1964 Porsche 904 GTS
After having withdrawn from Formula One at the end of the 1962 season, Porsche focused again on sportscar racing.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 the FIA-GT class at international racing events. The road-legal version debuted in 1964 in order to comply with Group 3 homologation regulations requiring a certain number of road-going variants be built by the factory. Orders far exceeded the one hundred car requirement to satisfy the rules and more cars could have been sold. The 904 marked the beginning of a series of sportscars that culminated in the dominant 917.
This beautiful 904 enjoyed considerable success in competition over the years. It was entered in 24 events between 1964 and 1969, and was classified 16 times. The car won outright five times, was first in class twice and finished 2nd in the Coupe de l'USA in 1969 at Montlhéry and sixth overall in the 1964 Tour de France Automobile.
Artcurial will be offering this example at their upcoming Rétromobile Sale in Paris on the 9th February. The estimated value is between €1,400,000 - €1,800,000. For more information on this and other vehicles at the sale, click on the link below. Photos: Rémi Dargegen © Courtesy of Artcurial.