VEHICLE SPOTLIGHT | 1962 PORSCHE 804

1962 PORSCHE 804

ENGINE: 1.5-liter flat-8
TOP SPEED: 168 mph
HORSEPOWER: 185

Porsche’s 804 Formula 1 car was its first car to feature an eight-cylinder engine and its second single-seater. Prior to the 1962 season, the factory team had not experienced a win in F1 racing, but the 804—with Southern California native Dan Gurney at the wheel—would change that. The 804 was designed by Ferry Porsche’s son “Butzi” with an aluminum and fiberglass body that weighed just 55 pounds. The driver sat in the tiny cockpit cradled by two fuel tanks, which created issues for the 6’4” Gurney. “I looked like a giraffe driving around in the thing,” he once said.

COURTESY OF THE WEBSTER COLLECTION