Porsche 904
Encyclopedia
The Porsche 904 is an automobile which was produced by Porsche
in Germany
in 1964 and 1965. It was officially called Porsche Carrera GTS due to the same naming rights problem that required renaming the Porsche 901
to Porsche 911
.
After having retired from F1
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 various international racing events. The street-legal version debuted in 1964 in order to comply with Group 3
Appendix J homologation regulations requiring a certain number of road-going variants be sold by the factory.Porsche produced 106 904s at four or five a day with a list price of US$7245 (FOB Stuttgart). Orders far exceeded the one hundred car requirement to satisfy homologation rules and more cars could readily have been sold. The 904 marked the beginning of a series of sportscars that culminated in the mighty 917
.
with a standard 4.428:1 final drive, with available 4.605, 4.260, 3.636, and 3.362 ratios.
Begun as the Type 547, its development began in 1953, when the previous VW
-based 1100 cc flat-four, used in the contemporary 356 and rated at 38 hp, hit the limit of its potential. Porsche realized it needed something all-new. The brainchild of Dr. Ernst Fuhrmann
, later Technical Director, it was hoped to achieve an "unheard of" 70 hp per 1 litre, relying on hemispherical combustion chambers (what would be called hemi
in the U.S.) and 46 mm (1.8 in)-throat 46IDA3 three-choke Weber
carburetor
s to generate 112 hp from the 1500 cc four-cam engine. The 1.5 liter weighed 310 lb (140.6 kg) dry, eventually producing 180 hp. A complex design that proved "very taxing" to build and assemble, but very durable, it was used in 34 different models, including 550 Spyder
s, 356 Carrera
s, and F2/1s.
to its steel
chassis
for extra rigidity, and achieved a drag coefficient
of 0.34. While many German race cars had used unpainted aluminium bodies since the famous 1934 Silver Arrows
, most 904s were painted silver, the modern German national racing color. Unusually for Porsche, the two-seater bodies were provided by contractors, which would later become standard practice among 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 1,443 pounds (655 kg) and the low weight gave the 904 the ability to accelerate to 60 mph (96.6 km/h) from a standstill in less than six seconds (using the standard rear gear, which would be typical at Sebring) and to reach a top speed of 160 mph (257.5 km/h) (with the 3.362 ratio).
's was 108 in (2,743.2 mm)), track front and rear 51.7 in (1,313.2 mm), height 42 in (1,066.8 mm), and ground clearance of 4.7 in (119.4 mm) on 15 in (381 mm) wheels. Frontal area was only 14 ft2.
's flat six. Due to the less weight issues of the first generation plastic body, the 904's successor, the 1966 906
or "Carrera 6", was developed with a tubular space frame covered with an unstressed, lighter fiberglass body.
F1 car, the 225 hp 1962 cc Type 771, which used 42 mm (1.7 in)-throat downdraft Webers. The Type 771s, however, suffered a "disturbing habit" of making their flywheels explode.
and Chuck Beck in the US
.
. It went on to a third at the Nürburgring
and a perfect finish at LeMans
. Both times, all five starters finished, placed in the top twelve overall, among many much more powerful cars. 904s showed remarkable durability; they "almost always" finished, and at Reims in 1964, a customer car fresh from Stuttgart, driven to the track, went on to win without the need for any spares at all. For 1964, 904s racked up a 1-2 at the Targa Florio and class wins at Spa, Sebring (co-driven by Briggs Cunningham
and Lake Underwood
), the Nürburgring, Le Mans, Watkins Glen
, Zandvoort
, Canada
, and the Paris 1000 Kilometer, in the process taking SCCA's C-Production and E-Sports Racing titles. In addition, it won rally
events including the Tulip, Munich-Vienna-Budapest, Geneva, and "highly acclaimed" Alpine Rally. For 1965, results were "equally impressive", seeing wins at the Spanish, Rossfeld, Hellbronner, and Gaisburg rallys, as well as a class win in a gruelling Monte Carlo Rally
which saw just 22 finishers in the points, out of 237 starters. In addition, 904s won their class at the Monza 1000 Kilometer, Targa, Spa, Daytona Continental, Le Mans, and Zandvoort, among others, repeating their E-Sports title win and adding an SCCA E-Production championship.
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1964 and 1965. It was officially called Porsche Carrera GTS due to the same naming rights problem that required renaming the Porsche 901
Porsche 901
Porsche 901 was the name originally intended for the Porsche 911.By the early 1960s, Porsche project design numbers had reached into the 19th century. For instance, Porsche's 1962 F1 model was called Porsche 804....
to Porsche 911
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998...
.
History
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
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
Porsche 718
The Porsche 718 is an open-cockpit racing car build by Porsche between 1957 and 1962.The 718 was a development of the already successful 550A with improvements being made to the body work and suspension. The new front frame resembled the letter K if viewed from the front and this led to the car...
, which had been introduced in 1957. Porsche designed the GTS variant to compete in the FIA
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
-GT
Grand tourer
A grand tourer is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement....
class at various international racing events. The street-legal version debuted in 1964 in order to comply with Group 3
Group 3 (racing)
The Group 3 racing class referred to a set of regulations for Grand Touring Cars competing in sportscar racing and rallying events regulated by the FIA. These regulations were active, in various forms, from 1957 to 1981-1957 to 1965:...
