#026 Rothmans Porsche

by modelM43in liverieson Posted on

Published April 12, 2024 | Last update June 9, 2026 | 18 models online including 1 pit crew and 1 truck

Disclaimer: I do not smoke and surely do not want to promote tobacco. But neither do I ignore the fact that the tobacco industry has been quite good for motorsport in the past. So, I show the cars and models here as they were; with tobacco advertising.

After Martini left Porsche for Lancia, the German factory teamed up with tobacco company Rothmans. It was a successful relationship with 4 Le Mans wins, many more world championship victories and success in the grueling Dakar rally.

Porsche 956, the early years of group C

1982 Le Mans 24h, Porsche 956L
Porsche presented its new racing car just weeks before the 24h Le Mans. The Group C 956 was a new concept for Porsche. The engine – originally developed for Indianapolis – was already successful at Le Mans in 1981. But the rest of the car was brand new; an aluminium monocoque chassis with ground effect instead of the tubular space frames that all of its predecessors used. But the car was fuel efficient (important in Group C), fast and reliable which lead to a historic triple win.
Porsche System #1: Jacky Ickx (B)/ Derek Bell (GB)
Results: Start-grid 1st / time 3:28.400 / race 1st – 359 laps

Porsche System #2: Jochen Mass (D) / Vern Schuppan (AUS)
Results: Start-grid 2nd / time 3:29.320 / race 2nd – 356 laps

Porsche System #3: Al Holbert (USA) / Hurley Haywood (USA) / Jürgen Barth (D)
Results: Start-grid 14th / time 3:39.850 / race 3rd- 340 laps
Porsche 956L – Group C: Powered by 2.65 liter Porsche 935/79 flat-6 twin-turbo, approx. 620 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 840 kg. Aluminum monocoque, chassisnrs. #002, #003 & #004

  • MINICHAMPS MC402 826503 a 3-car presentation box #5114 / 5832 pcs (diecast)
    • Overall rating: 3 STARS | Quality details: 3 STARS | Estimated value: 4 STARS
  • QUARTZO Q3055 (diecast)
    • Overall rating: 3 STARS | Quality details: 2 STARS | Estimated value: 3 STARS
    • Both also appear in #115 Jacky Ickx / #120 Derek Bell

1983 Le Mans 24h, Porsche 956L
The customer teams also had the wonder car, the 956 this year. So most of the competition came from within, but the factory cars remained the strongest. The #3 car suffered from a late engine damage but still won the race, just in front of last year’s winners Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell.
Porsche System #3: Hurley Haywood (USA) / Al Holbert (USA) / Vern Schuppan (AUS)
Results: Start-grid 7th / time 3:28.360 / race 1st – 371 laps
Porsche 956L – Group C: Powered by 2.65 liter Porsche 935/79 flat-6 twin turbo, approx. 620 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 840 kg. Aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. #003

  • QUARTZO Q3051 (diecast)
    • Overall rating: 3 STARS | Quality details: 2 STARS | Estimated value: 3 STARS
    • Only appears in this collection

At Le Mans and Monza, Porsche used the 956L. L standing for “langheck” or long tail. On tracks that required a bit more downforce and less top speed, the 956K “kurzheck” or short tail was used. Fun fact: the K wasn’t shorter at all. The overall length of the car was similar to the L, but its rear wing was placed much higher which made it look shorter. The K and L names were used on the Porsche 917 more than 10 years before and then the L was considerably longer than the K.

1983 Spa-Francorchamps 1000 km, Porsche 956K
Porsche dominated the World championship in 1983. The Joest team won the first race at Monza, but all others were a prey for the Rothmans factory team.
Porsche System #1: Jacky Ickx (B) / Jochen Mass (D)
Results: Start-grid 1st / time 2:09.300 / race 1st – 144 laps
Porsche 956L – Group C: Powered by 2.65 liter Porsche 935/79 flat-6 twin turbo, approx. 640 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 840 kg. Aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. #005

  • QUARTZO Q3056 (diecast)
    • Overall rating: 3 STARS | Quality details: 2 STARS | Estimated value: 3 STARS
    • Also appears in #115 Jacky Ickx

