Essentially a 911 fitted with the well-established 1,600cc 356-type flat-four, the 912 was a very capable modern sports car in period, but was importantly more affordable, selling at near-356 prices.

The 912 produced 90bhp, some 40 horsepower less than the 911's six-cylinder engine, but this deficit was offset by significantly reduced weight, resulting in a better-balanced car with greatly improved road manners and better economy, the combination of the four-cylinder engine and the 'slippery' 911 shape offering over 30mpg.

This new model had all the looks and style of the 911 whilst sharing its gearbox, monocoque steel chassis, independent front torsion bar, trailing arm rear suspension and all-round disc brakes.

Despite offering slightly less power, the agile 912 had a respectable top speed of 119mph, while the UK list price of £2,467 undercut the 911 by around 16%.

A little over 30,000 examples were produced at Karmann's works (Porsche's factory was fully occupied with the 911) b...