Porsche Type 114: the 1938 V10 sports car that was never built

The Type 114 is the first Porsche sports car designed from a clean sheet. It exists only on paper, which makes it an unusual entry in a prototype archive: fully documented as a design, entirely absent as an object.

What was the Porsche Type 114?

The Porsche Type 114 was a 1938 design study for a sports car to be built by Porsche itself. After designing the Volkswagen, Ferdinand Porsche wanted a sporting derivative, but securing a supply of Volkswagen parts proved difficult. He and his son Ferry decided to design a car from the ground up instead. Its nickname, F-Wagen, combines Ferry’s initial with “Wagen”.

What made the Type 114 unusual?

The Type 114 was unusual for its engine and layout. Where the Volkswagen had an air-cooled flat-four behind the rear axle, the drawings show:

• A water-cooled 72-degree V10 of 1,493 cc
• The engine mounted amidships, ahead of the rear axle
• Trailing-arm front suspension and rear swing axles
• Drum brakes at all four wheels

A small V10 in 1938 was an ambitious and expensive idea for a company that did not yet build cars of its own.

Why was the Type 114 never built?

The Type 114 was never built because the project went no further than drawings. The political and industrial situation in 1938–39 pushed Porsche’s office towards state work, and the race programme that did get resources was the Volkswagen-based Type 64 for the planned Berlin–Rome race.

How does the Type 114 connect to later Porsches?

The Type 114 connects to later Porsches through its shape. Its body drawings and those of the Type 64 are recognisable in the Gmünd-built 356 coupé that followed after the war. The mid-engine idea returned in the first Porsche of all, the 356/1 “No. 1” roadster of 1948.

Where does it sit in the Porsche type list?

Type 114 sits between the Volkswagen family (Type 60 and its derivatives) and the wartime projects. It is one of many numbers on the Porsche type list that describe designs rather than cars.