Some cars show up on Bring a Trailer every day that make you pause, maybe even daydream. Okay, maybe you aren’t on the website every day, but I am. I am a car enthusiast, what do you want from me? I was casually doom-scrolling the website (window shopping only, of course), and that’s when I saw it. A genuine 1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS has landed on the site, and it is the very first authentic 904 to ever cross BaT’s stage. For Porsche enthusiasts, this isn’t just another auction. Even if you’re not a Porsche enthusiast, you can tell at first glance just how cool this thing is.
It’s a rare chance to see one of the most beautiful and essential race cars the brand ever built being offered up for the world to watch, bid, and wonder who will be its next caretaker. It for sure will sell for more than I could afford, but I love to see it regardless.
The Legend of the 904
The Porsche 904 Carrera GTS debuted in 1964 as the brand’s first fiberglass-bodied sports racer, created to homologate a mid-engine coupe for FIA Group 3. Designed by Butzi Porsche, it paired a steel ladder chassis with lightweight composite panels and went on to claim victories at the Targa Florio, Le Mans, and the Nürburgring.
The 904 represents a pivotal chapter in Porsche’s racing history, bridging the 356 and 718 era with the prototype dominance that followed. Collectors regard it as one of the most balanced blends of beauty and performance in Porsche’s back catalog.
The Car on Offer
Chassis 904-051 was delivered new in February 1964 through Brumos and campaigned by Florida racer David Lane. It competed in SCCA events, the 1964 Bahamas Speed Week, the 1965 Daytona 2000 km, the 1965 Sebring 12 Hours, and the 1966 Daytona 24. Restored in the late 1980s by Kevin Jeanette, it later spent time in Japan’s Matsuda Collection before returning to Europe and the United States.
Today, it runs with a replacement 2.0-liter four-cam engine built by Capricorn, while its original Type 587/3 engine is included in the sale. Documentation is extensive, with period photos, invoices, an FIA Historic Technical Passport, tools, and an owner’s manual.
Condition and Significance
The car is presented in its original Signal Red with a blue velour racing interior, green-letter VDO gauges, and fixed bucket seats, and, as one commenter with the username Puebla stated, “arguably the most attractive Porsche to date.” Dunlop racing tires wrap 15-inch alloys, backed by ATE disc brakes. It looks like a purposeful historic racer rather than a static museum piece, inviting use on vintage tours or competition grids. As the first genuine Porsche 904 to ever appear on Bring a Trailer, it is more than a listing.
It is a statement about how far online auctions have come in attracting blue-chip competition cars. For enthusiasts and collectors alike, it is a chance to see a cornerstone of Porsche’s motorsport legacy offered in an open digital arena. Even if it’s the closest I’ll ever get to seeing one.