904 GTS

"Being now an established Porchista, Juan Fernandez was contacted by the factory’s Rennsport department in Stuttgart and offered a brand-new model to replace his Carrera 2 GT. The car in question was the new 904, an innovative fiberglass bodied race car with a five-speed transaxle, four-wheel disc brakes, fully independent suspension, and the Type 587/3 four-cam as the central piece. It didnt take more to convince Juan Fernandez and he immediately put an order on the car. Our Carrera GTS was delivered to Juan in February 1964, and was finished in Signal Red with a blue upholstery, as it appears to this day. From the factory, the car was equipped with a talbot side mirror, and the Nürburgring gearbox ratio. Needless to say, Juan decimated the competition with his new Porsche. Some of his racing results with the 904 included: 1st at the 1964 Carrera Cuesta Mayolan, which according to Jurgen Barth, was the first race win for a 904. then, 2nd overall and 1st in GT class at Rallye Basco Navarro, 1st in GT class at the Rallye R.A.C.E., and Overall win at Carrera Cuesta De Montserrat, and a record setting win at the Hillclimb Montseny, both of which counted towards the European championship. And the list goes on. Amazingly, Fernández never suffered any serious accident, major mechanical issues, or disqualifications while driving the Porsche. All told, Fernández’s success with the 904 launched his career in international motor sports and earned him the nick-name, “El Rey de Las Montañas” (King of the Mountains).

Following Fernández’s ownership, the 904 returned to the factory and was reportedly sold to German industrialist Alfried Krupp. A connection to Krupp is recorded in other registries and, although it cannot be confirmed, it can be assumed that he purchased the car from Porsche after Fernández returned it in 1965. In late 1967, this 904 was sold to Daniel P. Boyd, PhD, a chemical engineer living in Virginia, and exported to the US. As recorded in Dr. Boyd’s automotive journal , the Porsche arrived on September 2, 1967, with approximately 5,650 km on the odometer. During his ownership, Dr. Boyd refinished the 904 in Bahama Yellow and enjoyed the four-cam sports car on the road, but never in competition. On February 10, 1971, US Navy pilot and Porsche enthusiast Jonathan Wort purchased the 10,000-km 904 from Dr. Boyd. Soon after taking delivery, he refinished the bodywork in silver, with a Navy-themed dark blue hood and yellow stripe. In 1977, Mr. Wort had the original engine sent to the renowned four-cam specialist Jim Wellington of Rennsport Werke for a complete rebuild. As Mr. Wort was transferred from base to base for training, he trailered the 904 and a pair of motorcycles with him through four states. While stationed in Kingsville, Texas, he entered the 904 in local autocross events and “smothered” the local competition. The modified Healeys, Jaguars, Speedsters, and 911s were no match for the 10-year-old 904. Although Mr. Wort intended to keep the 904 forever and aspired to race it in historic events, he sold the Porsche in 1982 to purchase his first home. The sale was brokered through Stephen Yanoshik’s Hopewell Motor Imports, Inc. in New Jersey. From there, this 904 was sold to Robert J. Smith of St. Louis, Missouri. A pioneering Porsche collector, Mr. Smith owned two other four-cams, the ex-Rodriguez brothers 550 Spyder, and an RS 60. Under his ownership, the 904 was sympathetically restored. In a recent conversation, Mr. Smith recalled that this 904 was a low-mileage example, very original but needing a light freshening. In 1988, the engine was sent once again to four-cam specialist Jim Wellington for a tune-up; and a Rennsport Werke service sticker dating from 1988 remains on the engine shroud to this day. The 904 remained in Mr. Smith’s stable of important four-cam sports racers until 1989 or 1990, when it was sold through Daniel Schmitt to a collector in Texas. According to Porsche historian Jürgen Barth, this 904 returned to Europe in the 1990s and was kept in a private collection near Wiesbaden, Germany. From there, the 904 was sold to the respected Blackhawk Collection and later made a public appearance at the Blackhawk exhibition at Pebble Beach. Through Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach sale in 2013, the car found a new home outside of the USA, and came back to its natal Spain, where it was delivered new and raced very successfully. Its caretaker for almost nine years, the last owner used the car in historic events in Spain and Europe, including the famous Le Mans Classic in 2014, Montjuich Revival, Chronodriver Hillclimb Revivals, Espiritu del Jarama, and Rally Catalunya Històric. Being put to use sparsely but consistently meant the car had to be kept in running condition and wasn’t just sitting around in a garage. The previous owner used a Capricorn engine in the car whenever possible and kept the original masterpiece that is the 587/3 in storage as the engines have appreciated to become extremely valuable.

Now, 58 years after leaving the factory in Stuttgart, this very car is believed to be one of the most original 904‘s with racing pedigree in existence. It retains its matching numbers gearbox, original 110l-fuel tank, original chassis and VIN-plate, original window trim, and most incredibly, its original bodywork. Something that is incredibly rare and hard to find on a 904, given the nature of their body’s material and their extensive use in racing. The body panel numbers are still very much where they were labeled by the factory some 60 years ago. The blue velour seats together with the period REPA harnesses and rare catch mat are some of the long list of desirable items this 904 is equipped with."
- Schaltkulisse 11/2022