Porsche 114
Encyclopedia
The Porsche 114 was a proposed design for a sports car
powered by a 1493 cc V10
engine
.
for the German
government's
KDF program Ferdinand Porsche
considered building a sports car version of the VW. Internally known as the Porsche Type 64
this car would feature an aluminium
streamlined body, a 1.5L version of the Volkswagen's original 1.0L engine, and a top speed of at least 160km/h (100mph). Originally the car was to use a large number of VW parts, but due to the intricacies of then German law it was not legal to sell government made parts to a private company.
decided to redesign the car from the ground up to be built internally by Porsche. This would have been the first car actually built by Porsche themselves. Known as the Type 114, or F-Wagen, a sort of portmanteau of Ferry and P-Wagen, it was a significant departure from the Type 64. Although it never reached the prototype
stage the design drawings were all but completed and included a novel water cooled
72° V10 engine in a true mid engine
layout, as opposed to the VW's rear engine
layout. Suspension was by trailing arm
s in front and swing axle
s in the rear, with drum brake
s at all four corners. The body was aluminum and resembled a lower, stretched, and streamlined VW. Porsche had hopes of producing this car, but international tensions and a poor economy
lead to its cancellation. Porsche did manage to salvage part of its investment by selling the transaxle
design to Volkswagen
.
Ferry Porsche began to build sports cars based on the VW, and eventually began production of the Porsche 356
which in concept was identical to the Type 64. Also aerodynamic
research for the 114 led to a series of bodies produced by Porsche for racing
and land speed record
cars, such as the Type 60K10
, a highly modified VW Beetle. While the type 114 was in the end little more than a design study it had a large impact on the future course of Porsche and the cars that would make the company a dominant force in the automotive world.
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
powered by a 1493 cc V10
V10 engine
A V10 engine is a V engine with 10 cylinders in two banks of five with a distinct exhaust note.- Mechanics :The V10 is essentially the result of mating two even-firing straight-5 engines together. The straight-5 engine shows first and second order rocking motion...
engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
.
History
After designing the VolkswagenVolkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
for the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
government's
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
KDF program Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche was an Austrian automotive engineer and honorary Doctor of Engineering. He is best known for creating the first hybrid vehicle , the Volkswagen Beetle, and the Mercedes-Benz SS/SSK, as well as the first of many Porsche automobiles...
considered building a sports car version of the VW. Internally known as the Porsche Type 64
Porsche 64
The Porsche 64, also known as the VW Aerocoupe, Type 64 and Type 60K10, is considered by many to be the first automobile from what was to become the Porsche company, as a true design precursor to the production model of after the war. The model number comes from the fact that it was built mainly...
this car would feature an aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
streamlined body, a 1.5L version of the Volkswagen's original 1.0L engine, and a top speed of at least 160km/h (100mph). Originally the car was to use a large number of VW parts, but due to the intricacies of then German law it was not legal to sell government made parts to a private company.
Design
By 1938 Ferdinand had given up trying to arrange for a supply of VW parts for the Type 64. Ferdinand and his son Ferry PorscheFerdinand Anton Ernst Porsche
Ferdinand Anton Ernst Porsche , mainly known as Ferry Porsche, was an Austrian technical automobile designer and automaker-entrepreneur. He operated Porsche AG in Stuttgart, Germany. His father, Ferdinand Porsche Sr was also a renowned automobile engineer. His nephew, Dr...
decided to redesign the car from the ground up to be built internally by Porsche. This would have been the first car actually built by Porsche themselves. Known as the Type 114, or F-Wagen, a sort of portmanteau of Ferry and P-Wagen, it was a significant departure from the Type 64. Although it never reached the prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
stage the design drawings were all but completed and included a novel water cooled
Watercooling
Water cooling is a method of heat removal from components and industrial equipment. As opposed to air cooling, water is used as the heat conductor. Water cooling is commonly used for cooling automobile internal combustion engines and large industrial facilities such as steam electric power plants,...
72° V10 engine in a true mid engine
MR layout
In automotive design, a RMR or Rear Mid-engine, Rear-wheel drive layout is one in which the rear wheels are driven by an engine placed just in front of them, behind the passenger compartment. In contrast to the rear-engined RR layout, the center of mass of the engine is in front of the rear axle...
layout, as opposed to the VW's rear engine
RR layout
In automotive design, a RR, or Rear-engine, Rear-wheel drive layout places both the engine and drive wheels at the rear of the vehicle. In contrast to the RMR layout, the center of mass of the engine is between the rear axle and the rear bumper....
layout. Suspension was by trailing arm
Trailing arm
thumb|220px|Trailing arm rear suspension of [[Front-engine, front-wheel drive layout|FF]] carsA trailing-arm suspension is an automobile suspension design in which one or more arms are connected between the axle and the chassis. It is usually used on rear axles...
s in front and swing axle
Swing axle
A swing axle is a simple type of independent suspension first used in early aircraft , such as the Sopwith and Fokker, usually with rubber bungee and no damping....
s in the rear, with drum brake
Drum brake
A drum brake is a brake in which the friction is caused by a set of shoes or pads that press against a rotating drum-shaped part called a brake drum....
s at all four corners. The body was aluminum and resembled a lower, stretched, and streamlined VW. Porsche had hopes of producing this car, but international tensions and a poor economy
Recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
lead to its cancellation. Porsche did manage to salvage part of its investment by selling the transaxle
Transaxle
In the automotive field, a transaxle is a major mechanical component that combines the functionality of the transmission, the differential, and associated components of the driven axle into one integrated assembly....
design to Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
.
Legacy
The Porsche Type 114 never came to be, but it lived on in a number of Porsche cars. After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Ferry Porsche began to build sports cars based on the VW, and eventually began production of the Porsche 356
Porsche 356
The Porsche 356 was the company's first production automobile. It was a lightweight and nimble handling rear-engine rear-wheel-drive 2 door sports car available in hardtop coupe and open configurations. Design innovations continued during the years of manufacture, contributing to its motorsports...
which in concept was identical to the Type 64. Also aerodynamic
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
research for the 114 led to a series of bodies produced by Porsche for racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
and land speed record
Land speed record
The land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération...
cars, such as the Type 60K10
Porsche 64
The Porsche 64, also known as the VW Aerocoupe, Type 64 and Type 60K10, is considered by many to be the first automobile from what was to become the Porsche company, as a true design precursor to the production model of after the war. The model number comes from the fact that it was built mainly...
, a highly modified VW Beetle. While the type 114 was in the end little more than a design study it had a large impact on the future course of Porsche and the cars that would make the company a dominant force in the automotive world.