As the years go on, the age of air-cooled Porsches sits further in the past. Soon, more time will have passed since the end of the air-cooled 911 than the duration of its era. Despite the world’s growing distance from that time, Porsche fans and enthusiasts are tirelessly dedicated to preserving the legacy of Porsche’s air-cooled models, like the 911, the 356, and others. The iconic Luftgekühlt event is dedicated completely to air-cooled Porsches, and its continued success is a testament to the enduring passion of the Porsche community, and its latest iteration, held in Atlanta, took place this past weekend.
The home of Porsche in North America, Atlanta is a perfect destination for Luftgekühlt’s expansion since its inception in Southern California. Founded by racing driver Patrick Long and creative director Howie Idelson, Luftgekühlt 12 arrived at the city where Porsche has had its North American headquarters since 1998. Hurricane Isaias threatened the event and delayed the start time by hours, but that didn’t stop an impressive 8,000 fans from gathering for the event. With 300 cars displayed at the Town at Trilith, the event showed an incredible curation of historic Porsche icons.
About the vehicles on display at Luftgekühlt 12, creative director Jeff Zwart commented, “Every event is an evolution on an evolution. We want to find new stories to tell.” The event particularly focused on the 50th anniversary of the Porsche 935, a legendary racing machine that beautifully represents a golden age of air-cooled motorsport Porsches. Three yellow 935s were on display, and one had a history tied to Atlanta. It was the 979 Le Mans-winning Porsche 935-K3, raced by Don and Bill Whittington, alongside Klaus Ludwig. Around the same time, the Whittington brothers bought the Road Atlanta racing circuit. That car was also the first rear-engined car to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright.
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Another highlight was the 70th anniversary of Porsche’s inaugural Targa Florio victory, celebrated at Luft 12 with the display of a 1959 Porsche 718 RSK that would have won the race if not for a final-lap suspension failure, the 1960 race-winning Porsche RS 60, the Porsche 904 Carrera GTS that won the 1964 race, and the 1971 Porsche 908/3, designed for the intensity of the Targa Florio and the Nürburgring.
As much as the cars, the people at Luft 12 made the event special. Those included its host, Tommy Kendall, the youngest IMSA champion in history, racing driver and prolific Porsche collector Leh Keen, and the legions of fans who came to appreciate the glory of Porsche’s rich history. With historic icons on display and passionate enthusiasts curating and appreciating them in the face of hurricane warnings, the 12th Luftgekühlt was another successful iteration of the iconic event.
Image Source: Porsche
