Old Porsche, Don't see many of these.... Options

[jim_hoyland]

Saw this at the Cars & Coffee this am in Irvine. Owner says he got it in 1977. 904 ?

[degreeoff]

OK I'll say it......I think its butt fugly! I know I am the only one......lol I see why it never had a big run. On the flip though it is an A+ for uniqueness

[ArtechnikA]

I see why it never had a big run.

It was Porsche's first experience with fiberglass. You get the feeling they were looking at the Corvette saying "how hard could it be?" So the fabrication was quite expensive and heavy. The ladder frame was pretty flexible.

So add to that the cost and complexity of the 2-liter 4-cam and it was just impossibly expensive for a road car. It did fit the FIA homologation rules for GT cars, as there is a teeny 'luggage area' up front sized to -exactly- fit the "FIA Standard Suitcase." But it was never really competitive, so it didn't sell well to racers either.

And by this time the handwriting was on the wall for the 901 as it was then known. 904 was an interesting placeholder car in the line. Almost seemed like it was done to provide an alternative to the Abarth Carrera which used the same engine.

Having been around them both, I almost think I'd prefer the Abarth, but as they're both serious mid-six-figure cars, I don't spend much time dreaming about either one.

I will say that if you can find a copy of the Panorama article in which Vern and Ada Covert decided to just go touring in their car and spent about a year on the road just driving around, north in the summer, south in the winter (with a miniature Dachsund!) it is a classic. -That- I do spend some time dreaming about - the freedom to spend a year on the road driving a really cool car.

[JFJ914]

I see why it never had a big run.

So add to that the cost and complexity of the 2-liter 4-cam and it was just impossibly expensive for a road car. It did fit the FIA homologation rules for GT cars, as there is a teeny 'luggage area' up front sized to -exactly- fit the "FIA Standard Suitcase." But it was never really competitive, so it didn't sell well to racers either.
I will say that if you can find a copy of the Panorama article in which Vern and Ada Covert decided to just go touring in their car and spent about a year on the road just driving around, north in the summer, south in the winter (with a miniature Dachsund!) it is a classic. -That- I do spend some time dreaming about - the freedom to spend a year on the road driving a really cool car.

Well it's been a long time, but my memories were that it was quite sucessful in its intended mission of winning the under 2 Liter class. I'd have to dig very deep in the old pile o' magazines, but I seem to remember wins in the Targa Florio, Le Mans, Sebring, Nurburgring ect.

As far as the styling goes, it was stunning in period and nothing has changed my mind today.

As regards its being a road car, it was the last Porsche dual purpose race/road car.
Without a doubt, race was its intention, as touring would have been better done in a 356!

[ArtechnikA]

Well it's been a long time, but my memories were that it was quite sucessful in its intended mission of winning the under 2 Liter class. I'd have to dig very deep in the old pile o' magazines, but I seem to remember wins in the Targa Florio, Le Mans, Sebring, Nurburgring...

So much for my memory ;-)

Yes, Le Mans win in 1964 and wins in both Prototype and GT in 1965.
The Sebring win is legendary.