200,616 and the lowest sale was $3,500.
The 912 Has A Balanced Weight Distribution And Great Handling
Hagerty notes that the 912 provides a more balanced weight distribution. “Its 1600-cc Type 616 engine is around 50 pounds lighter than the 2.0- and 2.2-liter six-cylinder engines of contemporary 911s,” says Hagerty. Without a doubt, the 912 has superior handling compared to the 911 thanks to its lighter weight and improved aerodynamics.
“The 912 fan-people regularly claim that in situations where handling is more crucial than power, a 912 can outdrive a 911,” adds Hagerty. And it’s not just balance or the fact that the 912 had a smaller engine or a very minimal interior, but also the fact that the 912 had a better suspension. On curvy roads, the “poor man’s 911” was very light and easy to handle.
On the Pelican Parts forum, a Porsche enthusiast who owned both a 1977 911 with '74S engine and a 1968 912 with '74S engine, concludes that on a wet road, the 912 is clearly the winner between these two vehicles.
“On a dry road, the 911 was a pleasure. But on a wet road it became a nightmare. The back would break loose without warning, anywhere, at any speed. This includes parking lots, intersections, even in a slight curve. It was basically useless in the rainy season. Trying to correct a sudden oversteer was very difficult,” says the Porsche owner. “Now I have the 912. No anti-roll bars, small brakes, thin (high) tires, a light body, with the same 2.7S engine. Yet, this time, the car is a pleasure to drive in the dry and in the wet. I've had it for almost a year now, and it never let me down.”
In summary, the 912 may be slow by modern standards, but few will contest that it is well-balanced, light, and a sheer joy to drive in any weather.