1983 Norisring 200 miles, Porsche 956K
The Norisring hosted two Group C races in one day. Sunday morning, the race counting for the DRM was held which was won by Bob Wollek in the Joest Porsche 956K. Later that day the same cars were present for the non-championship 200 miles race. Some additional entries were a second Fitzpatrick Porsche for David Hobbs, two Kremer Porsches for Keke Rosberg and Frank Jelinski and two factory Porsches for Stefan Bellof and Jochen Mass. The Rothmans cars – with Racing livery as tobacco advertising wasn’t allowed – took off and finished 1st and 2nd almost a lap ahead of Wollek in third.
Rothmans Porsche #9: Stefan Bellof (D)
Results: Start-grid 1st / time 47.600 / race 1st – 54 laps
Porsche 956K – Group C1: Powered by 2.65 liter Porsche 935/79 flat-6 twin turbo, approx. 640 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 840 kg. Aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. #008

  • CLASSIC MODEL REPLICARS SBC006 (resin)
    • Overall rating: 3 STARS | Quality details: 3 STARS | Estimated value: 3 STARS
    • Also appears in #108 Stefan Bellof

1983 Nürburgring 1000 km, Porsche 956K
Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass won in front of the privateer Porsches from Joest and Richard Lloyd. Bellof crashed the #2 car early in the race. Before that, het set a pole-position record of 6:11.13 which still stands. Also, his fastest race lap of 6:25.91 is still the official race record on the Nordschleife.
Rothmans Porsche #2: Stefan Bellof (D)/ Derek Bell (GB)
Results: Start-grid 1st / time 6:11.130 / race DNF crash – 19 laps
Porsche 956K – Group C1: Powered by 2.65 liter Porsche 935/79 flat-6 twin turbo, approx. 640 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 840 kg. Aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. #007

  • MINICHAMPS MC402 836602 (diecast)
    • Overall rating: 3 STARS | Quality details: 3 STARS | Estimated value: 3 STARS
    • Also appears in #120 Derek Bell / #108 Stefan Bellof

The Successors, Porsche 961 & 962C

In 1984 and the factory team didn’t compete in Le Mans but returned in 1985 with the new 962C. Joest Racing finished on top in both years, beating the factory cars in 1985. In 1986 and 1987 the Rothmans Porsches again had the upper hand. Also a new GT appeared.

1986 Le Mans 24h, Porsche 962C
The Rothmans Porsche 962C was back on top. The #1 car took victory ahead of 6 other Porsches. The #2 retired after an accident.
Rothmans Porsche #1: Hans J. Stuck (D) / Derek Bell (GB) / Al Holbert (USA)
Results: Start-grid 2nd / time 3:16.600 / race 1st – 368 laps

Rothmans Porsche #2: Bob Wollek (F) / Jochen Mass (D) / Vern Schuppan (AUS)
Results: Start-grid 1st / time 3:15.990 / race DNF crash – 180 laps
Porsche 962C – Group C1: Powered by 2.8 liter Porsche 935/82 flat-6 twin turbo, approx. 650 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 860 kg. Aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. #003 and #009

  • #1 IXO – Altaya 100 ans de sport automobile 22 non-tobacco version (diecast)
    • Overall rating: 3 STARS | Quality details: 2 STARS | Estimated value: 2 STARS
    • Also appears in #120 Derek Bell
  • #2 SPARK S0924 (resin)
    • Overall rating: 4 STARS | Quality details: 4 STARS | Estimated value: 4 STARS

1987 Le Mans 24h, Porsche 962C
Only twelve cars reached the finish in this year’s 24 hour race at Le Mans. The #17 factory Porsche with Hans J. Stuck / Derek Bell / Al Holbert took a convincing win 20 laps over the second placed Primagaz Porsche. Must have been quite boring for the spectators …
Porsche AG #17: Hans J. Stuck (D) / Derek Bell (GB) / Al Holbert (USA)
Results: Start-grid 2nd / time 3:21.130 / race 1st – 355 laps
Porsche 962C – Group C1: Powered by 3.0 liter Porsche 935/82 flat-6 twin turbo, approx. 670 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 860 kg. Aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. #006

  • SPARK S0942 (resin)
    • Overall rating: 4 STARS | Quality details: 4 STARS | Estimated value: 4 STARS
    • Also appears in #120 Derek Bell

1987 Le Mans 24h, Porsche 962C
Also racing with Rothmans sponsoring this year was the Brun Racing entrant with three Canadian drivers who retired with a broken engine.
Brun Motorsport #3: Bill Adam (CAN) / Scott Goodyear (CAN) / Richard Spenard (CAN)
Results: Start-grid 23rd / time 3:40.710 / race DNF engine – 120 laps
Porsche 962C – Group C1: Powered by 2.8 liter Porsche 935/82 flat-6 twin turbo, approx. 650 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 860 kg. Aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. #001BM (Thompson)

