Vehicle Description
1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS
Year 1964
Make Porsche
Model 904 Carrera GTS
Type Two-door, Two-Seat FIA GT Sports Car
Completed February 1964
Production Sequence No. 49 of 126 Examples Completed
Chassis No. 904-049
Original Engine No. P*99038* (Type 547/3)
Current Engine No. 6141730 (Installed by Porsche Factory During
Restoration on January 24th, 1997)
Original Gearbox No. 904-050 (Type 904/0)
Current Gearbox No. 904-105 (Type 904/0)
Exterior Color Silver Metallic
Interior Color Blue/Grey
Ordering Dealer Porsche Sonauto Paris, France
Delivered New March 3rd, 1964
In Warranty Date March 3rd, 1964
End Warranty Date March 4th, 1964
Options:
Dunlop Racing Tires (165 x 15)
Ownership History:
Special ordered new by Porsche Sonauto Paris, France
Sold to Jean-Claude Mosnier La Mulatiere, Lyon, France
Sold to Jacky Dechaumel Paris, France
Sold to Manfred Freisinger Karlsruhe, Germany
Sold to Dennis Haney Las Vegas, Nevada (Dennis purchased it from a
PCA member here in San Diego in the mid-'70's and took it back to
Vegas with him where he occasionally raced it at Buttonwillow and
Las Vegas Motor Speedway)
Sold to Jose Manuel Segimon Zurich, Switzerland
Sold to Lucy Allani London, England
Porsche 904 Carrera GTS Background
After having retired from F1 & F2 competition at the end of the
1962 season, Porsche focused again on SportsCar racing. The 904
debuted late in 1963, for the 1964 racing season, as a successor to
the 718, which had been introduced in 1957. Porsche designed the
GTS variant to compete in theFIA-GT class at various international
racing events. The street-legal version debuted in 1964 in order to
comply with FIA's Group 3 homologation regulations requiring a
certain number of road-going variants be sold by the factory.
Porsche produced 106 (Some sources site 109 examples as there were
several that were "recycled" in period and some rebuilt and issued
same/old chassis numbers.)
For the US market the 904 had an initial list price of $7245 (FOB
Stuttgart). Orders just exceeded the one hundred car requirement to
satisfy homologation rules and more cars could readily have been
sold, however Porsche had other plans and improvements in mind for
the replacement 906 which was already on the drawing boards. The
904 marked the beginning of a series of sportscars that eventually
culminated in the mighty all conquering 917K first introduced in
1969
Engine
The 904's mid-engine layout was inherited from the 718, also known
as the RSK, the factory's leading race car up to that point. It was
powered by the 1,966cc, Type 587/3, four-cam, air-cooled, flat
four-cylinder engine producing 200bhp. The design of which is
considered buy many to probably be the most complex four-cylinder
engine ever designed and put into production. The 2.0-liter engine
drove a five-speed transmission with a standard 4.428:1 final drive
ratio, with optional available ratios of 4.605, 4.260, 3.636, and
3.362. The original engine design began as the Type 547, its
development first taking shape in 1953, when the previous VW-based
1,100cc, flat-four, used in the contemporary 356 hit the limit of
its potential. Porsche realized it needed something all-new and it
came in the form of the brainchild of Dr. Ernst Fuhrmann, later
Technical Director of Porsche Racing. He initially hoped to achieve
an unheard of 70bhp out of a 1500cc engine. Relying on
hemispherical combustion chambers and two 46 mm, 46IDA3 dual-choke
Weber carburetors, the engine was actually able to produced 100 to
115bhp depending on application and choice of cam, engine timing
and allowable rpm applications. The new 1.5-liter engine weighed in
at only 310lbs (140kgs) and eventually was producing nearly 180bhp
in its final 1500cc form. Then engine featured a complex design
that proved very expensive and time consuming to build but very
durable. It was such a success that over a very short period of
time, it was used in 34 different models, including the well-known
550 Spyders, 356 Carreras, and even Porsches short lived F1 and F2
programs.
Chassis
The 904 was the first Porsche to use a ladder chassis and
fibreglass inner and outer body appearing more like specialist
racing cars than the modified sports cars typical of the period.
The fibreglass body was bonded to its steel chassis for extra
rigidity, and achieved a drag coefficient of only 0.34cd. While
many German race cars had used unpainted aluminium bodies since the
famous "Silver Arrows" of the 1930s, most 904s were painted silver,
the German National racing colors. Unusually for Porsche, the
two-seater bodies were provided by outside contractors, which would
later become standard practice amongst race car builders. The 904's
fibreglass body was made by spraying chopped fibreglass into a
mold, the amount sprayed often varied in thickness over the shape
of the car and as a result the weight of the various cars was
somewhat inconsistent; some were heavier than others. Race-prepared
four-cylinder 904s weighed in at approximately 1,443lbs (655kgs)
and the low weight gave the 904 the ability to accelerate to 62mph
(100kmph) from a standstill in less than six seconds! They were
also easily able to reach a top speed of 160mph (260kmph)
Suspension
The Porsche 904 rode on coil springs (the first Porsche not to use
trailing arm front and swingaxle rear suspension) with
unequal-length A-arms in front. The wheelbase was 2,300mm and
handling and with it's mid-enigne design unlike anything before and
regarded for some time thereafter as an industry benchmark.
904-049 (Individual History)
This particular 904 Carrera GTS was production sequence number 46
of 126 total examples completed. It was a completely standard
example ordered new by the renown, Paris, France Porsche
Distributor, Sonauto on behalf of their client, Jean-Claude Mosnier
of Lyon, France who registered the car on Paris, France plates
"7610 RP 75." The ordered specified completion in time for an entry
in the April, 1964 Le Mans testing sessions as well as follow on
entry in the 24 Hours of Le Mans later in June of that year.
Wearing race number 70, Mosnier was paired up with veteran driver
Andr� de Cortanze. The two drove well and managed a 24th place
finish but further testing resulted in an accident which required
the car to be returned to the Porsche Factory for repairs. The car
remained officially entered for the 24 Hours of Le Mans that year
but repairs were delayed which ultimately saw the car being
withdrawn from that year's race.
Upon completion of repairs, this Porsche was sold to Paris resident
and racer, Jacky Dechaumel. Dechaumel would go on to race this 904
for five very successful season, finally retiring the car in 1969.
(A complete listing of this 904's race results can be found
below.)
The car's next owner was famous German Porsche Collector, Racer and
Restorer, Manfred Freisinger of Karlsruhe, Germany. From there this
Porsche joined the collection of Las Vegas resident, Dennis Haney.
In 1990, the car was offered for sale at the Brooks, Monaco
auction. The car then joined the collection of Jose Manuel Segimen
of Zurich, Switzerland. Segimen later arranged for a comprehensive
and complete restoration at Porsche Client Services. During the
restoration, a 2.7-liter 911 derived, six-cylner engine was fitted
by Porsche along with a correct 904 gearbox No. 904-105. The only
other item replaced during the rest...for more information please
contact the seller.
