The world has become very used to seeing modified Porsche 911s. In fact, it is dare we say rarer to see a Porsche in its stock form than a felted version. With the world of restomods and modernisation taking a shine to everybody’s favourite sports car, the results truly can be spectacular, but long before the likes of Singer and Gunther Werks, cars such as this 912-6 were how the OGs made their Porsches unique.
For a long time, Porsche’s 912 was a bit of a nobody. Built to bridge the price gap between the 356, which was still being produced at this time and the 911, 1965 saw Porsche launch the 912, a less expensive and significantly less powerful sibling of the 911. Despite looking identical to its relation, many felt the lack of oomph from the 4-cylinder engine rendered the car useless. Pretty, but nothing like a real 911.
For owners of the fresh-faced 912, many of whom were more than happy to be driving a cheaper version of one of the best sports cars around during the 1960s, life with the 912 was good, but a select few felt they could better it. One of those renegades was Jerry Jensen.
Jensen acquired the 912 in 1966, where it was originally finished in Ivory, a colour which he didn’t particularly like, nor was he that impressed with the paint finish on the car. He decided, having never painted a car before, in his own garage, that he would personalise the 912 to his own taste. After seeing a pair of vibrant green lady’s shoes in a retail store, Jensen landed on this shade and reportedly spent nearly four months repainting the entire car. After daily driving the car throughout the early 1970s, the car naturally picked up some wear and tear along the way, but Jensen and his trusty paintbrush had some ideas on how to fix that. He painted over the bonnet with two-tone scallops, one a slightly darker green than the base colour, something which looks as though it could have been a factory optional extra.
While Jensen’s 912 looked the part, as a driver’s car, it was somewhat lacking. The fizz of that now iconic 2.0-litre 6-cylinder was exactly what made the 911 so good, and the idea of owning one was still just a dream to Jensen. That was, until a friend and mechanic to the 912 received a crashed 911 in for parts. Jensen snapped it up in an instant and paid for it using his landscaping design abilities around the shop. The car still retains its original 5-speed 912 transmission which is said to be quicker off the line with its lower gearbox ratios, but with the far punchier engine behind it, this 912-6 really had a new lease of life.
Being a green Porsche, it attracted plenty of attention as Jerry Jensen drove by, one of whom being fan of an emerald Porsche, none other than Ferry Porsche himself. Jensen said of the encounter, “Strolling along and looking around, it was as if Dr. Porsche wanted to see what people really did with his cars. When he stopped to talk with me, it wasn't as the head of Porsche, but as one car guy to another…”
Jerry Jensen would continue to preserve and display his creation for decades to follow, attracting numerous admirers along the way, some of whom requested their cars were given the ‘Jensen touch’ with custom paintwork and accessories. Now, the car performs exceptionally well with strong linear power, tight steering, shifting, and braking. Steeped in Porsche hot-rod lore, this 912 is a historically significant outlaw capable of continued club display and spirited touring. This example is now available to purchase at Texas-based dealership DriverSource.
We’ll end on some words from Jerry Jensen himself, who perfectly encapsulates why this car was so special to him, taken from the 2012 edition of Porsche Panorama Magazine, “After all, it’s mine, and because it’s also a part of me, I did it the way I wanted.”
