After the buoyancy of the 60's things went a bit bleak, and there was lots of doom and gloom that resources, space, progress etc may be about to hit a brick wall. Motor manufacturers looked at ways to keep their 'brand' up should fuel crises become a long term issue.
One unlikely firm to have a bite at this was Porsche with their 1973 concept for an economy car.
The FLA was it's name. But that's a snappy acronym. Proper title: Forschungsprojekt Langzeit Auto. Yeah, even snappier. But it basically means long-life car.
Like it's more glamourous relations the FLA sported a rear-mounted engine. But the comparisons stop there. The 2.5 litre engine produced a miserable 75bhp at 3600rpm, which is most definately un-porsche-like, and coupled to a 3-speed automatic gearbox. Undramatic though these stats may be, the driveline was still innovative with hydraulic tappets, a highly efficient air and oil filtration system, and an inspired cooling system which allowed the car to reach running temperatures quickly. The autobox featured a wear-proof torque converter and a larger than normal oil capacity. The gist being to promote minimum wear by virtue of unstressed components and extended maintainance schedules.
The aim was to produce a car that would comfortably last 20 years / 200,000 miles (remember, 1973: average lifespan was 70k at the outside).
This aim was mirrored by the innovative framework bodywork, over which it was intended that galvanised, recycled and recyclable panels would be fitted.
Styling itself is somewhere between Golf Mk1 & AMC Pacer. But definately un-porsche-like.
And therein lies the rub.
As interesting and innovative as it may have been, the FLA didn't please the brand consultants. And it didn't please the bean-counters who'd rather that buyers had to buy a car more often than 20 years... So this interesting avenue of Porscheness was consigned to history, with the company instead going down the route of increasingly wild 911's and putting their budget efforts into the largely conventional 924...