  • QUARTZO QLM 99015 #1351 / 2000 pcs (diecast)
    • Overall rating: 3 STARS | Quality details: 3 STARS | Estimated value: 3 STARS
    • Only appears in this collection

1987 Le Mans 24h, Porsche 961
Another entrant this year was this group B Rothmans Porsche 961, a competition version of the 959 supercar. Group B was not on the list of the ACO so the car was entered in IMSA. Last year, it made its debut in a completely white outfit and finished an excellent 7th. This year the team retired after the car caught fire and burnt.
Porsche AG #203: Claude Haldi (CH) / Rene Metge (F) / Kees Nierop (CAN)
Results: Start-grid 31st / time 3:50.860 / race DNF fire – 199 laps
Porsche 961 – IMSA: Powered by 2.85 liter Porsche 961/70 Flat-6 twin turbo, approx 600 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 1170 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. ZFS010016

  • SPARK S0961 (resin)
    • Overall rating: 4 STARS | Quality details: 4 STARS | Estimated value: 4 STARS
    • Only appears in this collection

Porsches in the desert

1984 Paris – Dakar, Porsche 911 SC 4×4
Porsche built this 911 that used the 4WD system from its successor the Porsche 959. René Metge and Dominique Lemoyne won Le Dakar in 1984. Their team mate Jacky Ickx was fastest in 1984, winning the highest number of special stages, but he only finished 6th.
Rothmans Porsche #176: René Metge (F) / Dominique Lemoyne (F)
Results: race 1st
Porsche 911 SC 4×4 – Car category: Powered by 3.2 liter Porsche flat-6, approx. 265 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 1165 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown

  • NOREV Le Légende du Dakar 7 (diecast)
    • Overall rating: 3 STARS | Quality details: 3 STARS | Estimated value: 3 STARS
    • Also appears in 105 Le Dakar 1979-1999

1986 Paris – Dakar, Porsche 959
The Porsche 959 was a special Dakar Rallye prototype, based on the 911 4×4 that won the rallye in 1984. The 959’s retired in 1985, but were very successful in 1986 with 1st, 2nd and 5th places. The turbo-boost was lowered because of the low octane fuel in Africa, so it delivered ‘only’ 390 hp instead of the original 450. Rene Metge won again, Jacky Ickx finished 2nd.
Rothmans Porsche #185: Jacky Ickx (B) / Claude Brasseur (F)
Results: 1 stage win / race 2nd
Porsche 959 Dakar – Car category: Powered by 2.8 liter Porsche flat-6 twin turbo, approx. 390 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 1260 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown

  • MINICHAMPS MC400 866285 (diecast)
    • Overall rating: 3 STARS | Quality details: 3 STARS | Estimated value: 3 STARS
    • Also appears in 105 Le Dakar 1979-1999 / #115 Jacky Ickx

30 years later …

2018 Le Mans 24h, Porsche 911 RSR-17
In 2018 the factory Porsches at Le Mans – run by Manthey – raced in historic liveries. One was the Pink Pig and another had the Rothmans colors but without the Rothmans name as tobacco advertising is completely banned. The Pink Pig won GTE Pro followed by this car.
Porsche GT Team #91: Richard Lietz /(A) Gianmaria Bruni (I) / Fred Makowiecki (F)
Results: Start-grid 31st / time 3:47.504 / race 16th – 343 laps / 2nd in GTE-Pro
Porsche 911 RSR-17 (991) – LM GTE Pro: Powered by 4.0 liter Porsche M97/80 flat-6 normally aspirated, approx. 510 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1300 kg. Steel + aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. #ZJS199903

  • SPARK S7032 (resin)
    • Overall rating: 5 STARS | Quality details: 5 STARS | Estimated value: 4 STARS
    • Also appears in #054 Retro liveries

Additional

1982 – 1987 MAN 19.320 Büssing, Rothmans Porsche
Teams got more professional and bigger and needed more space to carry cars and equipment. In the Group C era, Porsche used this MAN truck and trailer for their Porsches 956, 961 and 962.

  • IXO TTR022 (diecast & plastic)
    • Overall rating: 4 STARS | Quality details: 2 STARS | Estimated value: 3 STARS
    • Also appears in #039 Transporters

Rothmans Porsche Team
An essential part of endurance racing is the pit crew, without them nothing happens.

  • UNKNOWN (resin)
    • Overall rating: 3 STARS | Quality details: 2 STARS | Estimated value: 2 STARS
    • Only appears in this collection

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