New model musings
By Stephen Paul Hardy
Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.
Norev’s expanding catalogue of 1:18 VW-Porsche 914 models effectively covers the whole production life of the car between 1970 and 1976. As such the seven models released to date provide a perfect Case Study opportunity for a factual, evidence based, critique illustrating points I made in my “How good is good enough” musings.
Some plain speaking to start with:
I do not intend to reflect on the production history of the VW- Porsche 914 complete with the numerous detail changes that the series went through. Rather my intention is to critique how a series of successive scale models have been released and the effectiveness – or otherwise – of the various changes Norev have made in order to bring forward variations on the theme. From this point of view, the 914 just happens to be the vehicle, with pun intended, that conveniently facilitates that critique.
As an enthusiastic fan of the 914 series since it’s introduction now almost 55 years ago, I have been keenly following Norev’s exploration of the theme with both pleasure and disappointment in equal measures. It is sufficient to say that the base modelling and casting of the Norev model seems to me to be pleasingly well proportioned. So setting that and the rationalisation of detail interior changes, etc., aside, I intend to focus on THREE areas of the modelling that are, in context, fundamental to conveying what is for me an acceptably authentic visual and emotional depiction of the subject. With a cost of at least £80 (GBP 80) per model, I expect these three areas to be authentically represented as if the model represented a new vehicle in ex-factory OE condition in dealership’s showroom. These are after all scale models intended for enthusiast collectors.
Paint and upholstery finishes
Given the degree of enthusiastic following the 914 still enjoys around the world, internet-based information about year-by-year changes in the “Karmann palette” finish offered to 914 buyers is both extensive and very accessible. Original colour charts are readily available to download from various sources including the official Porsche websites. These are supported by a wealth of information from the many companies who provide information, spare parts and replacement parts to owners and restorers.
https://www.porsche.com/international/accessoriesandservice/classic/models/914/
https://www.porsche.com/uk/accessoriesandservice/classic/models/914/914/
https://www.porsche.com/uk/accessoriesandservice/classic/models/914/914-6/
https://www.pca.org/news/was-1972-the-best-year-for-porsche-914-colors
Perhaps best of all is a succinct, factually accurate, table of colour information that is freely found on the internet prepared in the US by enthusiast Charles Davies and, although last updated two decades ago, remains a definitive resource on the subject. For a long time, it could be found on the internet in pdf format and certainly remains readily available still in simple image format.
(That 914 paint colors table was, incidentally, also the a starting point a decade ago when I first started to translate my previous printed magazine research into an authoritative web format resource on the subject of the “Special Edition’ palette” paint colours used by Volkswagen and Porsche on the 914 and other models. Work that took me 18 months to initially research, document and tabulate and which is now constantly under updating review by the team behind SEBeetles.com The resulting resource for enthusiasts is now the world’s foremost reference library on the subject at https://sebeetles.com/european-paint/ and https://sebeetles.com/p-e-european-paint/ )
Given that so much authoritative information is so easily accessible with minimal research time, the erroneous use of incorrect paint colour finishes for any one particular VW-Porsche model year isn’t acceptable in my view.
In common with contemporary Volkswagen, Porsche and other manufacturers’ practice, references to any particular year in these documents relate to the model year that runs August through to the following July. A twelve-monthly cycle allowed for tooling up for model range upgrades and introduction of the new model year’s product range during the annual works holidays in August. As a result, year-based terminology amongst enthusiasts is universally understood to mean the model year and not the calendar year of manufacture. So as an example ‘1972’ (model year) 914s were manufactured between 8/71 and 7/72.
The bottom line (1): it costs no more for a scale model manufacturer to use a correct paint colour than its does to use an incorrect one.
The bottom line (2): It is not uncommon with scale model manufacturers to fail to recognise the automotive industry model year concept which leads to erroneous catalogue descriptions. As we shall see in Parts 3-4, several of Norev’s 914s appear to be incorrectly attributed to a year. It is however plausible though that Norev based particular models on a real car manufactured for example in September 1971 and therefore erroneously catalogued it as a ‘1971’ version instead of correctly by the manufacturers model year of 1972. Conversely erroneous attribution to a given year may be simply a case of a ‘good enough’ approach to the cataloguing process.
Badging
Perhaps not quite so clear under cursory research is the model badging structure of the 914 series. This, like the contemporary Volkswagen model badging of the era, was a tad confusing to many observers thanks to differences in the nomenclature used between the European and North American markets.
