1964 Porsche 904 GTS Coupé
Chassis no. 904/062

"The final sports racing expression of the Porsche four-cylinder line came in 1964 with the arrival of the 904 GTS coupé. It not only took the first two places in that year's Targa Florio event but was also second in the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally and scored a host of class wins, in addition to numerous other competition successes." – Jonathan Wood, Porsche: The Legend.

Having axed its expensive Formula 1 programme at the end of 1962, a commitment that placed a heavy burden on the German manufacturer's limited technical resources, Porsche turned once more to sports car racing as a means of improving and marketing its road car range. The Type 356-based Abarth-Carreras had flown the Porsche flag in international GT racing during the early 1960s, but an entirely new design was now deemed necessary to meet the strengthening opposition.

A minimum of 100 road-usable cars had to be made to meet the FIA's homologation requirements, a stipulation that made a complex spaceframe design like the Type 718 RSK a non-starter, so Porsche's Technical Director, Dr Hans Tomala started with a clean sheet. Colin Chapman's revolutionary Lotus Elite, with its glassfibre body/chassis, had demonstrated the potential of composite materials for structural use in cars, and this technology was embraced in the design of Porsche's new mid-engined GT racer, the Type 904. Tomala though, opted for a chassis comprising a pair of steel, cross-braced, box sections, to which the glassfibre bodyshell was bonded. The engine and suspension were bolted directly to the steel structure, thereby reducing the transmission of noise and vibration to the passenger compartment, problems that had afflicted the all-composite Elite. Designed by Ferry Porsche's eldest son, 'Butzi', the body was manufactured by the Heinkel aircraft company and is widely recognised as one of Porsche's most elegant, while the Zuffenhausen firm's recent Formula 1 experience was reflected in the 904's state-of-the-art suspension, which featured double wishbones all round.

Although developed at the same time as Porsche's new Type 901 six-cylinder road car, which would enter production in 1964 as the 911, the 904 used the 356 Carrera 2's tried and tested Type 587 2.0-litre four-cylinder four-cam engine. The new six would not be ready in time in any case, but with an eye on future developments, the 904's engine bay was made big enough to accommodate it, as well as the 2-litre version of the F1 flat eight. In road trim, the 587/2 produced 155bhp, with 180 horsepower available when fitted with the racing exhaust system. The five-speed gearbox incorporated internals developed for the 911's transmission, but used a different casing that reflected the 904's mid-engined layout.

The 904 made its competition debut in the USA in February 1964 when an example entered in the prototype class at Daytona failed to finish. At Sebring in March, the 904 scored its first international success, the Cunningham/Underwood car winning its class and finishing 9th overall behind a multitude of Ferraris. While the small-capacity Porsches had always struggled to match the pace of the larger-engined opposition on fast tracks, at the punishing Sicilian Targa Florio, which was run along the lines of a tarmac rally, the nimble 2-litre cars were at much less of a disadvantage. Indeed, the German manufacturer had won the Sicilian classic on three occasions since the race first formed part of the World Sportscar Championship in 1958, and the 904 underlined its pedigree by scoring a debut win in the hands of Colin Davis and Antonio Pucci. In May, Ben Pon and Gunther Koch took 3rd place at the Nürburgring 1,000kms in a production 904, while at Le Mans all five 904s entered finished, the highest in 7th place overall. The 904's attraction as a competitive customer car was further underlined at the Reims 12 Hours where eight finished in the top 20, the highest in 5th place.

Its exceptional versatility was demonstrated at the start of the 1965 season when the Böhringer/Wütherich 904 finished 2nd overall in the Monte Carlo Rally. There would be no classic endurance racing victories for the Porsche 904 in '65 however, although the car secured numerous podium finishes and continued to dominate its class. Lightweight, spyder-bodied versions were developed for the European Hill-Climb Championship, but even here the compromises enforced by the regulations prevailing at the time of the 904's design told against it. It had been intended to build a second series of 100 904s powered by the 911's six-cylinder engine for 1965, but a change in the homologation requirements made Porsche realise that such a car would not be competitive and the plan was abandoned. The 904's successor would be an all-new 2-litre sports car – the Carrera 6. Of the 120 904s made, 104 were completed with the four-cylinder engine while ten were fitted with the 911's six and a further half-dozen used the F1-type flat eight. The 904's star may have burned only briefly, but it was both bright and glorious.

According to Porsche correspondence from Jürgen Barth (copy on file), chassis number '904/062' was exported from West Germany on 25th March 1964 and delivered new to the official Porsche importer in France, Sonauto, for their customer, Mr Pierre Jaillardon, who drove the car in a hill climb at Lodève just over a month later. Subsequently the Porsche was sold to Mr René Maucort, who would become its most prolific user, successfully competing in rallies and hill climbs throughout 1965 and '66.

Following a front-end collision in 1966, the 904 was sold via Contact Garage to José Piger, who took delivery of the car minus its engine and gearbox. Passing through a few more pairs of hands, the incomplete Porsche ended up with Heinz Kurek, who restored it between 1975 and 1979, repairing the frontal damage in the process. From Mr Kurek the Porsche passed via Bruce Canepa to Kerry Morse before being sold to Thierry Reynaud in France in 1989. Mr Reynaud carried out further restoration, changing the car's front end, before selling '062' to Marcel Petitjean in France in 1993. The 904 is currently fitted with a Porsche 911 engine.

The current vendor purchased the Porsche when Marcel Petitjean's collection was auctioned in June 2020. All of the Petitjean collection's cars had been on static display for many years and none were in running condition when sold. Since acquisition, '904/062' has been kept in storage but will be serviced prior to sale. Containing old bills of sale and old registration documents, the history file is worthy of close inspection. The car will also have a report from marque specialist Andy Prill by the time of the Sale and shall also come with a UK NOVA.