I can't speak for the rest of the world, but Porsche to me in the early 1970s when I was still in grade school learning reading, writing and 'rithmatic was this Porsche 914. I guess it was a marketing thing. I would see an occasional 356, but most Porsches on the road at the time in SoCal were the 914. It wasn't until years later I learned of the more rounded 911 Porsches.

So it also came as a surprise to me when first I read this particular Porsche being tied more closely to VW. Porsche and Volkswagen have always had a close relationship, Ferry Porsche had a hand in the design of the original Beetle as I understand. Around this same time VW had a couple of models (411 and 412) that used Porsche engines...a friend had one, and like so many at the time it was prone to catching fire. While engine fires are not unheard of among automobiles, the VW 411 and 412 had magnesium parts on top of the engine, and as any fireman will tell you magnesium fires are class 4 fires...they make their own oxygen which means they are impossible to extinguish. In the Navy we would dump such a fire overboard, but you can't do that on the side of the road. My friend's 411 caught fire and was a total loss, but she wasn't hurt.

I don't have any direct experience with Porsches, but I've long admired them. Probably goes back to my 11th grade gym teacher who bought a 914 insurance loss and restored it. He really liked that car, but he also said it would have been cheaper to just buy a new one outright. The 914 always looked like a fun little go cart.

Right around the time the 914 was in showrooms here, Schuco had this line of well done 1/66 scale models. I have a few of them, and they are impressive.