There is a Porsche 944 “Safari Rally” specification for sale

This is a 1986 Porsche 944 that has undergone a full rebuild to “Safari Rally” specification. It now boasts 11 inches of ground clearance thanks to its raised (and fully adjustable) suspension, and it has a front-mounted winch in case you ever get stuck.

The Porsche 944 model series proved to be a huge success in motorsports throughout the 1980s on both sides of the Atlantic, and today it is an increasingly attractive option for those looking to enter the world of car ownership. Porsche.

Fast facts: a Porsche 944 from “Rally Safari”

• The Porsche 944 was introduced in 1982 as a new mid-range Porsche that ranked above the Porsche 924 and below the Porsche 911 and Porsche 928.
• The 944 is largely based on the earlier 924, having wider wheel arches and a number of improvements to set it apart from its less expensive sibling, and would later form the basis of the succeeding Porsche 968 model.
• All 944s were powered by inline-fours with a displacement of 2.5 to 3.0 liters, the top-of-the-range Turbo models being the fastest and currently the most desirable.
• The “Safari Rally” spec Porsche 944 you see here has received a host of modifications to make it a racer with off-road capability. He now has almost a foot of ground clearance.

the porsche 944

The Porsche 944 was launched in 1982 as an upgraded version of the Porsche 924 and was sold as a new model along with its sibling.

The 924 had originally been developed as a Porsche/Volkswagen project as a new affordable sports car, VW would eventually cancel the deal, but Porsche bought the rights to the design and put it into production as its own entry-level vehicle.

It is possible that this decision saved the company, as both the 924 and 944 sold well; in fact, up to that point in history, the 944 was the most produced sports car in Porsche history, with more than 163,000 units built.

The 944 is believed to have been closely based on the styling of the aggressive Porsche 924 Carrera GT launched in 1979. This was a complete race car that competed in both rally and circuit racing, was developed for Group 4 competition and was powered by a turbocharged and intercooled version of the 924 inline four-cylinder.

Porsche would keep the 944 in production from 1982 to 1991. It became one of the true classics of the 1980s and remains popular with the Radwood faithful today. Thanks in part to its high production numbers, it’s still possible to buy 944s for relatively little money, though of course the Turbo and “S” models always cost a bit more.

Shown here is the Porsche 944 in “Safari Rally” specification

The Porsche 944 you see here now benefits from a wide range of upgrades to make it the Safari Rally car we all wish Porsche had built in the 1980s. The original suspension has been removed and replaced with a fully adjustable, lifted suspension. in all four corners.

This has given the car a total ground clearance of 11 inches, and it now rides on a set of white 15-inch “Teledial” alloy wheels, fitted with BFGoodrich K02 Baja Champion tyres. A basket-type roof rack has been fitted, contains a red ATS “Cookie Cutter” spare wheel and matching K02 tyre.

For better nighttime visibility, a custom light bar mounts to the front bumper, houses four 9-inch Hella 4000 rally lights, and there’s a toggle switch in the cab to turn them on. A functional 2,500-lb. winch is also mounted inside the front bumper to help you get out of sticky situations.

The car now sports a period-correct Rothmans color scheme, the same one used on the legendary 1986 Paris-Dakar-winning Porsche. Inside you’ll find a burgundy interior that has been fitted with two burgundy Braum Racing Elite X bucket seats. and red Sabelt harnesses, and the dash is now covered in Alcantara.

If you’d like to read more about this car or sign up to bid, you can visit the listing here at Collecting Cars. It is being sold out of Los Angeles, California.

Images courtesy of Collecting Cars