Story and History

1967 Porsche 912 SWB & RHD

How very nice to have such an early Porsche of this shape

Only made over a few years the 912 was necessarily an economy model - having said that, the Porsche principle of high quality was implicit in the production process

Being RHD our example is a very rare one indeed

Even more unusual she is fitted with the optional 5 speed gearbox, black leather interior, front head rests and Fuchs alloy wheels too, making the cockpit a very special environment and the exterior looking very sharp with the slightly wider wheels - the original's are available too

Initially supplied in South Africa and after many years of ownership the vehicle became available for sale as the long term owner had passed away

A local classic car enthusiast purchased the Porsche and undertook a full restoration

The Certificate of Authenticity from Porsche South Africa confirms the matching numbers, original specification and the supplying dealership in SA too

Although the Estate Sale did not include any earlier paperwork, as often occurs in this situations

To quote the previous owner who undertook the restoration - Around 2 years ago I became fed up with a few small issues that you can expect from a classic car. The main thing that annoyed me was that the starter often wouldn't turn. One day I decided to change it and I saw something else I didn't like and I kept on digging deeper. That week I decided to strip the whole car an got it down to the paintwork which along with the carpets and door trim are the only two things I didn't change. In hind sight I should have changed the carpet. Every nut and bolt is new and zinc plated yellow as per factory spec. I re-manufactured every part or replaced it. Every rubber and seal is new on this car. It has new brake pads, brake hoses and shocks. The motor is still unopened and I changed the second and third synchromesch on the gearbox.

She was then purchased from the restoration chap in SA and shipped over to the UK where she has been imported and paperwork was lodged with the DVLA - she was issued with a UK registration document in 2015 and was fully road registered at that time

Initially after this Charles Ivey of Fulham, well known Porsche Specialists, kindly ensured that performance was up to speed and after £5.350 has been consumed she was flying along very well indeed

Subsequent fettling has been undertaken by the Porsche Centre, Guildford (nice to know that a Franchised Dealer has the expertise to look after Classic's now too) where another £2.250 has been lavished on her upkeep since (2017)

The SWB 912 is very nimble, and handling is so much better than the 6 cylinder 911 Porsche produced at the same time

Even though the 912 maybe low on power against the 911, the 250kg weight advantage kicks in here as the 4 cylinder engine sits further forward in the chassis, as well as weighing less

Hence the 912 handles very well, with no sudden tendency to spin on the slippery down hill corners, so enabling the 912 to become a very formidable sports car

Even the Dutch and German Police used them, knowing that they were very well poised on the road

Very underrated in period (except for the Police, obviously), thankfully the penny has now dropped and enthusiasts are looking for correct examples

Fortunately we have a splendid one here