Ferdinand Alexander Porsche – Porsche 904 – Part 2

In his extraordinary reference work Excellence was Expected Karl Ludvigsen quotes Ferdinand Alexander Porsche on his design of the 904. “It was my favorite because I did it alone and there wasn’t this fight to change it or make it newer. It was designed and finished. Time was very short. I didn’t have a free hand but it had to appear so soon after the clay model there was really no time for interference.”

-Karl Ludvigsen. “Excellence was Expected,” Chapter 15, 904: Beauty with Speed, page 313.

The first time I saw the Porsche 904 it resonated deeply. It was one of those designs so flawless in proportion and detail that one wouldn’t change a thing. It was consummate example of “Butzi” Porsche’s philosophy: “A coherently designed product requires no adornment; it should be enhanced by its form alone.” One of the primary reasons I bought my Porsche Cayman was I responded emotionally to the heritage of the 904 in its design.

Two more pictures from the 2010 356 Registry East Coast Concours:

My Cayman:

Tags: 356 Registry, Excellence Was Expected, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, Karl Ludvigsen, Porsche 904, Porsche Cayman

One thought on “Ferdinand Alexander Porsche – Porsche 904 – Part 2”

abauerporsche on April 10, 2012 at 3:10 pm said:

Reblogged this on The Porsche Independent Repair and commented:
It’s really too bad cars of this classic level of beauty now become more and more least likely to be on the road. I’ve seen one driven by me a couple of times and its when they ate moving makes them look best.

poeticsofspeed