Robert Serra of Kansas City, Kan., relishes his Porsche 904 like an art connoisseur cherishes great artwork, partly because it is one of the last ones built, and partly because it is such an historically significant car. The fact that it’s fast, sleek and viscerally exciting is an added bonus.

 Serra, a Kansas district judge in Wyandotte County and the vice consul of Italy, is a longtime Porsche enthusiast. Owning a 904 is his crowning achievement.

 The Carrera GTS Type 904 was the first Porsche to have a separate chassis, a glass-reinforced plastic body and a midship-mounted engine. The four-cam, four-cylinder engine produced about 180 horsepower in racing trim.

 The 904 prototype was introduced in 1963. It was designed by Ferdinand Alexander “Butzi” Porsche, the grandson of company founder, Ferdinand Porsche. One hundred had to be built in order for it to meet International Automobile Federation regulations for racing. The sleek and aerodynamic body is roughly 42 inches tall and looks as gorgeous today as it did more than 40 years ago. Serra surmises that about 60 904s still exist.

 Serra’s 904 is a 1965 with serial number 904099. It was delivered on Oct. 15, 1965. Its first owner was Clyde McNeill of Thomas, Okla. Serra bought the car in 1975 from Milton McWilliams of Rockaway, N.J.

 Serra has restored the car to its original condition. When he got it, it had the wrong wheels, no headlight covers, no underbody pans and a missing muffler shield, but all of those items are intact once again. With its dark blue upholstery and silver paint, it looks like it did back in 1965.

 Since the 904 weighs about 1,350 pounds, the small engine propelled it to 60 miles hour in roughly five seconds, and to a top speed of 164 mph. Its first victory was the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1964. A long streak of race wins followed.

 Has Serra ever driven it on a track? No. He said he doesn’t want to risk it because it is so rare and valuable. He shows it at Porsche meets and occasionally drives it on the street. Even that is a challenge, he said, because it sits so low that beer cans and turtles are road hazards.