1964 Porsche

Car #: Po3092Price: InquireYear: 1964VIN: 904-051Engine: 2.0-liter Carrera Four-CamOdometer: 34,450 kmColor: Red/NavyDescription:

904 Background

After having retired from F1 & F2 competition at the end of the 1962 season, Porsche focused again on Sports Car racing.  The 904 debuted late in 1963, for the 1964 racing season, as a successor to the 718, which had been introduced in 1957.  Porsche designed the GTS variant to compete in the FIA-GT class at various international racing events.  The street-legal version debuted in 1964 in order to comply with FIA's Group 3 homologation regulations requiring a certain number of road-going variants be sold by the factory.  Porsche produced 106 (Some sources site 109 examples as there were several that were "recycled" in period and some rebuilt and issued same/old chassis numbers.)

For the US market the 904 had an initial list price of $7,245 (FOB Stuttgart).  Orders just exceeded the one hundred car requirement to satisfy homologation rules and more cars could readily have been sold, however Porsche had other plans and improvements in mind for the replacement 906 which was already on the drawing boards.  The 904 marked the beginning of a series of sportscars that eventually culminated in the mighty all conquering 917K first introduced in 1969

Engine

The 904's mid-engine layout was inherited from the 718, also known as the RSK, the factory's leading race car up to that point.  It was powered by the 1,966cc, Type 587/3, four-cam, air-cooled, flat four-cylinder engine producing 200bhp.  The design of which is considered buy many to probably be the most complex four-cylinder engine ever designed and put into production.  The 2.0-liter engine drove a five-speed transmission with a standard 4.428:1 final drive ratio, with optional available ratios of 4.605, 4.260, 3.636, and 3.362.  The original engine design began as the Type 547, its development first taking shape in 1953, when the previous VW-based 1,100cc, flat-four, used in the contemporary 356 hit the limit of its potential.  Porsche realized it needed something all-new and it came in the form of the brainchild of Dr. Ernst Fuhrmann, later Technical Director of Porsche Racing.  He initially hoped to achieve an unheard of 70bhp out of a 1500cc engine.  Relying on hemispherical combustion chambers and two 46 mm, 46IDA3 dual-choke Weber carburetors, the engine was actually able to produced 100 to 115bhp depending on application and choice of cam, engine timing and allowable rpm applications.  The new 1.5-liter engine weighed in at only 310lbs (140kgs) and eventually was producing nearly 180bhp in its final 1500cc form.  Then engine featured a complex design that proved very expensive and time consuming to build but very durable.  It was such a success that over a very short period of time, it was used in 34 different models, including the well-known 550 Spyders, 356 Carreras, and even Porsches short lived F1 and F2 programs.

Chassis

The 904 was the first Porsche to use a ladder chassis and fibreglass inner and outer body appearing more like specialist racing cars than the modified sports cars typical of the period.  The fibreglass body was bonded to its steel chassis for extra rigidity, and achieved a drag coefficient of only 0.34cd.  While many German race cars had used unpainted aluminum bodies since the famous "Silver Arrows" of the 1930s, most 904s were painted silver, the German National racing colors.  Unusually for Porsche, the two-seater bodies were provided by outside contractors, which would later become standard practice amongst race car builders.  The 904's fibreglass body was made by spraying chopped fibreglass into a mold, the amount sprayed often varied in thickness over the shape of the car and as a result the weight of the various cars was somewhat inconsistent; some were heavier than others. Race-prepared four-cylinder 904s weighed in at approximately 1,443 lbs (655kgs) and the low weight gave the 904 the ability to accelerate to 62mph (100kmph) from a standstill in less than six (6) seconds!  They were also easily able to reach a top speed of 160 mph (260 kmph)

Suspension

The Porsche 904 rode on coil springs (the first Porsche not to use trailing arm front and swingaxle rear suspension) with unequal-length A-arms in front.  The wheelbase was 2,300mm and handling and with it's mid-engine design unlike anything before and regarded for some time thereafter as an industry benchmark.

History

This 904 GTS has an extremely well known ownership and race history! Original delivered by Brumos of Jacksonville, Florida and last restored by a world-renown Porsche 904 expert, Kevin Ginette in West Palm Beach, Florida. An extensive, multi-year restoration was undertaken... This 904 is in beautiful condition and has been detailed and ready to race or drive on the street. 904-051 retains its original 4-cam engine that has been recently rebuilt and is an amazing car to drive!

We have extensive owner ship history from 1964 to present along with its complete race history from 1964 to 1967.

Do not miss this rare opportunity for a classic Porsche 904 investment, an extremely rare, up and coming collectible Porsche!