The Porsche 904 is one of the most iconic of the company’s factory racers, known the world over for its on-track successes. Porsche does a better job than most of making its competition vehicles available for privateer purchase and use, so you could effectively walk into a showroom and buy your own version of a car that had dominated a major road course circuit over the weekend. The 904 was pure Porsche in its design and giant-killer performance, and today is one of the more sought-after air-cooled models ever made. This 904 has a colorful history both spent racing and in the hands of celebrity ownership. Find it here on Bonhams.com with a sale estimate of $ 1,400,000 – 1,700,000.
I had forgotten what the 904 looked like from behind, and this photo reminded me how striking this car is from every angle. The seller notes that the 904 has been with owners in both the UK and the USA, and that throughout its life, it has been used as the factory intended: on the track. It has been altered several times as well, in both the cosmetics and drivetrain department, but that’s not nearly as much of a demerit as you might think given this car wasn’t meant to be put into a capsule and left on static display. Although that does happen with the factory race cars Porsche offers up for consumer purchase, it’s always refreshing to learn that at least a few of them were chewed up and spit out a few times. This car began life wearing a silver exterior, which later turned to blue with a silver nose, and is now painted Irish Green following a recent reconditioning.
The 904 is all business inside, with deeply contoured bucket seats and proper racing harnesses. This 904 was owned by a few familiar faces from both the Porsche world and Hollywood, with Robert Redford and Steve Earle among its caretakers. It actually spent ten years with the actor, which is a surprising amount of time for someone from the jet set. The 904 was never restored, only updated and tweaked as needed, at least until the early 90s when the color change was commissioned. In addition, the original four-cylinder engine was removed and replaced with a two-liter, six-cylinder mill from the 911 which the engine the factory eventually began using towards the latter half of the 904 run.
The listing mentions that the whereabouts of the original engine are still known, which I take to mean they believe there’s a chance it could find its way back to the 904. Not that you would want to remove the more powerful engine, but simply to have it on hand should you ever wish to return to the exact factory specifications. No word on whether the numbers matching mill can be purchased, however. The six-cylinder is good for 175 b.h.p. which should be plentiful in a car like this. Recent mechanical work includes a new clutch, while a full mechanical refresh was commenced in the 1990s when the color conversion was performed. 904s never sell cheap, so start raiding the couch cushions for change if you’ve always wanted one.
These are really cool cars,& it seems they’ve never
been cheap.They are also fairly small.
I remember seeing one at Bayside Racing,just East
of Seattle.Not something you’ll see every day.
Have seen a few of these at car shows and PCA events. Beautiful and hard to find any fault in the design and function. Backed off from a $9,000 906 in the late ’70s that was a great looking car also. That car we should have bought as they are in the millions to buy these days.
I was talking to a friend of mine who lived in Southern California in the 70’s. Came up in conversation his neighbor had one parked in the driveway! Too bad I didn’t live in a neighborhood like that growing up. Apparently it was pretty commonplace in that part of the country to see exotics that if seen in public today you would be tripping over yourself. Heck if I saw one today parked in someone’s driveway they would probably call the EMT for a man having a seizure!
They are so shapely and Smoove. I like to look at the much more than the 246 Dino. It’s so low that only the cockpit is much above the tires.
This is the car that made me fall in love with cars, all those years ago.
To me it’s the most beautiful PORSCHE ever. Looks sweeter than 911/912, and far better than the newer various offerings. Truly the best.
The only Porsche I ever really wanted. And that was a loooong time ago.
Saw a silver one on the Santa Ana fwy in the 70’s. Managed to get a picture of it. Too bad the 4- cam engine was removed from this one.
Porsche should have sued Ferrari for stealing their design for the ” Dont call it a Ferrari” Dino. Pure magic and years ahead of everyone..especially one Italian company
I remember seeing this on the track with Redford driving. The sounds of Porsches McLarens and other 12 cylinders will never be forgotten. Now I’ve been a motorhead for life. B I R drags and road course changed me from the age of 6 on. Thanks dad!
The Marvel Comics character Nick Fury drove one when they were the latest thing. I loved the image and went mad when I found out they were real. The most beautiful Porsche ever, and compared to today’s factory racers show the graceful shapes we have lost to aero dependance.
Not sure about the design genesis, but the Carrera GTS was on the market several years before the Ferrari Dino. Call it ’60s design trends’ instead of one firm copying the other. Closest I got was a 2.0 914 and an Aurora 1:24 scale plastic model — which is also unobtanium now.
Very cool, no Craigs List on this one.
Steve Earle. Commie folk singer turned disc jockey. Maybe he felt it too capitalistic to own such a sweet ride.
If I’d never gotten into cars when I was young, I could probably afford this one now.
On auction at Les Grandes Marques du Monde a Paris
Paris, The Grand Palais 3 Feb 2022
Saw them running flat out at Goodwood a few years ago. Really cool, but they were towards the back of the pack.
Sold for € 1,345,500 (US$ 1,518,531) inc. premium