1986 PORSCHE 944 SAFARI ‘ROTHMANS’

There is something about race ready vehicles going under the hammer that we find impossible to ignore here at Coolector HQ and we’ve found a belter at Collecting Cars in the shape of this rather spectacular 1986 Porsche 944 Safari ‘Rothmans’ vehicle. This is a comprehensively modified example of the modern classic transaxle 944 sports car and it is presented in a remarkably good condition. With a current bid of just over $20k on this one, someone might just be bagging themselves a bargain when the hammer goes down for the last time in a couple of days.

This 1986 Porsche 944 Safari ‘Rothman’ from Collecting Cars has been built to handle both on- and off-road use with aplomb, and it boasts a custom lifted, fully adjustable suspension set-up with 11-inches of ground clearance as well as an integrated front winch, that has been discreetly wired through a repurposed OEM switch. Under the bonnet sits a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre inline-four, driving the rear wheels through a five-speed ‘short-shifter’ manual transmission.  



Race Ready


  • 159,100 Miles
  • Manual Transmission
  • Left Hand Drive
  • White / Blue (Rothmans) Exterior
  • Burgundy Interior
  • 2.5L Engine

This exemplary example of a race ready vehicle was originally delivered in Alpine White (L90E) and is now wrapped in the iconic ‘Rothmans’ colour scheme of the 1986 Paris-Dakar-winning Porsche 959, and it also includes faithful reproductions of that car’s race decals so there is an added sense of authenticity to proceedings and makes this the ideal purchase for any race aficionado out there. The original burgundy (LX) interior has been fitted with two burgundy Braum Racing Elite X seats and red Sabelt harnesses, and the dashboard has been fully recovered in burgundy, Italian Alcantara with French stitch. 

Aesthetically superior and boasting an impressive performance, the fact that this 1986 Porsche 944 Safari ‘Rothman’ from Collecting Cars has a current bid of a mere $20k is extraordinary so move fast if you want to get in there and snag yourself a classic car bargain this summer. It rides on a set of white, 15-inch ‘Teledial’ alloy wheels, shod with BFGoodrich K02 Baja Champion tyres. A basket-style roof rack has been installed, which currently holds a red ATS ‘Cookie Cutter’ spare wheel and matching K02 tyre. 

It has a custom-built, handmade light bar that has been mounted on the front bumper, and hosts four 9-inch Hella 4000 rally, halogen spotlights that are controlled by vintage-labelled toggle switches on the centre console in the cockpit. The cabin is kitted out with an array of functional switches, a Momo Prototipo steering wheel, a custom, white harness bar, an Element fire extinguisher, and a modern Bluetooth-compatible Blaupunkt Doha 112BT stereo with three-way speakers and hidden subwoofer. Love old school rally cars? Make sure you don’t miss out on this one.

Leo Davie