The fiery end came for the Porsche unique Porsche.
It is not only one of the most unique Porsches, but also the first to get Italdesign’s distinctive wedge shape. The name of the one-off was inspired by the pig-like tapir herbivorous mammal. It started life as a Porsche 914/6, but it underwent some major changes. It had a significant influence on many Giugiaro’s designs, including the Maserati Boomerang or the DeLorean DMC-12. The one-off Tapiro was almost eighty centimeters longer than the car it was based on, and was four inches (10cm) wider. It had the same wheelbase as the original. It was the first car with a “seagull wings” opening for doors and rear panels. Giguiaro used glass as a key design element. This is evident when you view the Tapiro from above. A large plexiglass area was also found at the back, and a functional air intake was installed at the top of the windscreen.
The regular 914 was powered by either a VW-sourced flat four 1.7-liter engine with 80 horsepower or a larger 2.0 liter flat-six Porsche motor with 110 horsepower at launch. However, the Tapiro received an upgraded 2.4-liter unit with 220 horsepower at 7,200 rpm. The concept car was fully functional and featured a five-speed manual transmission. It reached a top speed of 152 MPH (245 km/h).
The car’s world premiere was at the Turin Motor Show, 1970. It made its U.S debut at the Los Angeles Imported Automobile and Sports Car Show, a year later. It made its debut at the Barcelona Motor Show in 1973 before being sold to Waldo De los Rios, an Argentine composer. Here is where things get a little murky. Some claim the car was involved in an accident, while others believe that it was the victim a Madrid firebomb. The aftermath image shows that the car appears to have only suffered from the fire.
Plans to restore the car were in place, but they fell apart. The Tapiro was eventually sold to Giugiaro. It was displayed on a pole outside Giugiaro’s headquarters for a time.