Conceived as a lower-cost, open two-seat mid-engined sports car to be built jointly by Volkswagen and Porsche, the 914 delivered brilliant handling characteristics, and when fitted with the flat-six engine based largely on the concurrent Porsche 911 T, a rapid and very enjoyable driving experience. Because of their relatively high list price, only 3,300 “Sixes” were sold. Over the years, the 914/6 was found to be an outstanding platform on which to build a racing or autocross machine, making those original examples very desirable today.

The accompanying Certificate of Authenticity specifies that this 914/6 was delivered in the exceptionally rare color of Willow Green (43), an uncommon hue offered only on U.S.-market models in 1971. According to the 914World registry, this example is one of only two U.S.-delivery 914/6s listed in this color, with the other car being heavily modified from factory specification. Completed in March 1971, this special Porsche found a buyer in late October, sold new by Eckhard Porsche in Oklahoma City to Mr. Jerry Roberts of Tulsa. The owner that this car is best known for, however, was Mr. Howard DeHaven, founder of Rennsport Werkstatt. Howard was a longtime Porsche enthusiast, PCA member, and also the owner of a rare factory-built 914/6 GT. Mr. Roberts was Howard’s insurance agent, and had the car serviced at Rennsport Werkstatt. Howard would end up owning this car on and off over a 30-year period, not only maintaining it for its owners, but also buying and re-selling it over the years.

In 1993, when the car had accumulated some 117,000 miles, Howard began a lengthy and comprehensive mechanical restoration of this “Six”; his goal was to build a fun and reliable weekend driver that shared some of the characteristics of his GT. The engine was expanded to 2.2 liters with new Mahle pistons and barrels, E cams, rebuilt Webers, new Koni shocks and inserts, new suspension bushings, a 911 S alloy cross-member, 911 S front calipers and upgraded rear calipers. The drivetrain was overhauled and the transmission converted to side-shift linkage. Wider wheels refinished by Harvey Weidman were fitted along with new tires. The entire project encompassed 12 years, during which the car was protected in dry storage and never driven.

In 2009, Mr. DeHaven was persuaded to sell the car to another enthusiast and it was then subsequently acquired by the consignor, who embarked on an extensive cosmetic restoration which included a high-quality bare-metal repaint with single-stage Glasurit paint in the original color. The underside was found to be in excellent dry condition. The original interior was also in very good condition and reinstalled, along with a new Sigla windshield, and numerous exterior trim parts were replaced with NOS items. The instruments were refreshed by North Hollywood Speedometer, and the odometer now reads 119,300 miles. All the original parts are included with this car, along with an owner’s manual, tool roll and jack, passenger footrest, and a file of maintenance records as well as registrations spanning 1971 to 1992.

Only a few hundred examples of the 914/6 were sold to U.S. buyers in 1971; this is certainly one of the rarest and finest examples remaining.