Were the 60’s, and Volkswagen made millions and millions of frames to sell their Beetle to baskets. The united states was one of the markets where small utilities more triumphed, along with its Transporter, that would end up becoming an icon of the hippie movement. It was a time of experiments for Volkswagen, and one of his first vehicles and experimental received the internal code EA 128. What Volkswagen didn’t know is that almost created a Porsche Panamera, 45 years before it was released to the market.
A saloon with six seats and a rear-engine Porsche 911. What you can think of something more exotic?
Volkswagen wanted to conquer the u.s. market, but I knew that consumers demanded family vehicles much more comfortable and larger. It was the era of the baby boom, and the families were large, with two or more children that had to occupy a large rear seat that the Beetle could not offer. Porsche was immersed in the development of the Porsche 911, that it would be released in 1963. Given the relationship between the two companies, Volkswagen decided to produce what for all purposes was a Porsche 911 with the body of a saloon.
Volkswagen EA 128 had to the Chevrolet Corvair as a clear goal to beat. Sedans are affordable, spacious and equipped with a six-cylinder engine air cooled in the rear position. To achieve a comparable product, Volkswagen created a prototype of 4,70 meters of length and aesthetics almost futuristic, clean lines, optical very well-defined and without calender – as the Tesla Model 3. As was the custom at the time in the U.S., had two rows of seats they were simply two continuous benches, with capacity for six people.
In 1965, Volkswagen made a family version of this same AD 128, exploring different body styles.
Mechanically, it was a car really similar to the Porsche 911. Employing your engine bóxer of six cylinders and two liters, though with a power softened up the 90 HP. A power low in comparison to a saloon average american, but with a good torque. The engine was simple, reliable, and air cooled. The German sports also inherited their axes, suspension system, its direction and even its steering wheel and dashboard. It is not entirely clear, but possibly used a platform of 911 heavily modified.
Even the rims are clearly Porsche. A curious detail is that Volkswagen retained the manual gearbox of the Porsche 911, while in the united States the greater part of cars used automatic changes. Why Volkswagen did not build this vehicle of the soul Porsche? Why this Porsche Panamera in power don’t came to production? A simple matter of cost. They wanted a product easy and affordable, and the components Porsche did not help to reach the target price.
Porsche produced the 989 to the end of the years 80. It was the first attempt of a saloon four doors by Zuffenhausen. But the project also came to cohere. It was just a few years ago when the Porsche Panamera was launched to the market. family tree is as long as we have been able to check, and this Volkswagen AD 128 is clearly the grandfather of the family. It is currently exhibited in the museum that Volkswagen has at Wolfsburg, along with other prototypes, such as the Volkswagen Golf Mk3 A59.
Source: Jalopnik | autoblog.nl