(An insight and explanation into these sorts of differences can be found here: https://sebeetles.com/european-manufacture-inland-and-exportmarkets/ and https://sebeetles.com/badges/.)
For the 914 sold in European markets and marketed differently in North America, I have tabulated the badging as installed through the 914s production life as a readily accessible resource.
Where research caution has to be exercised and tempered with some basic appreciation and understanding of the subject is in the use of contemporary sales brochures. Checking the sales (or ‘export’) market that the brochure was published for is very important. In the case of 914 sales brochures (and contemporary Porsche ones), very similar layouts were used for European and North American markets modified by very good (for the pre-digital era) retouching of photographs in order to present images of specification details applicable to the market for which the brochure is intended.
The bottom line (3): it costs no more for a scale model manufacturer to use correct model designation badging and decoration than it does to use incorrect ones .
The bottom line (4): it seems to have become an increasing practice for scale model manufacturers to use surviving examples of vehicles as the research base for new models. There is, with contemporary scanning technology and CAD based modelling techniques, good reasons for doing so. However if the research validating the authenticity of that real vehicle in absolute detail is less than thorough – or just downright cursory, the result is a scale model with flawed attributes. This scenario applies just as much to using museum exhibits as it does to privately owned examples.
Wheels
Keeping to a superficial, spotters guide, level of visual recognition then, clues to the various different production versions of the 914 wheel rims have a significant role. The three distinct groups of (street specification) 914s and their respective wheel rim options are catalogued here in the second readily accessible resource tabulation that I prepared for this series of articles.
All of the different wheel types were variously illustrated in the sales brochures, although the same caveat that applied to interpretation of European and North American market equipment applies: research caution has to be exercised and tempered with some basic appreciation and understanding of the subject.
Wheel types
The early series 914/4 powered by Volkswagen flat 4 cylinder air-cooled engines were fitted as standard with contemporary 8 slot, 4 bolt, standard (steel) VW road wheels and chromed hub caps to which standard contemporary brightwork trim rims were also occasionally fitted. Buyers were also offered optional factory fitted Pendrini alloy rims.
The early series 914/6 powered by Porsche flat 6 cylinder air-cooled engines were fitted as standard with contemporary 10 slot, 5 bolt, standard (steel) Porsche road wheels and chromed hub caps. Buyers were also offered optional factory fitted Porsche ‘Windmill’ Fuchs or Mahle alloy rims.
The later series 914 models all powered by derivations of Volkswagen flat 4 cylinder air-cooled engines were fitted as standard with Lemmerz 4 bolt (steel) VW ‘sports’ road wheels with black plastic caps. Buyers were also offered optional factory fitted Baby Fuchs and Mahle alloy rims.
For their 914 releases to date, Norev are on record as having decided that
We have built three typically used wheels which offer lots of possibilities for many accurate versions… There will be no additional wheel for our 914… There is always a limit of what can be done from an economic point of view.
The bottom line (5): Norev’s product development decision not to widen its range of three wheel rim styles on its 914 models does however cause a serious restriction on its authentic coverage of 914 production history. Without also introducing a standard steel VW wheel – as on its 1:18 models of the VW 1303 saloon and cabriolet – or tooling up for a Pendrini rim, representation of the 914/4 is impossible and a significant omission, given the substantial number of 914 sales during 1970-1971 of this model over and above the 914/6.
In addition by declining to develop tooling for the 4 bolt Lemmerz and Mahle styles, the roll out of further variations on the 914 theme covering 1972-1976 becomes – as we shall see in Parts 2-4 – monotonously dominated by the sole use of the rather bland Baby Fuchs rim. In reality sales of 914 with all three rim styles were fairly equal in numbers. Interestingly, investment in a Lemmerz rim has already been made for use on some of Norev’s VW 1303 Beetle albeit in a 4.5×15 rim that just need to be widening out to represent the 5.5×15 rims used on the 914.
An additional benefit of having prepared the two tabulations of readily accessible 914 references for this article – badging and wheels – was that it afforded a very robust evidence base against which to review each of Norev’s 914 releases to date in turn. A model by model critique will start in Part 2.
We welcome your comments and questions. Please go to our Model Auto Review Facebook page or email the Editors at maronlineeditor at gmail.com.