08-10-2024
The tenth edition of the world’s largest gathering of air-cooled Porsche vehicles celebrates five decades of life of the 911 Turbo at Universal Studios in Hollywood.
On the 50th anniversary of the 911 Turbo, Luftgekühlt returned to Los Angeles last weekend to hold a special event around Porsche’s flagship sports car. Under the name “Luft 10: The Sequel”, it took place at Universal Studios, as it had done before. This time it expanded its presence at the exclusive venue with a bold new exhibition showcasing the best of the brand’s first turbocharged era. Next to it could be seen another extraordinary selection of air-cooled cars from all decades.
The heritage of the competition
Former Porsche factory driver and Luftgekühlt co-founder Patrick Long, joined by his friend and Creative Director Jeff Zwart, produced another unforgettable event that helped tell the story of the 911 Turbo, an epoch-making sports car that became a benchmark in motorsports around the world.
“As always at ‘Luft,’ we tried to play by our own rules,” says Long, “and our Turbo event focused on significant racing cars derived from the 930. So, some 934 units could be seen here for the first time. and 935, along with a barely known 962. “We decided to focus on the competition because most of the team members are great fans.”
With extensive access to the evocative sets of Universal Studios, Long and Zwart were able to organize an unforgettable exhibition using film sets that recreated the West, New York City, and the historic cobblestone streets of some European capitals. The event, in which each car had a large space for its display – one of the hallmarks of Luftgekühlt – was a perfect opportunity to take photographs and chat about the particularities of air-cooled Porsches. The tenth edition of “Luft” welcomed a record number of guests.
The crowd was attracted by the wide variety of racing cars on display, including the 934 Vasek Polak Racing that won the Trans-Am Championship in 1976 and the 911 Carrera 3.0 RSR Wally’s Jeans prepared by Kremer, one of the racing customers. most successful Porsches in its history. Another notable model was the 917 Kurzheck (short tail) by Martini Racing, which has been preserved to this day in the same condition in which it finished the 1,000 Kilometers of Spa.
Although motor sport is always an important topic at Luftgekühlt, the personal stories hidden behind numerous guests’ road cars sometimes end up being the most relevant. On Saturday, an eclectic mix of original and subtly modified vehicles took center stage, with restomods Europeans (classics with updated mechanics) and an immaculate factory-restored 930 sharing the spotlight with Californian cars such as a 1977 911 S Targa Sahara Beige, belonging to a father and his son since 1980. In total, about 400 models were exhibited, each of which sparked debate, interaction and inspiration.
“The way Jeff organizes the sets is special,” Long continues. “It prevents cars from crowding and gives adequate space to the elements of each scene. We try to raise the bar every year.” In Luftgekühlt 10 there were areas dedicated to the 356 and the original 911 Turbo (930), as well as a collection of 964 RSs with rare paint tones.
Ten years of “Luft”
Since its quiet launch in 2014, Luftgekühlt has grown exponentially to become an international phenomenon, with events held in places such as Indianapolis, San Francisco, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland and, most recently, Denmark. The return to Los Angeles for this latest edition has marked a return to origins after ten years defending Porsche’s unique air-cooling culture.
Air cooled in Copenhague
The air-cooled Porsche event comes to Scandinavia for the first time.
“On Friday, while I was driving here, I started thinking about a boy who might have been on ‘Luft 1,’” Long explains. “An eight-year-old boy, who today would be 18 and could come with his own Porsche.” My goal with Luftgekühlt a decade ago was to tell a story about air-cooled Porsches, ranging from original models to heavily modified ones. It has been fun, rewarding and exciting to strive year after year to hold different concentrations in all kinds of places. Whether you’re coming from the beginning or it’s your first time, enthusiasm for the brand is what drives us forward.”