Appendix J homologation regulations requiring a certain number of road-going variants be sold by the factory.Porsche produced 106 904s at four or five a day with a list price of US$7245 (FOB Stuttgart). Orders far exceeded the one hundred car requirement to satisfy homologation rules and more cars could readily have been sold. The 904 marked the beginning of a series of sportscars that culminated in the mighty 917
Porsche 917
The Porsche 917 is a racecar that gave Porsche its first overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. Powered by the Type 912 flat-12 engine of 4.5, 4.9, or 5 litres, the 917/30 variant was capable of a 0- time of 2.3 seconds, 0– in 5.3 seconds, and a top speed of over .There are 6...
.
Engine
The 904's mid-engine layout was inherited from the 718, also known as the RSK (from the German term for racing, Rennsport), the factory's leading race car. It was powered by the 1966 cc Type 587/3, four-cam flat four-cylinder engine producing 198 hp, "probably the most complex four-cylinder" ever. It drove a five-speed transmissionTransmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
with a standard 4.428:1 final drive, with available 4.605, 4.260, 3.636, and 3.362 ratios.
Begun as the Type 547, its development began in 1953, when the previous VW
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
-based 1100 cc flat-four, used in the contemporary 356 and rated at 38 hp, hit the limit of its potential. Porsche realized it needed something all-new. The brainchild of Dr. Ernst Fuhrmann
Ernst Fuhrmann
Dr Ernst Fuhrmann was the chairman of Porsche AG between 1972 and 1980. He was a German citizen....
, later Technical Director, it was hoped to achieve an "unheard of" 70 hp per 1 litre, relying on hemispherical combustion chambers (what would be called hemi
Chrysler Hemi engine
The Chrysler Hemi engine, known by the trademark Hemi, is a series of V8 engines built by Chrysler with a hemispherical combustion chamber. Three different types of Hemi engines have been built by Chrysler for automobiles: the first from 1951–1958, the second from 1964–1971, and the third...
in the U.S.) and 46 mm (1.8 in)-throat 46IDA3 three-choke Weber
Weber carburetor
Weber is an Italian company producing carburetors, currently owned by Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A., in turn part of the Fiat Group.The company was established as...
carburetor
Carburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
s to generate 112 hp from the 1500 cc four-cam engine. The 1.5 liter weighed 310 lb (140.6 kg) dry, eventually producing 180 hp. A complex design that proved "very taxing" to build and assemble, but very durable, it was used in 34 different models, including 550 Spyder
Porsche 550
The Porsche 550 was a sports car produced by Porsche from 1953-1956.Inspired by the Porsche 356 which was created by Ferry Porsche, and some spyder prototypes built and raced by Walter Glöckler starting in 1951, the factory decided to build a car designed for use in auto racing. The model Porsche...
s, 356 Carrera
Porsche 356
The Porsche 356 was the company's first production automobile. It was a lightweight and nimble handling rear-engine rear-wheel-drive 2 door sports car available in hardtop coupe and open configurations. Design innovations continued during the years of manufacture, contributing to its motorsports...
s, and F2/1s.
Chassis
The 904 was the first Porsche to use a ladder chassis and fibreglass body, appearing more like specialist racing cars than the modified sports cars typical at the time, and was painted white. The fibreglass body was bondedAdhesive
An adhesive, or glue, is a mixture in a liquid or semi-liquid state that adheres or bonds items together. Adhesives may come from either natural or synthetic sources. The types of materials that can be bonded are vast but they are especially useful for bonding thin materials...
to its steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
for extra rigidity, and achieved a drag coefficient
Drag coefficient
In fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment such as air or water. It is used in the drag equation, where a lower drag coefficient indicates the object will have less aerodynamic or...
of 0.34. While many German race cars had used unpainted aluminium bodies since the famous 1934 Silver Arrows
Silver Arrows
Silver Arrows was the name given by the press to Germany's dominant Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union Grand Prix motor racing cars between 1934 and 1939, and also later applied to the Mercedes-Benz Formula One and sports cars in 1954/55.For decades until the introduction of sponsorship liveries, each...
, most 904s were painted silver, the modern German national racing color. Unusually for Porsche, the two-seater bodies were provided by contractors, which would later become standard practice among race car builders. The 904's fibreglass body was made by spraying chopped fibreglass into a mold
Molding (process)
Molding or moulding is the process of manufacturing by shaping pliable raw material using a rigid frame or model called a pattern....
, 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 1,443 pounds (655 kg) and the low weight gave the 904 the ability to accelerate to 60 mph (96.6 km/h) from a standstill in less than six seconds (using the standard rear gear, which would be typical at Sebring) and to reach a top speed of 160 mph (257.5 km/h) (with the 3.362 ratio).
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 90.5 in (2,298.7 mm) (by contrast, the CorvairChevrolet Corvair
-First generation :The 1960 Corvair 500 and 700 series four-door sedans were conceived as economy cars offering few amenities in order to keep the price competitive, with the 500 selling for under $2,000...
