Luftgekühlt Copenhagen 2024 – Vilhelm Lauritzen Terminal
A DECADE OF THE ICONIC GATHERING
The concept created in 2014 by the two-time Le Mans winner Patric Long and creative director Howie Idelson is on its European tour celebrating a decade of laid-back gatherings of vintage Porsches. Luftgekühlt calls itself an „antidote to the traditional” and indeed it has a different take on a car meet-up. Take a high-level concours line-up, blend it with an authentic car party and sprinkle some unique personalities on top. You get the idea!
As the name obliges, Luftgekühlt encompasses everything about the air-cooled era of Porsche production between 1948 and 1998. Purists argue those are the only cars from Zuffenhausen worth collecting, but purity is not only what one can find at these events. We’re far from it! Diverse taste of all the enthusiasts bringing their beloved classics to Copenhagen this fall was doubtlessly the highlight of that weekend – with each and every vehicle telling a different story. Are you ready to flip through them?
STUNNING VENUE FOR AIR-COOLED BEAUTIES
And what better place is there is to admire Porsches powered by an aviation-inspired air-cooled engine than an old airport?! The historical Vilhelm Lauritzen’s Terminal was constructed in 1939 and serves as a prime example of the Danish modernist architecture. Interestingly, the current location for the building is not the one, where it had been built first. Due to Copenhagen Airport expansion it needed to be moved and in 1999 it settled at the existing spot. Let’s come inside!
But before we do, can we please take a moment to admire the stunning Porsche 959 exhibited in front of it? Recognised as the world’s fastest street-legal car at debut, the design still looks fresh, nearly four decades later. Now let’s follow the crowd through the meticulously crafted revolving doors to start the time machine aaaand… rewind! Underneath the wavy, clay-coloured tile roof of this architectural marvel parked were five all-silver cars, bringing back the early 60s vibe.
In the centre there was the indisputable star – the 1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS. Manufactured between 1964 and 1965 this sports coupe was basically a street-legal race car, highly acclaimed around the circuits. Proof? Two Manufacturer’s World Championships in the 2-litre GT class. Around the 904, elegantly parked were two Porsche 356 representing both the Coupe and Roadster bodies. Casually adding to that line-up was an early 911 and a rare Elva-Porsche Mark 75. Not bad for a beginning!
ORANGE PORSCHES DRIVE FASTER
Pass through the doors on the other side of the building and what blinded you was an exhibition of orange racers wearing the Jägermeister livery. Rennmeister brought nearly a complete racing Porsche line-up! Starting with the very first car wearing their iconic paint-job – the 914/6, through an incredibly fast 911 RSR all the way to its the aerodynamically improved version – the flat-nose 935. Oh, and let’s not forget the Group C Porsche 962 I had the chance to sit in last year!
To the crowd’s delight, Rennmeister had a special collaboration up their sleeve. A person that doesn’t need any introduction – the Porsche guru Magnus Walker – was signing event’s unique posters, taking selfies whilst having a chit-chat and even having a shot of the famous herbal spirit. It was an attraction for the patient ones, but believe me, there were hundreds, as the queue took more than two hours to clear.
PORSCHE MUSEUM’S CONTRIBUTION
Luftgekühlt made such a stir in the Porsche community, that it is now heavily supported by the official channels. Copenhagen was no exception and therefore the wooden hangar building next to the Terminal was filled with gems from the Porsche Museum. In the very centre exhibited was a blue 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder. Widely known as the model in which James Dean tragically died, it was one of the most popular cars of the show.
I was personally stunned by the two Porsche 356A parked right in the corner of the hall, underneath another stylish roof beautifully engineered with timber. The very first was a 1957 1600 GS Carrera GT, marking one of the most important versions of the 356 racing incarnations. Nicknamed V2 from its unique licence plate, it has won the GT-class at the Mille Miglia in 1957, followed by an overall win in Liège-Rome-Liège in 1959.
1959 was also the year when its Speedster counterpart – the 1500 GS Carrera GT was produced. Raced by the very famous American driver Bruce Richard Jennings a.k.a. King Carrera, it was part of a racing garage of three other Speedsters. Jennings has claimed his first national Championship in 1960, when he stood at the highest step of the SCCA podium an astonishing 26 times. I don’t think I need to add that it is simply a beautiful car, do I?
WHAT HAS A CARTEL TO DO WITH IT?
Outdoor was special, too! On wooden pallets branded by Luftgekühlt stood a set of cars typically to be seen speeding through the Porsche Curves at Le Mans – the 917 and yet another 962C. The very former was wearing the iconic David Piper green livery and when ignited, its five-litre engine worked the crowd like a magnet. Equally magnetic was the 1990 962C parked on the other side of the building as its curvaceous body modelled beautifully with the Indian summer’s sky.
But there was one more car, which history spans beyond the one of automotive racing into… crime. Not many know that the 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 RSR raced in the IROC Series (International Race of Champions) by Emerson Fittipaldi was later owned by the notorious leader of the Medellin Cartel – the infamous Pablo Escobar.
An enthusiastic racing driver himself, after he acquired the car, he converted it to a flat-nose and raced it in Martini livery at various hill climbs and road races in South America. Fortunately, the one-of-fifteen racers did not follow the fate of its owner. After Escobar’s death in 1993 it was restored to its original IROC specification and then sold again in 2021, making sale headlines again. What. A. Story!
THE PORSCHE COMMUNITY
However, all these countless stellar cars gathered at the grounds of the old airport cannot overshadow the most important aspect of the weekend – the Porsche community. Without the slightest shadow of a doubt this is what makes the marque and its vintage lovers so special. The vibe created is so unique I am tempted to say it is the most lively, varied and dedicated group of afficionados of the automotive world.
From various ends of Europe came a vast array of Porsche classics. Some were stock, some heavily modified but one thing was common – each was inspired by and reflecting the personality of its owner. Drivers connected, exchanged ideas, talked about modifications and sold parts to each other. Some stopped by a coffee machine placed on a shelf above the 911, others decided to grab their drinks at a nearby food stalls. A sense of community was omnipresent, and it felt like everyone visiting Luftgekühlt in Copenhagen was somehow related and no stranger to one another.
OFF TO HOLLYWOOD!
After a long day that passed in a blink of an eye crowds regrouped for the evening party. Chatter and laughter continued long into the night and the large hangar echoed “Porsche” a countless number of times. After an earlier edition organised in Poland at Wroclaw’s decommissioned Railway Station, Vilhelm Lauritzen’s Terminal proved to be yet another great venue to host the wonderful, air-cooled machines.
Now, having finished its European stint, Luftgekühlt is heading back to where it was conceived. In a month’s time it will celebrate its tenth anniversary of bringing smiles to the Porsche lovers all around the world. What venue will it take over this time? The best and the most fitting for such a star of a concept – the Universal Studios in Los Angeles. Let’s celebrate and here’s to many more years of Luftgekühlt’s glory on the automotive heat map!
Text & Photos: Adam Pekala ©
