Friday 12th December 2014

Porsche 904 Carrera GTS: Time For Tea?

A stunner from RM's Arizona sale and a great little video too

---

With every model in the Porsche range now featuring a GTS model, most will just as likely think of a Cayenne as a 904 when those three letters are mentioned. Shame. Let's bring the 904 back to everyone's attention!

Yes, we have featured a 904 previously but there's enough to talk about with this car to warrant its inclusion again. As an earlier car, in fact the penultimate 904 GTS built, it should have a four-cylinder engine. But through a extensive and varied racing history it now uses a period 911 six-cylinder with the four-cylinder also included in the sale. Its years on track are fascinating so be sure to read the history. It's remarkably original too (alright, other than the engine...) which makes it an exceptional 904. Sounds utterly beautiful as well.

Predictably RM's catalogue for the Arizona sale is incredible, ranging from Bugatti EB110 to a Cadillac V-16 with all manner of exotica in between. We can not be blamed if you watch the vid and spend the rest of the day on the RM website...

Watch it here
 

[Image: Simon Clay for RM Auctions]

[anonymous-user]

That is how to make a video about a classic Porsche!

Awesome car.

[GTRene]

I love the 904/6 GTS of-course the real one's are way to expensive, but I also (or even more) like the good replica's of those cars, sometimes better then original with all the original looks but with a bit more modern tech.

brands like:
--Beck 904 gts us
--duel motorsport nl
--Thunder Ranch
--technick motorsport M & W
--CCW carrera coach work
--speciality 904 builders

and some I forget.

would love to own a nice 904/6 GTS some day, a replica ofcourse...with around 300hp on about 650kg
whats not to like.

[pork911]

pffft 996t is the greatest

[Richard A]

It bears the talented hand of Erwin Komenda who was also co-applicant for the bonded fibreglass / steel ladder frame patent*, though the Porsche family sanctioned canon claims it as a 'Butzi' Porsche design. 'Butzi' Porsche, the genius who also 'designed' the 901/911 before unaccountably leaving automotive engineering to focus on kettles and sunglasses.

• = a disadvantage of which was that once moisture found it's way into imperfections in the fibreglass / steel bond, the chassis would start rusting. Apparently the cars were at their most torsionally rigid when a year or so old, after the fibreglass had fully cured but before the chassis started to corrode.

A gorgeous car. Why can't we have svelte, low and light Porsches now?

[coppice]

Used to see one of these at Harewood Hillclimb in the 70s; like the Ferrari 275LM and Ford GT40 which also were regulars they were driven on the road to and from the meeting....

[GTRene]

there is a special forum website for all around the 904, also replica's etc.
sadly the owner stops in January 2015 so i hope that someone else can take over...
would be a great waste to see it go.

http://www.carreragtsclub.com

you can also find a lot pictures here, I took a view examples from there>

http://www.carreragtsclub.com/904-spotted-picture-...

this one is pretty special too, extra wide>

[TimLambert7]

Beautiful car, if I had to own one classic car I think the GTS would be it.

That 'Classic Porsche Expert' - is that the same Andy Prill that owns the Porsche 956 that was at the 72nd Members' Meeting?

[Oddball RS]

It does make me smile, its the most original out there, well except for the engine, and I have the privilege or seeing it stripped back to the gel coat for its repaint.......................

I guess its because there is not that much choice.

[MarkPhillipson]

Richard A said:

A gorgeous car. Why can't we have svelte, low and light Porsches now?

Absolutely.

[sideways man]

Very pretty and desirable classic. Wish they had mass produced this model in addition to contemporary 911, Wikipedia says they only made 106. Little wonder they are valuable.

I too enjoyed the comments 'original apart from the different engine and gel coat respray

[priley]

Beautiful car. Very Dino-like which I think followed a couple of years later interestingly.

[bobberz]

A buddy of mine recently acquired a 356 Carrera 2 in need of a full restoration. Included were two engines, the original, numbers-matching quad-cam flat-four, and A racing engine most likely from a 904. We know it's a racing engine as it has completely different (and bigger) carbs, plus it has no serial numbers stamped on it (apparently this was a common practice on the race engines). He also owns an all-original (except for a few spots that had paint re-sprays) Jag XK-150S, which recently received the Jaguar Corporate award at the St. Michaels Concours d'Elegance, a 250 SL Pagoda, a vintage Morgan race car, a gorgeous 1955 SIATA 300 BC Sport Spider, and also the #18 Yeoman Credit Racing Copper T51, which placed 2nd at the 1960 French Grand Prix.

Oh yeah, and he currently holds a world land speed record: 232.215 MPH in an Alfa Spider, of all things! He was 72 years old, at the time! He's truly an incredible man.

[benjj]

TimLambert7 said:

Beautiful car, if I had to own one classic car I think the GTS would be it.

That 'Classic Porsche Expert' - is that the same Andy Prill that owns the Porsche 956 that was at the 72nd Members' Meeting?

Yep, Andy Prill of what was Maxted Page & Prill.

Top bloke.

This is him diving the '73 RS in the Jamiroquai video too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_bQ0h85gY8

[dinkel]

904.


906.


ex-Ben Pon GTS.