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1969 Porsche 912 in Rare Royal Purple Color Is Europe's Plum Crazy Mopar

High impact colors were the rage in the U.S. in the late 1960s. Not so much in Europe, where carmakers and buyers were a bit more conservative. Still, some automakers offered stand-out colors; the Porsche 911, for instance, was available in Royal Purple. Cars finished in this hue are incredibly rare, but this 912 is proof that European sports cars look cool in purple too.
1969 Porsche 912 in Royal Purple 12 photos
Photo: metriwrenc_0/eBay
1969 Porsche 912 in Royal Purple1969 Porsche 912 in Royal Purple1969 Porsche 912 in Royal Purple1969 Porsche 912 in Royal Purple1969 Porsche 912 in Royal Purple1969 Porsche 912 in Royal Purple1969 Porsche 912 in Royal Purple1969 Porsche 912 in Royal Purple1969 Porsche 912 in Royal Purple1969 Porsche 912 in Royal Purple1969 Porsche 912 in Royal Purple
This sporty coupe from the late 1960s surfaced in Sheridan, Wyoming, and based on the way it looks it spent a lot of time in storage. There's not a lot of info to run by, but we're probably looking at a decade or so. The seller says it "runs and drives," so it's safe to assume that it has been taken care of while in storage.

Of course, the paint is a little dusty, but a good cleaning and some polishing should make that purple color shine. Known as Royal Purple, this hue is a rare one. And needless to say, the 912 looks gorgeous in it. The only issue here is that the seller doesn't say whether it's the original color or a repaint.

Based on the fact that the door jams and the engine bay show matching paint, it could be the exact same paint applied at the Porsche factory. If this is true, then it's in great shape. The same goes for the interior; apart from some dust and dirt, it's in really good shape and completely usable with a bit of cleaning.

The 912 still sports its original drivetrain, so it's a numbers-matching Porsche. Unlike the 911, which was fitted with a flat-six mill, the 912 packs a flat-four unit. Porsche offered two different engines in this car. The 1.6-liter flat-four was featured in both Euro- and U.S.-spec models, while a larger, Volkswagen-sourced 2.0-liter unit was mounted in the 912E.

A U.S. model, this 912 draws juice from the 1.6-liter Type 616/36. It was based on the Type 616/16 used in the 356SC of 1964 and 1965, and it was good for 102 horsepower back in 1969. Speaking of which, 1969 was the final year for the 912 before it was briefly revived for 1976 as the 912E.

While it's not a full-fledged 911 classic, this 912 is a little gem given the rare color and the matching-numbers drivetrain. A bit of TLC could turn it into a concours-winning car. And if you're unhappy with the flat-four, a flat-six swap is definitely doable. On the other hand, would you ruin a matching-numbers classic for a bit of extra power?

The purple 912 is being auctioned by "metriwrenc_0" on eBay as we speak. With a little more than two days to go, the bidding is at $17,700. There's no reserve, but pricing will surely jump beyond the $20K mark.
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About the author: Ciprian Florea
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Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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