904 Carrera GTS: The Mona Lisa of Porsches

[@KurtLeipzig]

I was crew chief for an independent SCCA racer back in about 1976. We had a 904 and ran it at the 7 hour endurance race in Canada at Westwood Race Track. Only added fuel and 1 quart of oil during the whole race. Tires and brakes held up the entire race. Took first place overall and in our class. Was a thrill I will never forget. Spent 52 years working on Porsches.

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

Wow. That is a great story. Thank you for sharing it with us. Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@isiahwashington2999]

What a great car and narrator. Well done sir.

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

We glad you enjoyed the video. Thank you for the continued support.

[@KyleOAAA]

@Porsche Club of America, you guys(and gals) are killing it with these videos lately. Donald was the perfect guy to present this car, his passion and reverence for this 904 is unmistakable and really comes through in the video. Well done and keep up the good work!

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

Thanks! Glad you're enjoying our videos.

[@Rennthusiast]

Love seeing videos like this. The 904 is outstanding and his passion for the car and the driving experience - not to mention his job in general - is inspiring.

[@AM-uk7jv]

I love rear engined Porsches as much as the next guy, but it's the mid engined Porsches that captivate me.

[@fabian116]

Amazing video. What a great description of one of the most beautiful cars ever made. Please invite him again!!!

[@sgttombailes3380]

WOW !!! I LOVE this Porsche !!! Outstanding !! I've had the Porsche bug since I was 12 years old when my Dentist neighbor parked a 356 in his driveway. At 70 years old now, I'm still a Porsche lover and have kept or owned a Porsche for 50 years. Yes, I keep the for a long time. And yes again, I still have one. And always will~~!

[@markhahn107]

Donald hits it on the nail. Great car and great video, thanks for sharing Donald.

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@gnrrpreacher]

My favorite Porsche.

[@WilliamParmley]

A beautiful car and an exceptional presentation. I still remember a picture in Car and Driver magazine of a 904 being driven *under* a parked semi-trailer to demonstrate how low it was.

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

Glad you enjoyed it. Be sure to subscribe.

[@troo4585]

I remember in the late 1960’s going with some high school friends to watch a sports car road race at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park where they had set up the race course in Candlestick’s huge parking lot. There were only two cars I remembered from that day: one was a Porsche 904 which was quickest around the course and eventually won that race. The other car was a 427 Cobra. I remember how that Cobra blew past everything on the straights....it was really amazing to see!

[@richsanders4451]

Please add more pictures of the car showing the engine, interior, and etc. Thank you very much for sharing what you’ve already shared. It reminds me of a 904 that I saw in 1972 in Stuttgart that was a reddish orange, not sure of the name of the color, with green factory leather. It was told to me that it belonged to the son of Dr Ferry Porsche. They were kind enough to show us a handful of select cars because we were unable to see the factory as it was closed during the month we were there. Thanks again for the great video. I would love to see this car in person.

[@L3Trip]

Love this 904 and this video both are very well done!

[@frankdigregorio6055]

Amazing Video!! Well done Donald. This peaked my interest when I saw that this car came from Fullerton,California. Then I saw his address and he actually lived 2 blocks away from where I grew up. Small world! Only wish I had seen it or remember seeing it as a teenager.

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

Wow!! truly a small world. Thank you for sharing. Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@keitha.9788]

Loved the 904 GTS. One of my favorite Porsches. It has something that modern Porsches don't have - a spare tire......

[@OakvilleLad]

Thank you. In 1965 a four year old me sat in #093 because my dad was wrench turning it for racer Bill Neal. I was at Santa Barbara when it competed. Since then the Porsche Carrera GTS Typ 904, has been my favorite car. Imagine though, just this morning I chatted with an owner of a beautiful red 1973 Dino and I mentioned how Ferrari stole the design - but anyways... cheers!

[@claudiodiez55]

Your Videos , Energy. Knowledge Make My Day Your the Car Guru.

[@uligollwitzer1078]

Fantastic video! Great presentation of the car!

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@WilliamParmley]

What an outstanding presentation. Thank you!

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@guzf344]

Wonderful video thank you!

[@100Scramble]

Really excellent description by Donald.

[@christopherwilliams4552]

There are many singular vintage cars - Porsche and otherwise - this is definitely one of them!

[@mtnvalley9298]

Hey it's as old as me! What a dream car. Thanks for sharing PCA and Donald Osbourne!

