Galpin Motors’ 1964 Porsche 901 will participate in the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion held at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on August 16-19. The Porsche 901 will be driven by Steve McCord, general manager of Porsche Santa Clarita.
This Porsche is the 24th 901 ever built and the seventh oldest still in existence, making it one of the earliest surviving examples of what has since become Porsche’s most iconic model, the 911. The event will mark the 901’s first race in 11 years and thanks to thorough servicing and maintenance by the team at Porsche Santa Clarita, this is its first public appearance since 2020. McCord will compete in the 1955-1967 SCCA Production—Small Displacement group.
“It’s an honor to represent Galpin Motors during one of the most well-known races of the year,” said McCord. “The entire Porsche Santa Clarita team is excited to bring the 901 to the track and our service team has been hard at work preparing the car to hit the track.”
The 901 prototype was introduced at the September 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show before entering production in late 1964. It was produced from September 14 to November 16, 1964, with just 82 examples rolling off the line before the name was officially changed to the 911 designation.
The Galpin Motors Porsche is the first 901-badged car to have been tracked and it has been actively racing for 56 consecutive years. This car holds the distinction of being the first 901 accepted at the Goodwood Revival and it has participated in the Le Mans Classic race on two occasions, winning its class in 2012. In 2018, the car was showcased at the Rennsport Reunion VI in Laguna Seca and awarded the Eifel Trophy. Most recently, it was showcased at the 2020 Amelia Island Concours, its last public appearance until this August’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
Originally painted Signal Red with black leatherette seats, the 1964 Porsche 901 has a flat six-cylinder engine that underwent a rebuild in 2013 by specialist Neil Bainbridge. During a dyno test, it produced a maximum output of 170.6 horsepower at 7,100 rpm and 141.5 lb-ft of torque at 5,700 rpm. The potent flat-six powerplant boasts dual Solex carburetors and is mated to a five-speed manual racing transaxle.
This 901 was originally delivered to Swedish Porsche distributor AB Scania-Vabis in 1964 and later sold to Kaiser Bil AB/Kaiser Car Stockholm. Swedish racer Bo Strandell obtained the vehicle in 1967 and he raced it throughout Sweden and the UK until the late 1970s. After an accident in 1984, the car was out of commission for 15 years until it was restored in 1999 by Porsche specialist Bruce Cooper.
“Racing has been a part of Galpin’s DNA since our pinnacle as four-time consecutive NASCAR West Coast Division Champions in the 1960s” said Beau Boeckmann, president and chief operating officer of Galpin Motors. “I think it is so cool that Steve McCord, our Porsche General Manager, will be the guy behind the wheel racing one of the most historic Porsches.”
