By Jeff Bruss

The 904 (officially named the Carrera GTS) was specifically manufactured by Porsche in 1962 to compete in the FIA-GT class. The ladder frame chassis hosted a mid-mounted flat-four engine that produced 198 hp with a beautifully sculpted fiberglass body perched on top. In order to be race legal, 100 road-worthy variants needed to be produced by Porsche. In 1964 the road legal 904 came out with a list price of $7,245 and 106 units were released for public consumption, though demand far exceeded the 106 cars Porsche willingly produced.

The fiberglass 904 bodies were supplied and built by subcontractors and were some of the first non-aluminum race bodies. Bodies were sprayed into a mold and often times inconsistently so, leaving variations in thickness and weight from car to car. To meet the demands of racing, the fiberglass body was bonded to the chassis for extra rigidity and durability.

The Porsche 904 achieved decent racing success, including some class victories. The 904 may have been better known for its durability, including a race victory at Reims by a Stuttgart-fresh car that came direct from factory to track and took first place.

This 904 replica for sale on Bring a Trailer (BaT) has received some spirited bidding — already in excess of $30,000. One of only three examples produced by Avanti Motors in cooperation with Chuck Beck, this particular car was the factory demo. Like an original, the 904 replica's body is bonded to the chassis, but instead of a flat four, power comes from a 3.2 liter flat six mated to a five-speed 901 gear box.

Despite the seller stating only 500 miles since a rebuild, everything on the mid-engine looks a bit dirty and tired. Which seems to correlate to the rest of the car, too. The interior is dirty, dusty and shows the nearly two decades of wear this car has endured. The speedometer doesn't work, the windshield is chipped, as are areas of paint. Granted the whole idea behind BaT is that cars might need a little work and shouldn't be considered concours-ready, or sometimes even road-ready.

Overall this is an interesting example of a Porsche 904 replica with a unique history tied to both Beck, one of the world's most respected Porsche replica manufacturers, and Avanti Motors. Modern versions of the 904 replica can be purchased in the neighborhood of $50,000-$60,000 from a handful of different vendors, including Beck, so the money on this 904 is strong. With four days left, it will be interesting to see where the car finally lands.

See the listing on BaT here.