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@mtnvalley9298]

@@PorscheClubofAmerica Oh yes! 3 times now and many more in the future I'm sure. Great video of an unobtainium car.

[@phatlaz1974]

Absolutely beautiful car

[@helmuttdvm]

It’s wonderful that this car will be available for folks to view it and not locked away in someone’s private garage. I also found it interesting that the key is to the right of the steering wheel unlike most Porsches. I just wish the cars were larger so more of today’s heavier and taller people could fit in it!

[@peteholland4320]

Well...this made me smile!

[@georgehave]

Wonderful automobile. Driving would be a dream. Interesting that the key is on the right.

[@KyleOAAA]

I noticed that too.

[@norwellcoquillard2508]

Always my favorite Porsche - great video. I am also interested to know why it was barely driven.

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

The basic reason for the low mileage is that, though Begovich had a good number of cars, for most of his life he lived a mile away from work. In addition, for reasons which will remain unknown, after 1980 he didn’t drive his collector cars at all. He continued to work on them and stored them well, but they didn’t go out.

[@thomaslarsen9867]

What a cool car, What is that little door in the back for?

[@moon-lit-rider987]

wow what a car, such a beauty 😎

[@Andrew-vx2ls]

Donald, this is a good video. Episode 2 could be with more detail for the "anoraks" amongst us. Perhaps mention that the car is a mid engined Porsche, has a fibreglass body, that it was a 4 cylinder (with a later 6 cylinder version)...and it was still rattling around on steel wheels well after their sell by date...).

[@GC987]

Wonderful to see. I've only just realised that the model designation alone sits on the rear flank leaving the hood totally devoid of branding - in a time when engineers designed cars & before the marketing department got in on the process.

[@henryatkinson1479]

Fantastic video and interview. Its hard to believe that there is such a clean 904 left. Any insight as to why it was driven so little?

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

The basic reason for the low mileage is that, though Begovich had a good number of cars, for most of his life he lived a mile away from work. In addition, for reasons which will remain unknown, after 1980 he didn’t drive his collector cars at all. He continued to work on them and stored them well, but they didn’t go out.

[@chrysanthemum5522]

Bravo Porsche club of America! We need more content like this. Please share with me the intro music that was used in this wonderful video.

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

Thanks for watching. Be sure to subscribe!

[@GeorgesMiniatureCars]

I've always loved the 904 from the first time I layed eyes on it! Similar to a 356, the design is so simple and organic, with restored factory power behind it would be a dream come true!!

[@pipimontana]

My favorite matchboxcar

[@Atombender]

Driving a 904 GTS with a suit and tie, now that's gangsta.

[@nunomc2815]

Didn't talk about the real soul of the 904, which on this one is the last iteration of the Fuhrmann 4 cam on its 2 liters iteration. Some 904's came with a 2.0 flat six, basically the same of the 906, this one has the real deal.

[@johnrodgers6049]

What a special car! The engine turning on the metal parts of the steering wheel is a small thing that lets you know it’s something a little different than the average. The rear half of the car is more Italian than German to me (think Ferrari Dino?). Wow!

[@UglyOckren]

Indeed. But the 904 was introduced long before the Dino! Both cars are arguably 2 of the best looking sports cars ever produced!

[@hotelbastard7853]

There’s no greater pleasure, than the pleasure of doing & done.

[@renelord4819]

Merci du Québec, tout un privilège de conduire cette icône…. Et la toile de Leonardo Da Vinci, elle ne peut qu'être contemplée! Cela vaut le voyage à Newport!

[@ridgemanron]

Beck, in Indiana, has been building their exquisite replicas for years now.

[@garlandtube3]

Thank you, extremely well stated.

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

Thanks for watching!

[@tongalizia3175]

Excellent video Sr… the long lost brother just appears,,,,, my 914-6 is very jealous

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

Glad you liked it. Thank you for watching.

[@spencerb8609]

Donald knows his cars

[@motorsandmeats88]

Absolute perfection

[@ronaldderooij1774]

Definitely in my top 10. Don't ask me to be more precise. I can't.

[@marklangren3142]

Whatever happened to Coverts 904/6?

