Seeing the controversial Porsche 914 in the series “The Cars that Made History” by Giorgio Nada Editore has an effect. Yes, because the small sports car from Stuttgart has always been highly contested. And the author himself, Giancarlo Catarsi, explains in his introduction that this car, “at least in Italy, has suffered and continues to suffer from an identity crisis and this has made me approach this work almost as a mission”.
Yes, because both for its technical layout (hidden central engine) and its squared-off berlinetta design, the 914 has always been quite contested by enthusiasts who saw the 911 as the only true Porsche. However, the book (“Porsche 914”, Giorgio Nada Editore, 120 pages, 35 euros), thanks also to the perfect historical reconstruction, the hundreds of photos and the rich period material, explains perfectly why this project can be considered brilliant. And because the first production Porsche with a mid-engine is in fact a historic model that has partly managed to offer the contents of a true supercar in an almost popular market segment (thanks to the robust help of mother Volkswagen), and has partly managed to propose in a large-scale car a mechanical scheme that has always been much loved by Ferdinand Porsche.
Yes, because the brilliant designer was already trying to free his brand from the “everything behind” scheme of the 911 at the time. Reason? You will find it in the splendid pages of this book.
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