Porsche 904 Carrera GTS
1964–1965 · Porsche 904 Carrera GTS — Sports Car, Flat-4, designed by Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche.
The Story
The 904 Carrera GTS is, to many eyes, the most beautiful Porsche ever made — and one of the most significant. Launched in 1964 as a road-legal racing homologation special, it was the first Porsche with a fibreglass body, bonded to a steel box-section chassis for a light, stiff, mid-engined platform. Penned by Ferdinand ‘Butzi’ Porsche (fresh from designing the 911), its low, sculpted, Italian-influenced shape clothed the race-bred Fuhrmann four-cam flat-four. The 904 was a giant-killer on track — a class winner at the Targa Florio and beyond — and on the road it remains pure, sculptural art. Exquisitely pretty, rare and historically vital, it’s one of the ultimate blue-chip Porsche grails.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Sports Car class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche
Grandson of Ferdinand Porsche and son of Ferry, ‘Butzi’ gave the 911 its enduring silhouette and the 904 its purist racing form. In 1972 he founded Porsche Design, extending the design language into watches, eyewear and industrial products.
Studio Motors POV
Perhaps the most beautiful Porsche ever — a fibreglass-bodied, Butzi-penned, race-bred grail. A documented, original 904 is a museum-grade blue-chip; provenance, originality and racing history are everything.
The Engine
Fuhrmann 4-cam flat-four (Type 547/587)
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About 904 Carrera GTS
Worth Knowing About the 904 Carrera GTS
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- 1) It was the FIRST Porsche with a fibreglass body — bonded directly to a steel chassis, a clever, light, stiff construction that was advanced for 1964. 2) It was designed by Ferdinand 'Butzi' Porsche — the same man who had just penned the 911. 3) Its road version used the complex Fuhrmann four-cam flat-four; race cars later ran flat-sixes and even flat-eights.
5 Fast Facts
- • 1964; ~120 built (a homologation special). • Fuhrmann four-cam flat-four (~180 PS); mid-engine. • The first fibreglass-bodied Porsche (bonded to a steel chassis). • Designed by 'Butzi' Porsche; a Targa Florio class winner. • One of the prettiest cars ever — a blue-chip grail.
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
FLAG: no single documented/citable celebrity owner verified here; the 904 is prized chiefly for its racing provenance and design. (Excluded rather than guessed.)
Studio Buyer’s Brief
Provenance, originality and documented racing history are everything on a ~120-car grail; engine configuration (four-cam four vs later six/eight) and period competition history materially affect value. This is a museum-grade, multi-million-dollar collector car — buy the very best, most original and best-documented example you can find, with expert verification.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Porsche 904 Carrera GTS
- Class
- Sports Car
- Production years
- 1964–1965
- Units built
- 106 (flat-four; plus a few 904/6 flat-six and 904/8 flat-eight works cars)
- Variants
- 904 (4-cam flat-four), 904/6 (flat-six)
- Engine layout
- Mid
- Engine
- Flat-4
- Engine family
- Fuhrmann 4-cam flat-four (Type 547/587)
- Displacement
- 2.0L / 1966 cc
- Power
- 180 hp
- Torque
- 145 lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- 5.5 s
- Top speed
- 160 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 275 hp/tonne · 8 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 5-speed manual
- Drivetrain
- RWD (mid-engine) · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 1443 lb
Questions
904 Carrera GTS FAQ
What engine does the Porsche 904 Carrera GTS use?
The 904 Carrera GTS uses the Type 587/3 2.0-litre four-cam air-cooled flat-four producing 180 hp, descended from the 356 Carrera engine and the same Fuhrmann-designed architecture. The 904’s body and styling are credited to Ferdinand Alexander ‘Butzi’ Porsche / Porsche design — not Ferdinand Piech.
Why is the Porsche 904 Carrera GTS historically significant?
The 904 (1964-1965) was Porsche’s last dual-purpose racing car that was both fully road-legal and competitive at international level, homologated for GT racing under FIA Group 3 rules. Its fibreglass body — a first for Porsche at this scale — was styled by Butzi Porsche and remains one of the most admired automotive designs of the 1960s. Only 106 examples were built with the four-cam flat-four.
What is a Porsche 904 Carrera GTS worth today?
Authentic 904 Carrera GTS examples trade in the $2,200,000-$2,500,000 range at recent auctions. The 106-unit production run, dual road-race usability, and status as one of the most beautiful Porsches ever built have made it a blue-chip collectible. RM Sotheby’s and Gooding handle the majority of 904 consignments.
How does the 904 differ from the 550 Spyder?
The 550 Spyder (1953-1957) is a pure open-cockpit sports-racer, though period examples could be road-registered by private owners. The 904 (1964-1965) is a fully enclosed GT coupe homologated for FIA Group 3 GT racing (not touring-car racing), giving it a dual-purpose road/race identity.
Can Studio Motors source a Porsche 904 Carrera GTS?
Yes.
The Porsche Lineup
Explore every Porsche
911 (Original) ’64904 Carrera GTS ’64914 ’69
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911 Turbo (964) ’90911 Carrera RS (964) ’91968 ’92911 (993) ’94911 Carrera RS (993) ’95911 Turbo (993) ’95911 GT2 (993) ’95Boxster (986) ’96911 (996) ’97911 GT3 (996) ’99
911 Turbo (996) ’00911 GT2 (996) ’01Cayenne (955) ’02911 (997) ’04Boxster / Cayman (987) ’04Carrera GT ’04911 Turbo (997) ’06911 GT3 (997) ’06911 GT3 RS (997) ’06911 GT2 (997) ’07911 Sport Classic (997) ’09Panamera (970) ’09
911 GT2 RS (997) ’10911 Speedster (997) ’10Cayenne (958) ’10911 (991.1) ’11Boxster / Cayman (981) ’12911 Turbo (991) ’13911 GT3 (991) ’13918 Spyder ’13Macan (95B) ’14911 GT3 RS (991) ’15Cayman GT4 / Boxster Spyder (981) ’15911 (991.2) ’16911 R (991) ’16718 Cayman / Boxster (982) ’16911 GT2 RS (991) ’17Panamera (971) ’17Cayenne (9Y0) ’17911 Speedster (991) ’19911 (992.1) ’19718 Cayman GT4 / Spyder (982) ’19Taycan ’19
911 Turbo (992) ’20911 GT3 (992) ’21Cayenne Turbo GT (9Y0) ’21911 Dakar (992) ’22911 GT3 RS (992) ’22911 Sport Classic (992) ’22718 Cayman GT4 RS / Spyder RS (982) ’22911 S/T (992) ’23911 (992.2) ’24911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid (992.2) ’24Panamera (972) ’24Macan Electric ’24
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