Technology in race cars (12): Porsche 904 - universal sports car with a designer look

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Technology in race cars (12): Porsche 904 - universal sports car with a designer look

Created on December 20, 2021

Text:

Gerhard Schütz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

4

Archiv Gerhard Schütz

11

Bruno von Rotz

5

Cymon Taylor - Courtesy RM Auctions

2

Pawel Litwinski - Courtesy RM Auctions

2

Ludvigsen Partners

2

Simon Clay - Courtesy RM Auctions

2

Porsche AG / Porsche Schweiz AG

1

Remi Dargegen - Courtesy RM/Sotheby's

1

FabPetersson Fotografie

1

Porsche AG

1

Archiv

11

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Porsche Carrera GTS Type 904 (1963) - the prototype in the snow, November 1963

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Porsche 904 Carrera GTS (1964) - the see-through drawing reveals the design details

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Chassis and finished car - Porsche 904 from 1964

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Porsche 904 Carrera GTS (1964) - modernized ladder frame

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Porsche 904 Carrera GTS (1964) - the chassis weighed only 56 kg

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Porsche 904 Carrera GTS (1964) - a different kind of sedan

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To test the accident safety of the Porsche 904, Porsche opted for a pragmatic solution using gravity and a crane truck

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Porsche 904 Carrera GTS (1964) - Front suspensions

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Porsche 904 Carrera GTS (1964) - Front suspension

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Porsche 904 Carrera GTS (1964) - Rear suspension

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Porsche 904 Carrera GTS (1964) - the four-cylinder in the chassis, space for longer engines is available

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Porsche 904 Carrera GTS (1964) - how access can work

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Porsche 904 in the pits at the 1964 Targa Florio

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Porsche 904 (1964) - in the pits at the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans

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Porsche 904 Carrera GTS (1964) - second place overall at the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally

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Porsche poster: Monte Carlo Rally (1965)

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Porsche 904 (1965) - Herbert Müller in the plastic Porsche at the Mont Verdoux hill climb

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Vienna-Aspern airfield race 1965: Gerhard Mitter wins in a Porsche Carrera GTS

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Porsche 904 (1965) - Ben Pon wins the GT class up to 2500cc in his Porsche 904 at the 1965 Solitude Race

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Porsche 804 (1962) - Porsche's only Grand Prix victory as a manufacturer - Dan Gurney in Rouen 1962

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Porsche 904/8 (1965) - with the eight-cylinder engine from Formula 1

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Light figure: In this picture, Porsche dramatized the new body material for the Porsche 904 with appropriate lighting

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Porsche 904 Carrera GTS Coupé (1964) - The first Porsche with a fiberglass-reinforced plastic body attracts attention with its design and driving performance

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Porsche 904 (1964) - parked between other sports cars

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Porsche 904 (1964) - A look inside at the 1964 Geneva Motor Show

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Porsche 904 (1964) - On the way to pre-training at Le Mans. Valentin Schäffer on the left.

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Porsche 904 GTS (1964) - in Plateau 4 (1962-1965) at the Le Mans Classic 2012

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Porsche 904/6 Carrera GTS Factory Prototype (1963) - offered as lot 242 at the Monterey RM Auction on August 17 and 18, 2012

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Porsche 904/6 Carrera GTS Factory Prototype (1963) - offered as lot 242 at the Monterey RM Auction on August 17 and 18, 2012

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Porsche 904/6 Carrera GTS (1965) - participant in the Fordwater Trophy at the Goodwood Revival 2012

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Porsche 904 GTS (1964) - at the start in the racing car class - Gaisbergrennen 2013 - car inspection at Hellbrunn Palace

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Porsche 904 GTS (1964) - at the race for the Youngtimer Touring Car Challenge - Hockenheim Historics 2014

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Porsche 904 GTS (1964) - at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2014

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Porsche 904 GTS (1964) - Le Mans Classic 2014 - Plateau 4

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Porsche 904 GTS (1964) - offered as lot 146 at the RM/Sotheby's auction in Paris on February 5, 2020

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Porsche 904 Carrera GTS (1965) - as lot 143 at the RM auction in Arizona on January 15/16, 2015

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Porsche 904 Carrera GTS (1965) - as lot 143 at the RM auction in Arizona on January 15/16, 2015

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Porsche 904 Carrera GTS (1964) - offered as lot 144 at the RM auction in Paris on February 4, 2015

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Porsche 904 Carrera GTS (1964) - offered as lot 144 at the RM auction in Paris on February 4, 2015

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Porsche 904 at the 2015 Stuttgart Hockenheim City Prize in the HTGT race

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Porsche 904 GTS (1964) - Goodwood Members Meeting 2018 - Ronnie Hoare Trophy

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Porsche 904 GTS (1964) - the inscription alone makes your mouth water - Porsche Classic Day 2018 in Schinznach-Bad

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Summary

With the Porsche 904, officially called the Carrera GTS, the Zuffenhausen-based company presented a modern road-legal racing sports car at the end of 1963, which was at the height of its time with a mid-engine and plastic body. Successes in almost all racing disciplines, including rallying, proved the quality of the concept, which was developed in a short space of time. This report from the "Technology in the racing car" series looks at the technology in the flat Porsche Coupé.

This article contains the following chapters

Aesthetically convincing
Lightweight with powerful engines
With plastic bodywork
Traditional chassis
Fuhrmann engine and more

Estimated reading time: 5min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The years 1958-1978 were the two most creative decades in the history of racing technology. This series portrays the most innovative, pioneering and exotic designs of Formula 1, Indy cars, sports cars and CanAm, and at the same time traces the major lines of development that still have an impact today. The series started with Lotus, one of the most important innovation drivers of these two decades. And the series will also finish with Lotus: With the first ground-effect Formula 1 to win a world championship in 1978, the Type 79. This is how beautiful racing cars can be. So elegant and well-proportioned. And so efficient at the same time. The predecessors of the 904, such as the 550 Spyder, appeared somewhat indecisive in terms of form; a hint of the Volkswagen Beetle was somehow perceptible, even when the engine was no longer behind the rear axle but in front of it.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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