Luftegkühlt 8

Brouwerij West, San Pedro CA

By Kimberly Maroon

The art of perfect timing

What began as an impulse girls trip to see Yeah Yeah Yeahs at The Hollywood Bowl, suddenly took a hard left when I got a tip from ultimate Porsche fan and fellow creative Wade Devers — 'You know Luftegkühlt is that Sunday, right?'

Oh, the Porsche show??

Smoke ensued as the gears in my brain started turning. Where's San Pedro? Can I get there easily from LA? Does LA have Zipcars? This would be a full day joy riding the California coast AND attending the finest gathering in air-cooled Porsches brimming with passionate enthusiasts....

Why not, let's go! Or as the Germans say off we pop!

The following is a roundup of my favorites among the crowds, a few of Luft's characters, and interesting things of note for this life diary entry.

Palm trees, sunshine, and Brouwerij West provided the perfect backdrop for this years event. From the far end of the parking lot outside and through the gates, you couldn't walk 50 ft without bumping into a mob of bright colors and sleek designs.

Serifcan Ozcan, Team Rothman 911

This Tribute 911 ran the Baja 1000 and rolled into the show with desert dust included. Bonus: we were twinning in navy coveralls. When can I join the team?

Outside / Inside

Evan Crowell, 1969 Porsche 912 Texas by way of Jersey

He had me at the bent Jersey plate and the Tillie sticker on the rear bumper. All the nostalgia from my home state I could ask for. I was elated to hop in the drivers seat which is surprisingly made for my size, a hug if you will.

Evan lived on Cookman Ave in Asbury Park and then moved to El Paso with his 912 in tow. We reminisced about the old Asbury, the original Lanes, before everything cool was blown to smithereens.

Devil in the Details

Some of my favorite small things I picked up on from the mob. So clean I could eat off them, but wouldn't dare.

Craig Brooks, 1960 356B Rennfilms Washington State

I first met Craig at The Race of Gentlemen 2018 in Wildwood NJ where he was filming a documentary on Craig Roberts of The Chinook Wind Racing. Later discovered he has a Porsche and is an air-cooled enthusiast. Craig and his 356 made the 1200-mile trek from Seattle. No trailer queen here.

The Emory Outlaws

I didn't know a ton walking in to Luft and don't claim to be anything more than a fan of classic Porsches....except hearing about this group from circles of friends and auto aficionados. Naturally I made it a point to find Emory's famed Outlaws, to see them for myself up close and personal.

With an exceptional handful of builds at Luft, I could tell immediately the dedication to craft, hard work, attention to detail, and passion that Rod Emory and his team puts in. And what was even cooler was how friendly the group was, like being invited to someone's house for a family dinner. You want to be in their club! No questions were too silly to ask and anyone was willing to show you something cool. Great to meet Rod, Zayne, Amy, Drew and the crew!

Drew Hafner, 1968 Porsche 912

Imagine getting to build the car of your dreams, for YOU. That's Drew's 68 Special.

This was a 20-month build Drew took on as a personal project during weekends and after hours working at Emory Motorsports. He was inspired by his favorite elements of the 356 and chose to integrate those with the 911/912 platform. It was great seeing his face light up as he chatted with folks wandering through about unique details and touches. To top off the debut weekend, Drew won the Meguiars Cup Award!

Drew created the grate custom with wider slots to show off the engine

Tschuss!

Best surprise of my day was a run in with old Jersey pal MattyO. I can't believe it's been over 10 years! AND of course getting to sit behind the wheel of 3 handsome classics....a dream! Pro tip: butt first. Apologies to sponsor Leica Camera and my late Uncle Fred who used Leica cameras — these images were shot with Nikon + Sony.

Special thanks to the Luft crew for putting on a fantastic event, grateful to meet a handful of folks and their machines, and get a taste for the LA automotive community.