Porsche 904

Like all other famous sports car factories, Porsche has based a large part of its image and popularity on sporting successes since the first days of the factory's existence. However, although the 356 started the legend, the 904 continued it in the best way.

Since the very foundation of Porsche in 1948, these cars have been the favorite choice of many amateur racers due to their simplicity, quality, and reliability. Porsche knew how important these customers were and constantly improved its models.

Also releasing racing variants, which put factory teams on the podiums of racetracks around the world. However, at the end of the 50s, that era came to an end.

The main reason is the obsolescence of the "hardware" that the factory had. Road cars sold well, but on the tracks, Porsche engineers no longer knew what to offer.

Technically, the maximum was extracted from modest VW Beetle components, and it was clear to the company's management that something had to change in the development and approach to competitions.

The first step in this was the presentation of the 718 RSK model at the end of the 50s, which was a racing model derived from the F1 car. There, for the first time, solutions such as a tubular chassis and a centrally placed aggregate were applied.

Presentation of the 904

At the end of 1963, Porsche presented the 904 model, which stunned and conquered the world automotive public with the blitzkrieg method. It was a completely new sports car with undisguised racing ambitions that compiled all the best technical solutions of the time and all the recognizable features of the brand.

Photo: "Porsche 904 Carrera GTS" by Chris Yarzab

The Porsche 904 was a mid-engine road car, as well as the first car to have a body made of fiberglass, a very advanced material at the time, which was mounted on a racing steel chassis.

Also, it was the first road-going Porsche without the recognizable design that adorns most models of this company to this day. Behind the driver was one of the most complicated aggregates ever. It was about a 4-cylinder boxer with a volume of 2 liters (120ci) and an excellent 180 hp!

In fact, although the configuration and displacement are the same as the engines found in road models, this boxer has nothing to do with its street brothers and is a completely new unit created by Dr. Ernst Furhmann, the technical director at the time.

In order to achieve such high power, Herr Furhmann gave this boxer hemispherical chambers in the head, ideal for high revolutions and as efficient combustion as possible, as well as 4 camshafts, 2 per engine head.

It is precisely those camshafts that make this engine very interesting because connecting the "hemi" heads and 2 cams is a very difficult task. Those chambers are larger in size and semi-spherical in shape, which conditions the very inclined vertical axis of the valve.

This is why the "hemi" heads are wider than regular ones, and guiding the valves through 2 cams is very complicated. Nevertheless, Porsche managed to make the engine, and besides, in the best spirit of German industry, it worked perfectly and without a fault!

In order to qualify for the GT class, Porsche had to build 100 or more for road use and very quickly managed to meet that quota. The price was $7,245 for the road version, which was equivalent to the price of a Rolls Royce or Cadillac Fleetwood.

Performance

During 1964-65, the Porsche 904, also sold as the Carrera GTS, was one of the fastest road cars money could buy. Acceleration from 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph) was under 6 seconds, and the maximum speed depended on the choice of the ratio in the differential, and customers had 5 types at their disposal.

High performance was also achieved with low weight as well as superb aerodynamics.

The Wins Started to Pile Up...

Although the racing debut of this model was unsuccessful (Sebring 1964—problems with the clutch and withdrawal from the race), it quickly caught the rhythm and outclassed the competition. The wins started to pile up, both in the hands of the factory team and in the hands of private racers. Here are just a few:

• Nürburgring and Le Mans, class win.
• Reims and Targa Florio win in the general classification.
• Watkins Glen, Daytona, Spa, Alpine Rally, Paris 1000km... these are all places where the drivers of the 904 reached the podium.

Photo: "1964 Porsche 904 GTS" by Dave Hamster

The success of this car prompted the company to try to develop it further, adding a more powerful engine, and thus the Porsche 906, with a stronger 6-cylinder boxer, was created, which was only for racing and was made in about 20 pieces.

After it, a couple of factory prototypes were made with 8-cylinder boxers, but those cars had a bad habit of blowing up the gearbox and clutch, so that idea was quickly abandoned.

Porsche 904 in Today's Market

Since there were only 106 made, the Porsche 904 has grown to be a very valuable and uncommon collector's item. A well-maintained 904 can get between $1.5 million and $3 million, making it one among the priciest Porsche cars ever to be sold at auction.

The 904 has maintained its attractiveness and value among collectors and enthusiasts because to its racing heritage, scarcity, and classic design.

There are a number of possibilities for anyone who want to feel the excitement of owning and operating a Porsche 904. While copies created with contemporary methods and materials are preferred by certain collectors, others decide to purchase and restore the original 904.

Final Words

In the end, it should be said that this is perhaps the most important classic racing Porsche. It managed to continue the winning tradition established by the early models.

Porsche 904 presented new solutions and new technology and gave the factory the confidence and success to present the famous 917 and numerous Le Mans and Can Am racers that would be the backbone of its sports performances during the 70s and 80s.

Most importantly, the 904 silenced critics who argued that the Porsche was just a hot-rod Beetle and lacked the power, technical capabilities and vision to move forward.