[@aureliobrighton1871]

There is some Porsche molecule which even turns a 'Käfer' drive into an unforgettable experience. That is why I love classic P's. They are all equipped with the exact right level of that mutated ingredient. La Gioconda is 500 y.o. delicate italian renaissance oil on poplar. Way above our ignorant heads. Lets just turn the key and understand :)

[@Mike-uo2gg]

My dream car

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

Ours too!

[@jehl1963]

Ahhh! It sounds just like a Suburu! ;-)

[@nateisright]

Maybe Subaru sounds like a Porsche. Porsche were making air cooled boxer cars in 1948. Subaru didn’t exist until 1953.

[@nateisright]

The original Cayman!

[@SumoPoweredAlanLi]

This car was unbeatable, but in 1964 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit, Ikuzawa Tetsu drove his #41 Prince Skyline GTS took the lead over the #1 904 Carrera GTS for a lap, and marked the beginning of a Skyline Legend.

[@anthonyfunderburk7871]

Awesome

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

Thanks for watching!

[@jockellis]

Well, I disagree that the side windows are too short; I think it’s perfect, if hard to get out of. In 1965, getting out of my SCCA sponsor Jack Ryan’s, I pulled a muscle in my leg and had to hobble to the bus stop in front of His dealership. My 1/24th scale slot car was a model of his in orange with a yellow front and numbered in 43 that it wore in the 1964 Sebring race. The docent here was wrong about the 904 starting a trend toward having outside karosseries build race cars. That began with what would become the 550 RS in 1950. When Ferry realized an all out racer was needed for publicity.

[@bernardausterberry6174]

Thank You. I have a photo of a 904 GTS on my wall. Other pictures have come and gone. It's been there about 30 years.

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

Awesome! Thanks for watching and be sure to subscribe.

[@thedudeabides1443]

I could listen to DO talk cars for hours.

[@googleface5]

As years go by, it’s important to keep “like new” examples of classic cars. I am a big advocate for driving classics, however, so I’m at war with myself. I hope they find a happy medium, with such a rare, classic piece of Porsche history, of showcasing and driving. It’s also true, however, that the money these collectors have allow them to drive AND upkeep their classics.

[@markweisgram155]

How can there be so few miles, I would want to drive it all the time 😁

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

The basic reason for the low mileage is that, though Begovich had a good number of cars, for most of his life he lived a mile away from work. In addition, for reasons which will remain unknown, after 1980 he didn’t drive his collector cars at all. He continued to work on them and stored them well, but they didn’t go out.

[@keinname629]

How did Dr. Begovich fit into that tiny car?

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

😂

[@carloshenriquebins5113]

Sculpture on wheels

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

Indeed. Thanks for watching and be sure to subscribe.

[@CT9wasmyhandle]

This car has an absolutely fantastic sounding engine. But I guess some dull elevator music is nice too....

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

point taken😂

[@joshuadowling8778]

This car is perfection. That happened in 1964. Just saying.

[@kge420]

Gave a thumbs down due to the loud music playing over the engine sound. Not an easy choice to make on my part as this is my all time favorite car.

[@frankvella1392]

Actor Robert Redford had 0ne he sold it "😲😟

[@stephenabril7084]

Always wondered what cars Donald owns.

[@pitts3219]

What about the car itself? Don’t really need to know about the experience of driving it.

[@rbslammed6163]

“Anyone can afford to buy the Mina Lisa…..” Yeah ya lost me there

[@marklandgraf7667]

To be honest, I'm actually a little disappointed that the car has less than 3K kms on the odometer. On a Ferrari, sure. Jag, yes. But, a Porsche? No, would like to know the car was thoroughly enjoyed....a lot.

[@7sq]

WTF bin the music !!!

[@rikidozan93]

This is also The car that gave the Prince Motor Company (Later to become Nissan) in Japan the inspiration to improve it's Racing division after their Skyline was defeated by at the 1964 Japan GP, which gave rise to Prince building a prototype race car the R380, and subsequently greatly improving the Skyline GT cars which then gave birth to the Skyline GTR. In all honesty though, seeing the footage of the "non-prototype" 904 racing against the "standard" Skyline sedan at that iconic 1964 race, the blatantly unfair advantage that Porsche enjoyed reminds me of the David vs Goliath story, and it's no wonder that the people working at Nissan were screaming for revenge, which I think they eventually achieved.

[@Nowheremt]

The 904 is a great car, but I’d rather have a Dino 206S…. ;)

[@PorscheClubofAmerica]

Also very nice!

[@WBf2002]

More car less talking head