This Irish Green Porsche 904 Carrera GTS is a spectacular specimen of Porsche’s first prototype racer, and it is currently up for auction at Bonhams’ Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris auction.

It should come as no surprise that we are completely charmed with this magnificent Irish Green Porsche 904 Carrera GTS that is set to be auctioned off on February 3rd at Bonhams’ Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris. Here at Classic Driver, we have a tendency to fall in love pretty quickly with anything green that originates from Stuttgart.

Following Porsche’s decision to move away from their expensive Formula One programme and instead focus on sports car racing, the 904 was the first of Porsche’s prototype racers to be produced. On the other hand, it was initially driven by a flat-four engine that was extremely complicated but dependable. It had a ladder frame chassis that was connected to a fibreglass body, which was a concept that they most certainly stole from Colin Chapman.

A Silver Metallic finish was initially applied to the vehicle that you see here, which was the second 904 GTS to be delivered to a client outside of the works programme. The chassis number for this vehicle is 904 012. When Steve Earle, a well-known enthusiast and racing driver, became the first owner of the vehicle in California, he was so eager to race the vehicle during the 1964 season that he had it transported to JFK Airport on a Pan America Jet with the intention of racing it. Earle never really raced the car; rather, he made the decision to sell it, and in the years that followed, the vehicle went on to have a successful racing career.

In 1982, a young Belgian enthusiast named Mr. Stefan Talpe purchased the automobile, which marked the beginning of a 34-year ownership period. Prior to that, it had been owned by a number of different people, including actor and director Robert Redford from the time it was first purchased until 1982. The 904 012 was subjected to a comprehensive restoration in the 1990s, during which time a 2.0-liter 911 engine was acquired and fitted. This upgrade was a common and period-appropriate one, since Porsche itself employed similar engines in the final 904 GTSs that were manufactured. It was around this time that the automobile was resprayed in its current shade of Irish Green, which is a factory hue that is appropriate for the historical period. After purchasing 904 012 from Mr. Talpe in 2016, the consignor, who is a well-known collector in Denmark, went on to install a new clutch on the aforementioned vehicle. Since that time, the automobile has been taken for leisurely trips across the countryside of Denmark, a custom that we hope the subsequent owner will carry on wherever the automobile goes during its next journey.