Out-of-this-Word:

The "Porsche for the future," introduced as Modell 901 at the Frankfurt International Auto Show in September of 1963, was lightyears ahead of the old 356C in terms of sophistication of design. But the 911--as the 901 came to be known--was rather expensive to buy and to maintain, primarily due to its mechanically complex 2-liter overhead cam 6-cylinder engine.

About 30,000 912s were built from April 1965 until 1969. Of those, only the early car until the end of the 1967 model year featured the short wheel base. How many of those survived 100% rust and accident free is anybody's guess, but it can't be many.

The 1967 Porsche 912 SWB Coupe featured here is one of those rare birds.

VIN *460883* has been sold new in Southern California and remained in the Golden State ever since. It remained with the original owner until 1973 when it was sold to the second owner, a gentleman from Inglewood, who babied it for the following 50 years.

Its title is still the old California "pink slip," a rare sight these days.

The 912 comes with factory manual and other books, as well as a stack of chronologically ordered service receipts.

Both original black license plates (issued until 1968 when they ran out of combinations starting with the letter Z), are in pristine, unrestored, near perfect condition.

Total mileage, supported by the documents at hand, is 107,286 miles.

The trunk still features its original carpet, battery box, tool roll, jack, and spare with the original tire made in Austria.

Note the 2/67 date code on the spare, as well as the original balancing weight and valve stem guard!

912's body is as perfect as they come. Never any rust, never any accident damage. Hood and door gaps are absolutely perfect and they close easily with the famous "clunk" sound.

All the chrome and brightwork is original, unrestored, and exceptionally well preserved, and that includes the vent window frames and the window decos.

Chromed steelies with crested hub caps are original as well, all date-coded 2/67.

Tires have about 80% tread left.

This "Polo Red" (paint code 6602) Porsche was repainted once, years ago, to what we would call the highest standard in the industry.

The interior looks new.

Original door panels are flawless.

Nooks and crannies as as beautiful as the undersides of the doors.

The original headliner and the original sun visors are flawless. Both interior lights work in all positions.

Original dashboard is 100% crack free, with no hairline cracks, fading, or warping at all.

912 cockpit is a joy to behold. Virtually indistinguishable from its big brother, the 911, the 912s cockpit exudes an all-business ambiance. Everything looks stock, from the shift knob to the steering wheel.

All of the gauges and switches work, save for the clock which shows the correct time only twice per day.

Salt-and-pepper carpeting is new and has been installed to meet show standards.

Original front seats have been re-upholstered with the optional Pepita inserts, often mistakenly described as Houndstooth.

Note the beautiful original Porsche seat belts!

Folding "occasional rear seats" are original and perfectly preserved.

Body and paint are of show quality, with just two or three small imperfections to note, namely a ding on the lower part of the hood, a crack in the left taillight lens, and perhaps two or three tiny paint chips that have been touched up.

Original engine runs great with all factory-original finish on the tins!

There are no leaks of any kind; however the engine is cold blooded and the carburetors pop a bit until it's warmed up.

All numbers match throughout.

The term "toothbrush clean" is not an exageration here!

Porsche 5-speed transaxle shifts smoothly; new shift bushings have just been installed late in August.

Being a California car all its life, this 912's undercarriage never had any corrosion or repairs. Pans and rockers are perfect.

Below are detail and close-up photos of the undercarriage:

Hard to believe that this car is now 56 years old . . .

Driving the 912 brings back memories of the 356SC. Sound and performance are very similar. Of course, the 912 offers vastly improved driver ergonomics and a lower center of gravity.

Weighing about 250 lbs. less than its brother, the 911, this 110-horse 912 scoots along nicely at freeway speeds; the tach indicating 4,000 rpm at 73mph while cruising in 5^th gear.

Porsche 912s are easy-to-live-with classics. They are simple creatures of a timeless beauty.

This Polo Red SWB Coupe with 5-speed ticks all the right boxes.

Thank you for looking!

Enjoy the 8-minute video!