914-S: Was the 914-S a Factory Option or Dealer Marketing Strategy?

Photo by Robert Poss Photography.

By Steve Martin. Republished with permission from the Summer 2016 issue of Fourteener Motoring Magazine.

The 914-S. The very mention of the S-model 914 incites a wide-range of responses among 914 enthusiast. I have seen grown men argue the point like their life depended on it. Some insist the model existed. Others vehemently stand by the position that it was just a marketing ploy by U.S. dealers, and not a real car. Either way, it is always an interesting conversation. It is, however one I have learned to avoid, lest somebody will always leave upset. Over the years, I have come to assume the issue would never be resolved. Until I got a phone call this spring.

A friend of mine named David Adcock had just purchased a 1973 914 that he was having shipped from the west coast. He was excited to tell me about his new find. It sounded like a real beauty. Although the car hadn’t been delivered yet, he also had some photos, which looked very nice. It was an incredibly clean 914, in near concours condition. The car had been converted to 5-lug, and had received some suspension upgrades. But, other than that, it was almost completely stock. Moreover, the 914 had only had a few owners over the years. The first owned it for 31 years.

Photo by David Adcock. After over 40 years of use, nearly every detail of the car is in place as it should be.

David always seems to locate incredible cars. I frequently find myself envious of this latest vehicle. But, this car was a special find. And it was on a trailer on its way to his house in South Carolina. I was certainly jealous. Why don’t I come across these types of cars? I reminded myself that I have enough toys, and was prepared to applaud his luck.

Photo by David Adcock. With only a few prior owners, the first of which owned the car for 31 years, the 914 is in excellent condition.

Then he dropped the bomb. “It is a 914-S,” David explained. I quickly responded. “You do know the ‘S’ was never an official, identifiable model, right? At least that is conventional wisdom on the subject. Why do you think it is an ‘S,’” I inquired with skepticism. “I have the original brochure,” said David. “Yes, I have seen those over the years,” I explained. “It was just a marketing tool for the dealers. It doesn’t mean any 914-S’s existed, much less can be identified.” David continued to present his case. “I also have the sales paperwork, which indicates that it is a 914-S.” “That’s interesting. But, do you have a COA,” I asked. “One is on order,” David retorted. “We will see. I have heard this story before,” I thought.

The 914-S designation showed up in Porsche brochures in 1973. The literature indicated that the car featured a package of upgrades. Considering the overall landscape of models at Porsche in 1973, the idea of a 914-S at least makes logical sense. The 914-6 had been discontinued, and there wasn’t a high-performance model of the mid-engine car from Porsche. It, however, also made sense that the factory may not have wanted to have a 914 model with the “S” moniker. The beloved 911 was the face of the company, and it was important that the 914, which was selling fairly well, not even be thought of in the same breath.

The conventional thought has been that one of two things explains the 914-S designation found in U.S. brochures from 1973. Perhaps the factory started to role the 914-S out, and then thought better of it. A late decision to not sell the car as an “S” model would explain some of the documents making it to dealers and customers, even though no cars were officially released in the factory-recognized “S” configuration. A second school of thought has been that U.S. dealers “created” the 914-S designation as a sales tool, and then the factory put a stop to it before cars were actually sold as 914-S’s.

Either way, it has seemed clear that the factory did not want there to be a 914-S. The debate regarding the model designation has raged on ever since. To this day, there seems to be a lot of theories, but not a lot of concensus on the issue.

Over the following weeks I didn’t give David’s car much thought. Although the sales documents were nice and somewhat compelling, they really didn’t add much to the mystery of the 914-S, in general. A few weeks after initially hearing about the orange 1973, I got a second call from David. “It’s official,” he said with excitement. “What’s official? Did the car get here,” I asked, thinking he just meant that the car had arrived. “Porsche says it is a 914-S, and that the ’S’ is a valid model designation.”

Photo by Robert Poss Photography. Signal orange is considered one of the most popular Porsche 914 colors. It is easy to see why.

David had requested that Porsche research the topic and issue an official response. He had gotten a call back and Porsche’s response was surprising. Indeed the car was an “S.” More importantly, the 914-S was official, for 1973, in the North American market only. A COA, with the 914-S designation, would be forthcoming, they said. The story was getting interesting. I, however, was still not convinced. David needed written proof, from the factory. As the saying goes, unless you have a picture, it didn’t happen. In the car world: No COA, no 914-S.

The Certificate of Authenticity is a document issued by Porsche Cars North America, Inc., and provides information related to specific cars, such as the vehicle’s original factory-installed options, exterior and interior colors, engine and transmission type, production completion date (birth date) and manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP). According to Porsche, the COA, as it is called, “can prove to be invaluable for restoration, resale and for displaying your Porsche at official Porsche concourse events, such as the annual Porsche Club Parade.” It is the most official information that can be obtained regarding a specific car. If David wanted to prove his car is a 914-S, a phone call confirmation wasn’t enough. He would need a Certificate of Authenticity.

Much to my surprise, he got one. The next conversation I had with David was a text he sent me a couple weeks later. Not just any text. A text of a picture of the COA he received from Porsche. Sure enough, the factory had spoken. After researching the issue, they declared the car an official 914-S. And put it in writing, making it hard to argue with. Based on this, it seems that the “S” was real, and apparently, Porsche is willing to acknowledge it.

Photo by David Adcock. Aside from the moniker, between the color combination and condition of the car, it is a 914 that any enthusiast would be proud to own.

Photo by David Adcock. The underside of the 1973 914 is as clean as the top.

Where does that leave us? How many other 914-S’s exist? Does this settle the debate, as it seems? Or does it just make the issue more interesting? Time will tell.