0137 is a genuine 1970 matching numbers car first owned by Eigenbedarfsfahrzeug der (In-House Vehicle of) Porsche AG and one of the earliest 914/6 GT Werks test cars.
BACKGROUND TO THE 914/6 GT
Porsche’s strong historical links with Volkswagen we reaffirmed in 1969 with the launch of the Porsche-designed VW-Porsche 914, a mid-engined, Targa-top sports car to be assembled by Karmann of Osnabruck. At the time Volkswagen needed a new car to replace the ageing Karmann-Ghia while Porsche was looking for another option to add to its line-up. First seen at the Frankfurt Auto Show, the 914/4 used the 1,679cc, four-cylinder, air-cooled motor of the Volkswagen 411 while the 914/6 was powered by the Porsche 911T’s 2.0-litre six, which was installed at the Zuffenhausen factory where the 914/6 was finished off. Both cars employed all- independent suspension – a mixture of 911 and VW parts – to which were married four-wheel disc brakes and a five-speed gearbox.
The 914’s reputation for excellent handling was somewhat marred by criticism that the four- cylinder version was too slow, though lack of speed was never a shortcoming of the 914/6. Porsche being Porsche there was, inevitably, a competition version of the 914/6 – the 914/6GT – a small batch of which was built in 1970. The GT’s engine was tuned for 220bhp, while glassfibre panels and Plexiglas windows helped get the weight down and flared arches accommodated wider wheels.
During 1969 and 1970 the Porsche racing department built 12 special 914/6 GTs for the factory teams: three prototype and test cars; two Targa Florio practice cars; three Marathon de la Route cars; three Rally Monte Carlo cars; and one RAC Rally car.
The three 914/6 GTs prepared for the 1971 Monte Carlo Rally were driven by Ove Andersson, Bjorn Waldegaard and Gerard Larrousse. Of these 12 racing department-built cars, two were scrapped and the first car built did not have the fender flares and the full race package.
This leaves only nine actual GT cars. Of the three Rally Monte Carlo cars, Waldegaard’s was scrapped, Andersson’s was sold to Recaro and then changed into the famous Linge ‘ONS’ racetrack rescue car, which is believed to be the first modern safety car.
Chassis 914 143 0137 – DATA
Chassis 914 143 0137 – HISTORY
Manufactured on 1st November 1970, chassis number ‘914 1430137’ is an ex-works 914/6 GT that was retained by Porsche AG as an Eigenbedarfsfahrzeug (literally: self-use car) for testing purposes. It is one of the earliest 916/6 GT works test cars, built using the internal factory number ‘914-55’ (recorded on an old label in the left-side door shut). Reproduced within the accompanying illustrated history, the original factory homologation papers dated 1st October 1971 show chassis number ‘914 1430137’ was supplied with the first ever 914/6 engine, ‘6400001’. The Porsche record card shows that this car was initially built without an engine and described as ‘Versuch’ (experimental). The same goes for the three works cars used on the 1971 Monte Carlo Rally: ‘914-56’, ‘914-57’ and ‘914-58’.
American John Rulon-Miller purchased ‘0137’ directly from Porsche in the mid-1970s. John was racing Porsches at the time and had several contacts at the factory; he went on to race at Le Mans, Daytona, etc. John has recalled that the car had 28,000 kilometres recorded; he had also found a label under the dashboard stating that the original speedometer had been changed as it was in miles. In 1978 John moved to the UK, bringing ‘0137’ with him. He took the Porsche to Greece with him in 1983 and then returned in 1984.
Porsche specialist Mike Smith purchased ‘0137’ in March 1997, The car had been dry stored for over 10 years and was still painted in Signal Orange; it was photographed in ‘as found’ condition (see illustrated history on file). Most parts were normal road 914/6 items, the majority of the GT components having been removed. Mike’s other commitments meant that the restoration progressed slowly before grinding to a halt. Eventually, in 2012, Martin Greaves of Classic Performance Engineering was entrusted with finishing the restoration, which was meticulously completed using original 914/6 GT parts. There are bills on file for the restoration up to 2015/2016 when it was completed for over £250,000. The car has been prepared for track use and comes with FIA papers and the aforementioned illustrated history (perusal essential).
Chassis 914 143 0137 – HISTORY
Following its completion, ‘0137’ was photographed with Richard Attwood, the former works Porsche driver who in 1970 had secured the German manufacturer’s first ever overall victory at Le Mans, partnered with Hans Herrmann in a Type 917. That same race saw a factory-supplied 914/6 GT driven by Claude Ballot-Lna and Guy Chasseuil finish 6th overall, winning the GT 2000 class outright and beating all the works-entered 911s. All the cars ahead of it were sports prototypes.
The car is currently fitted with a twin spark plug 2.0-Litre S engine, numbered 961200. This engine was fitted to the car and rebuilt in 2016 and delivers around 220bhp. It has only been used on the track for set up and testing purposes. The historically important engine case with number 6400001 comes as part of the Lot but is not currently fitted. It will require a rebuild by the new owner should they chose to install it. The current cherished UK registration is being retained by the seller, but the car will be supplied with an age-related UK registration number and UK V5C.
