Porsche 924 Carrera GTS with Walter Röhrl

Forty years after the 1981 rally season, the Porsche Heritage and Museum department has restored the 924 Carrera GTS that Walter Röhrl raced back in the day. On 15 May 1981, Röhrl and co-driver Christian Geistdörfer began their first and only rally season with Porsche by competing in the International ADAC Metz Rally. Despite some vehicle faults, they finished the season with four overall victories, including the Hessen Rally, Serengeti Safari Rally, Anterior Palatinate Rally, and Baltic Rally.

After the rally season, Röhrl and Geistdörfer moved to Opel and the 924 Carrera GTS was handed over to the museum on 27 August 1982. The car was restored in the historic motor racing department in Weissach, where it was originally built, to preserve its original state and technology. The restoration focused on ensuring complete originality and preserving the car’s patina, from the original 911 Turbo brake callipers to the red seat belt harnesses with Röhrl’s initials on the driver side.

The 924 Carrera GTS was the most expensive car in the Porsche model range in 1981, with a price tag of 110,000 marks. The car’s two-litre four-cylinder turbo engine, which was also a test unit, powered Röhrl to victory in 1981 and still performs exceptionally today, with 10,371 kilometres on the clock. The Weissach specialists who carried out the restoration had the assistance of former colleague and rally driver Roland Kussmaul, who built the car in two months for the 1981 German Rally Championship.

The 924 Carrera GTS Rally was one of the pre-series vehicles and was designed with special features for rally racing, such as rear-axle links laminated in glass-fibre plastic, thick metal plates on the underbody, and a rear wing. With its restored state and outstanding performance, the 924 Carrera GTS Rally remains a testament to Porsche’s success in motorsport.

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