Concerned that the considerable price increase of the 911 over the 356 could cost the company sales and narrow its brand appeal, in 1963 Porsche executives decided to introduce a new four-cylinder entry-level model based on the 911. A conclusion was arrived at to tailor the 356’s 1.6-liter Type 616 engine. This would be at the core of what became the Porsche 912.

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Accordingly, as production of the 356 concluded in 1965, on April 5 that year Porsche officially began production of the 912 coupé. Styling, performance, quality construction, reliability, and price made the 912 an extremely attractive buy for both new and old customers, and the Porsche 912 substantially outsold the 911 during the first few years of production. Porsche produced nearly 30,000 912 coupé units and about 2500 912 Targa body style units during a five-year manufacturing run.

And surely the most desirable spec of the 912 was the long-wheelbase version that was manufactured only in the final year of production, in 1969. To improve handling without penalizing the ride, the rear wheels of the long-wheelbase version were moved back by 2.5 inches, with no change in overall vehicle length.

Another distinctive body change for 1969 was the addition of wider wheel flares added to the side of the body, which could accommodate wheels as wide as 6 inches.

These developments are all evident on the 1969 Porsche 912 Coupe 5-Speed featured with matching numbers that we presently have for sale at Beverly Hills Car Club, an extremely original 1969 long-wheelbase Porsche 912 featured with matching numbers (Kardex Report digital copy included). This 912 is finished in its factory exterior color Sand Beige (6807), complemented by a tan interior.

This California car is equipped with 5-speed manual transmission, a flat-four engine, Weber dual carburetors, four-wheel disc brakes, chrome headlight rings, single exhaust outlet, VDO instrumentation, four-spoke steering wheel, chrome trim, Bosch branded tail-lights, Michelin tires, 15-inch Fuchs-Style wheels, jack, and a full-size spare tire fitted in the front trunk.

Featured amenities include bucket-seating with head restraints, driver-side mirror, Eclipse stereo, analog clock, and pop-out quarter windows.

If you’re in search of a highly collectible Porsche that combines style, performance, and desirability, look no further than this gorgeous long-wheelbase 912 that is mechanically sound.

At the end of 1966, when the 912 launched, Road & Track magazine was most impressed. ‘The 912E will obviously find favor with those who prefer a slightly more practical and tractable Porsche,’ it wrote. ‘It’s a car with almost all the sporting virtues of the more expensive 911S, yet its simpler pushrod 4-cyl. engine should make for better fuel economy and less expensive maintenance than the 911’s six…The fittings are simpler in this model although in terms of materials, trim and finishing the 912E is of high Porsche quality.’

Road and Track also loved the Porsche 912’s 11.3-second 0-60 mph time and 115-mph top speed.

The 912’s high-efficiency boxer engine, low drag, and low weight allow it to get up to 30 miles per US gallon. Initially priced at $4,700 (or $46,900 in 2024), sales of the 912 initially outpaced the 911 (introduced in 1964), boosting the manufacturer’s total production until success of the 911 was assured.

Sold to the public for street use, the Porsche 912 has also proven successful as a race car, from production years to current vintage events. In 1967 the 912 contributed to Porsche factory rally history when independent Polish driver Sobieslaw Zasada drove a factory-loaned 912, bearing Polish plate 6177 KR, to capture the European Rally Championship for Group 1 series touring cars.

In the 1967 Rally of Poland, the third oldest rally in the world and one of the oldest motorsport events in the world, Zasada drove his 912 race to finish first overall out of a starting field of 50 entries.

Sobieslaw Zasada was born on 27 January 1930; he combines being a rally championship winner – he won the European Rally Championship in 1966, 1967, and 1971, and was vice-champion in 1968, 1969, and 1972 – and a career as an economist. In 1967 Zasada was chosen to be Polish Sports Personality of the Year.

At the time of his successes racing his Porsche 912 in 1967, Zasada owned a four-person auto repair shop in Kraków. By the late 1990s, Zasada was one of the most successful businessmen in post-communist Poland. In 1996 his Polish automotive group Sobieslaw Zasada Centrum SA launched the construction of Mercedes’ Vito mini-vans. The launch marked the first production license that Mercedes-Benz had granted in eastern Europe. By that time Zasada controlled two utility car factories and several automotive parts plants.

Zasada announced that he would make a comeback in the 2021 Safari Rally, making him at 91 the oldest driver to compete in the World Rally Championship. He took part in the race, but failed to finish it due to a series of collisions.

It still made him the oldest driver ever to take part in a WRC rally.

-Alex Manos, Owner