When you think of vintage Porsche- you think: 1) 356? 2) 356 Speedster? 3) Carrera 2.7 RS? 4) old 911? But among the most collectible and valuable Porsche is still little known among car collectors. It is the 904 Carrera GTS. Click below for more information. Model Focus: Porsche 904 Carrera GTS » Le Monde Edmond
The 904 is probably my favorite car of all time, tied witht he Ferrari 250 SWB. It's incredibly gorgeous, the most beautiful Porsche ever made.
It was also Ferdinand Porsches favorite car (the same man who designed the Iconic 911). I would still prefer a 250 SWB though. Its just so elegant, so timeless. Its the gentlemens dual purpose car
As you said, one of the most valuable Porsches. I think that means that collectors are well aware of them.
Edmond, when you think Porsche, IMO you think 911. It's an icon and has won, in one form or another, everything from Montecarlo rally to Targa Florio, from Paris-Dakar to 24h LeMans. The real dual pourpose car. The 904 GTS is gorgeous and really an important car, was Butzi (i.e Ferdiand Alexander) Porsches favourite, but in historic terms the 911 is unbeatable...
Well collectors and connoisseurs know this model but certainly not the broad audience. I drive a the same 911 since 21 years now and I only recently discovered this model. And without being arrogant, I would like to think I know more about Porsche history than the average person on the street....
The thing with the 904 is that it was really the last car Porsche ever made which owners could drive up to the track in, race, then drive back home. From the 906 on, there is a lot clearer of a distinction between Porsche road cars and race cars. There are excptions to this rule but I will get to them in a second. In my opinion, the distinction between a road and race car is crucial to the development of Porsche, and what makes the 911 so special is that for the longest time it required minimal change to go from road model to race model. Porsche's true race only cars, from the 906 onwards (though you can make an argument for the 718) are lesser known to the general public, with the exception of the 917 and maybe the 956/962. Even the 908's are not as well known as they should be, I think, and that is mainly because the 911 is what everyone visualizes when they hear the word Porsche. In fact, most people don't even know porsche made cars that didn't have the classic 356/911 "beetle" shape. They were all wonderful cars, and many of them extremely beautiful, but as Edmond says, the "broad audience" will probably have never heard of the vast majority of them. Most people think, for instance, that Steve McQueen actually raced 917's. That's not true, though he did race the 908. That's the power of the 917's appeal, which was largely boosted by the movie. If the movie hadn't existed, even the 917 would've enjoyed less appeal with a broad audience. I still believe collectors know these cars very well, especially the 904. But they rarely come up for sale, and when they do they sell quick. But perhaps they deserve to be in the public eye, a bit more. On the other hand it's nice to know that not that many people appreciate how amazing these cars are/were.
Suggest at 9am tomorrow for each minute until 10am you search for the corresponding Porsche model starting at 901 (the original 911 number ) thru to 959 - bucket loads of wonderful automobiles. Unfortunately there's only 60 mins in the hour so the 962 misses out ....
They just sold one in Monterey for $1.6, the highest paid price for a 904. Agreed, it is one of the greatest P cars ever. And agreed, the 911 and then 356 speedster are what comes to mind when people hear Porsche
Oh that depends if they are thinking track or road .... I suspect the 917 or the 962 hits the top slot if you talk to someone about race porsche, as for the road yeap Carrera RS (the original) Speedster, any RS variant , 959 ...... don't forget the 911R or event the 911SCRS very rare and very very special ..... oh I could go on .....
RM in London just sold a 904 for almost $2m. The car has exceptional race history (won its class in Sebring). I personally preferred the one Gooding sold at Monterey. Was excellent value and I regret not being more persistent in my research...
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Great cars, I may like the 906 and 910 a bit more, 910 being the most beautiful, 906 being streetable still. All these cars are plastic and most have been rebodies one way or another. Otherwise they are amazing machines. If you like old Porsche's please go to Rennsport it is fantastic. You will se everything on track from the 904,908,910,906,917. All screaming around the track.
Is that green car real? Aspects of it make me think replica. Like the steering wheel & seats. There was a Brazilian gentleman who owned a 904 and a 250 LM at one point, he even brought the 904 to Brazil (car resided in Paris) for a few events once. It was a similar shade of dark green with a yellow band on the nose. I think he may have sold the car. I know there was a recent sale of a 904/6 that had Brazilian owners, as well.
No issue 904s with interesting histories sell privately for more than 906-012 sold at RM London and 904-057 sold at Gooding. (Btw, the ex-Brazilian 904/6 is 906-002. It was sold into CH earlier this year.) About 110 4-cam 904s were built, along with 6 904/6 Coupes. Today, maybe 125 "real looking" 4-cam 904s exist. They are not necessarily easy to reconstruct or replicate but several such cars exist. All it takes is one big crash and the original car is gone. Over a 50 year period, it's hard to document every moment of a car's life, so it's important to do your homework if you want one. 906s, 910s, 907s, and 908s are easier to replicate. Many have been reconstructed. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, it's just that the waters are sometimes muddy in the world of fibreglass racing Porsches. It's sometimes difficult to see the difference between an original car and a reconstructed car, and there aren't a lot of qualified ombudsmen, if you know what I mean. So, yes, it's true, in theory having a fibreglass body does have an impact on values but a great car without issues will bring a far higher price than 906-012 and 904-057 brought. Caveat emptor. Jerry
Yep its the real thing. down to the quad Cam Carrerra motor, although some of the detail like the correct aircleaner is missing There have been two 904's sold reciently for 1.5 mil US of late. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Well in that case it's a very pretty car, I would just try and locate a wood rimmed steering wheel as I think they suit the car better.
have you been in 904? cramped and noisy. cant imagine a more different experience to a 4 gt or swb to be honest
Yes, have been in 904; >400 miles......somewhat cramped and very noisy.....one of the best rides in the world!!!!!!!!! Would love to do it again......and it was red too, like those Italian cars you mentioned.