's was 108 in (2,743.2 mm)), track front and rear 51.7 in (1,313.2 mm), height 42 in (1,066.8 mm), and ground clearance of 4.7 in (119.4 mm) on 15 in (381 mm) wheels. Frontal area was only 14 ft2.
904/6
To satisfy demand, twenty 1965 models were produced, some featuring a variant of the 911Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998...
's flat six. Due to the less weight issues of the first generation plastic body, the 904's successor, the 1966 906
Porsche 906
The Porsche 906 or Carrera 6 was the last street-legal racing car from Porsche. It was announced in January 1966 and 50 examples were subsequently produced, thus meeting the homologation requirements of the FIA's new Group 4 Sports Car category to the letter...
or "Carrera 6", was developed with a tubular space frame covered with an unstressed, lighter fiberglass body.
904/8
A few factory race cars were fitted with a flat eight-cylinder power plant derived from the 1962 804Porsche 804
The Porsche 804 was a Formula One racing car produced in , following the 718 and 787.The flat-8 air-cooled engine powered car developed 180 hp at 9,200 rpm gave Porsche its only F1 wins as a chassis maker, at the 1962 French Grand Prix, and at the Solituderennen at Castle Solitude in Stuttgart,...
F1 car, the 225 hp 1962 cc Type 771, which used 42 mm (1.7 in)-throat downdraft Webers. The Type 771s, however, suffered a "disturbing habit" of making their flywheels explode.
Technical specifications
- Engine
- Drivetrain layout: Mid-engine RWD
- Engine Type: Flat-Four
- Bore x stroke: 3.62 in (91.95 mm) x 2.91 in (73.91 mm)
- Displacement, ci/cc: 120/1966
- Compression ratio: 9.8:1
- Max SAE net horsepower: 198 hp
- Specific output, hp/liter: 100.7
- Weight to power, lb/hp: 5.4
- Transmission: 5-speed manual
Performance
- Drag CoefficientDrag coefficientIn fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment such as air or water. It is used in the drag equation, where a lower drag coefficient indicates the object will have less aerodynamic or...
: 0.34 - 0-60 mi/h : <6 seconds
- Top speed: 160 mi/h
Modern day replicas
Modern day replicas of the 904 are currently being produced by a number of companies, including Martin and Walker in the UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Chuck Beck in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Racing
Making an inauspicious debut at Sebring in 1964, where it suffered clutch trouble, "a four-cylinder 904 took an astounding first overall" at the Targa FlorioTarga Florio
The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973...
. It went on to a third at the Nürburgring
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
and a perfect finish at LeMans
1964 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 32nd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 20 and 21 1964. It was also the ninth round of the World Sportscar Championship.-Pre-race:...
. Both times, all five starters finished, placed in the top twelve overall, among many much more powerful cars. 904s showed remarkable durability; they "almost always" finished, and at Reims in 1964, a customer car fresh from Stuttgart, driven to the track, went on to win without the need for any spares at all. For 1964, 904s racked up a 1-2 at the Targa Florio and class wins at Spa, Sebring (co-driven by Briggs Cunningham
Briggs Cunningham
Briggs Swift Cunningham II was an American entrepreneur and sportsman, who raced automobiles and yachts. Born into a wealthy family, he became a racing car constructor, driver, and team owner as well as a sports car manufacturer and automobile collector.He skippered the victorious yacht Columbia...
and Lake Underwood
Lake Underwood
Lake Underwood was an American entrepreneur who competed as a champion in the racing of prototype automobiles and motorcycles...
), the Nürburgring, Le Mans, Watkins Glen
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International is an auto race track located near Watkins Glen, New York, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. The facility is owned by International Speedway Corporation...
, Zandvoort
Zandvoort
Zandvoort is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.Zandvoort is one of the major beach resorts of the Netherlands; it has a long sandy beach, bordered by coastal dunes...
, Canada
Canadian Grand Prix
The Canadian Grand Prix , abbreviated as gpc, is an annual auto race held in Canada starting in 1961. It has been part of the Formula One World Championship since 1967...
, and the Paris 1000 Kilometer, in the process taking SCCA's C-Production and E-Sports Racing titles. In addition, it won rally
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
events including the Tulip, Munich-Vienna-Budapest, Geneva, and "highly acclaimed" Alpine Rally. For 1965, results were "equally impressive", seeing wins at the Spanish, Rossfeld, Hellbronner, and Gaisburg rallys, as well as a class win in a gruelling Monte Carlo Rally
Monte Carlo Rally
The Monte Carlo Rally or Rally Monte Carlo is a rallying event organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco which also organises the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique. The rally takes place along the French Riviera in the Principality of Monaco and...
which saw just 22 finishers in the points, out of 237 starters. In addition, 904s won their class at the Monza 1000 Kilometer, Targa, Spa, Daytona Continental, Le Mans, and Zandvoort, among others, repeating their E-Sports title win and adding an SCCA E-Production championship.
External links
- Porsche Carrera GTS Club
- Porsche 904 chassis histories Retrieved from wspr-racing.com on 26 February 2009