Porsche 904 Carrera GTS
Acquired new by Richard “Dickie” Stoop, a prominent English racer and flight lieutenant, chassis 904-045 was the first Porsche Carrera GTS to make it to the British Isles. It is held to be the only 904 finished in this particular shade of “Irish green”.
Before racing for Frazer Nash, Dickie Stoop was an amateur racecar driver of considerable standing. As early as 1948, he finished 8th at the Daily Express Silverstone. 1959 saw him place 2nd in a heat at Brough and 4th at Goodwood in May. For the next 20 years, he campaigned many makes of cars, but for most of his racing, remained faithful to Frazer Nash. His career highlights included a 9th overall and 2nd place class win at 1950 Le Mans, followed by a 2-litre class win plus an 8th place finish at 1958 Le Mans.
Stoop raced 904-045 for about a year. On May 2, 1964 the car debuted on the British racing scene with a 16th place finish at the Silverstone International. A month later, it placed 15th at the Rossfeld Hill Climb, followed by an 8th place at Brands Hatch on July 11. Eight days later, at the Scott-Brown Memorial at Snetterton, Stoop piloted his 904-045 with start number 71 to a 1st in class and 5th overall finish. On August 1, career highlights continued with a 4th place at the DARM GT at Nürburgring and a 2nd place at the Tourist Trophy at Goodwood on August 29. Stoop’s season in the 904 concluded on September 26 at Snetterton, where the car roared to a 6th place finish.
Dickie Stoop retained the car until his tragic death behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 S in 1968. Chassis 904-045 was sold to noted American Porsche collector John Wean. He possessed the car well into the 1990s, when it joined the stable of Australian historic racer Peter Harburg. After owning the Porsche for 17 years, he sold it at RM Auctions for €1,288,000 in February of 2014. The car joined a British stable and has been comprehensively restored for racing.
During WWII, Lieutenant Dickie Stoop was stationed at RAF Westhampnett, which is now Goodwood. After the current owner decided to return to Goodwood and race the ex-Dickie Stoop Porsche 904 GTS at its 76th Members’ Meeting in 2018, Maxted-Page was commissioned to move the original 4-cam Type 587/3 engine to the chassis side rails and put in place a newly-built 6-cylinder twin plug racing engine with the specs of a Type 901/20. The 904 was then issued an official paper allowing the car to be presented in either engine configuration for any FIA competition. CMC replica, however, will adhere to the 4-cam outlay.
CMC presents the vehicle as it was shown at the Goodwood Revival TT race in 2018.
