Luft 8 Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary In SoCal Style

Special Gathering

For a decade now, Luftgekühlt has become the prime annual celebration of the air-cooled Porsche, a gathering that many fans of the brand look forward to every year. This year's gathering in Los Angeles was a special one for this very same reason, particularly since it marked the 10th installment of an event that's the brainchild of Jeff Zwart of Pikes Peak fame, the Le Mans-winning driver Patrick Long, and Howie Idelson.

Photos: Porsche

Homecoming

Sunday's meeting at CRAFTED at the Port of Long Beach was something of a homecoming for Luft, as it's very first installment took place in L.A. Set in and around a pair of 1940s-era warehouses formerly used as a holding point for shipping companies, the 10th edition featured pristine examples of historic racing cars and museum-quality machines among more humble offerings driven in by local owners.

Photos: Porsche

Diverse Gathering

While some of the focus was on the 50th anniversary of the Carrera RS 2.7, crowds at the sell-out event mingled among other highlights including a 1956 550A Spyder, a 934/5 crafted by Canepa, a few custom creations from California-based designers and builders, and a handful of endurance race winners covering Le Mans, Sebring, and Daytona. Hundreds more models, spanning the sports car manufacturer’s rich 74-year history, were spread out in creative arrangements that not only displayed the brand’s lineage but ensured an Instagram-friendly feast for keen photographers.

Photos: Porsche

Upping the Game

"My background is film and photography so our goal is always to create a highly visual event and the cars that were submitted this year for sure allowed us to do that," said Zwart. "Patrick Long has such a vision for these events and I always feel like I have to up my game to support that with visuals that allow the show to live well beyond the first-person experience."

Photos: Porsche

Wide Array

"This year we were able to highlight from the earliest 1951 split-window 356 all the way through to the 959 and into the last of the air-cooled RS models with the 993," he added. "I was very happy when we found out that we had three of the original white ‘73 Carrera RS cars with the red, blue, and green graphics available. The arrangement on the center platform felt like the show stage in 1973."

Photos: Porsche

Special Display

Elsewhere, a naked 356 chassis formed part of a display by Porsche Classic, which showcased its parts and services for owners looking to restore their cars. The new book by Type7, Type7 Volume 3, also made its US debut, with editor-in-chief Ted Gushue signing copies. And dozens of food trucks – a staple of LA – kept the tens of thousands who attended well-nourished, with a menu as colorful and eclectic as the cars on show.

Photos: Porsche

Air-Cooled Story

After the 2020 event was canceled due to the pandemic, and 2021 was limited in size, Luftgekühlt 8 proved that there is an appetite for more than good food in California – and that Porsche people know how to party. "These events are lots of work for our incredible team but when all the cars have landed and the crowd rolls in, it's so satisfying to see how much people just enjoy wandering around with great music and cars to inspire the air-cooled story," Zwart said.

Photos: Porsche

>>Join the conversation about this 10th-anniversary celebration right here at Rennlist.com.

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