1965 saw the successful launch of Porsche 912, reinventing the flat-four Porsche as a successor to the 356. The 912 followed the slower but strong development of the more expensive 911 six-cylinder. The 912 was developed as an 'entry level' Porsche, with a four-speed gearbox, and produced 34 mpg. It was a huge hit, with 6401 cars sold in 1965, compared to 3390 911s in the same year.

The option of a five-speed gearbox gave better use of the power and available torque, and made the Porsche 912 a fun car to drive. The 912 was elegant and refined, and carried a distinctive diagonal 912 script badge on the engine cover.
(Porsche had initially named the 911 and 912, 901 and 902 respectively, but this did not agree with the French market, and so had to change the names.)