• A beautifully presented example of Porsche’s seminal racing sports car
• Delivered new to future Porsche factory driver Udo Schütz
• Raced in rounds of the 1964, 1965, and 1966 World Sportscar Championships
• Class winner of the 1965 Nürburgring 1000 km; later driven to 1st place at the 1966 Austrian Hillclimb Championship by Rudi Lins
• Continuous history from new, including ownership with Bobby Rahal

Please note this lot has entered the EU on a temporary import bond, which must be cancelled either by exporting the lot outside of the EU on an approved Bill of Lading with supporting customs documentation or by paying the applicable VAT and import duties to have the lot remain in the EU.

Veuillez noter que ce lot a été introduit dans l'UE avec un cautionnement d'importation temporaire, qui devra être soldé par réexportation hors de l'UE avec un connaissement (bon de chargement) accompagné de ses documents douaniers, ou par paiement de la TVA et des droits de douane applicables s'il doit demeurer dans l'UE.

Despite the experience gained by Porsche while developing highly successful mid-engined racing sports cars such as the 550 and 718, the 904 GTS was an entirely new concept for the company. Designed by FA “Butzi” Porsche, the 904 had a body shape that was hugely advanced for the time, featuring a low-drag nose leading to a sleek roof line and ending with a Kamm tail. The chassis was of cutting-edge design, consisting of a steel frame strengthened with bonded fibreglass panels. The only major component of the 904 that was a mainstay of the factory racing programme was the Fuhrmann 587/3-type four-cam engine. Today Porsche is arguably the most successful manufacturer in sports car racing, and a decisive model for this success was the 904.

The ground-breaking 904 achieved a spectacular 1-2 finish at the 1964 Targa Florio, taking class wins at every major race during the 1964 and 1965 seasons due to a combination of outright speed and outstanding reliability. Thanks to the 904, Porsche won Division II of the World Sportscar Championship twice, and further contributed to the victorious 1966 campaign.

This car, chassis 904-036, was delivered on 27 February 1964, finished in Silver Metallic over Blue and specified with a sports exhaust. The first owner was a young Udo Schütz, a talented racer who would become a Porsche factory driver thanks to his performances in this 904. Less than two months after delivery, Schütz debuted his 904 in hill climbs, a discipline he would compete in regularly alongside the DARM Championship (German Circuit Championship), taking 10 overall or class victories during 1964 and 1965. His first appearance in the World Sportscar Championship would be at the 1964 Rossfeld Hillclimb, where Schütz achieved a 5th in class finish. On 1 August 1964, Schütz was racing this 904 in a support race for the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring when it left the track and rolled into the undergrowth. Despite the damage not looking severe, it is widely believed that the car was rebuilt at Porsche around a new chassis that was closer in specification to a 904/6.

Schütz’s next appearance in the World Sportscar Championship would be the pinnacle of this 904’s career at the 1965 Nürburgring 1000 km. Sharing with Anton Fischhaber, a Porsche factory driver, they crossed the line as the first privateer home behind Works entries from Ferrari, Porsche, and Shelby American, finishing 11th overall and 1st in the GT 2.0 class. Remarkably, the pair beat all of the Ferrari GT cars, including the factory 275 GTB Speciale, Sutcliffe’s 250 GTO, and all of the 250 LMs. Three weeks later, this 904 competed again at Rossfeld, finishing 8th overall and 5th in class—impressively ahead of the two Works Cobras.

After competing in 31 events with this 904, Schütz sold it during the winter of 1965/1966 to Austrian Rudi Lins. The 904 contested a similar mix of hill climbs and races, with the final appearance in the World Sportscar Championship coming at the 1966 Swiss Mountain GP, held at Sierre-Montana. Despite the 904 beginning to show its age, Lins finished a fine 5th overall and 2nd in class. Lins’ hillclimbing talents saw him be crowned 1966 Austrian Mountain Champion.

In 1967, this 904 was sold to Werner Frank of South Elgin, Illinois. Frank teamed up with Horst Kwech for the Porsche’s last contemporary race at the USRRC Road America 500, where it finished 9th overall. Between 1969 and 2001 the car had four US owners, before passing to racing legend Bobby Rahal. Prior to Rahal’s ownership the machine had been fully restored, and it was subsequently race prepared in order to contest the 2002 editions of the Tour Auto and Le Mans Classic. It was then purchased by the previous owner, a well-known historic racer, who competed with it at the 2018 Le Mans Classic. Following this event, it passed into current ownership in 2019.

Few 904s have such a remarkable period history as this giant-killing example, and an even smaller number can claim such unbroken history and outstanding provenance of chassis 036. Presented in beautiful condition, this 904 is ready to be enjoyed at some of the finest historic events in the world or displayed at major concours.

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