Indholdsfortegnelse for July 2024 i Classic Porsche

PORSCHE AIR-COOLED CLASSICS BOOKAZINE During more than five decades of production, Porsche’s now legendary air-cooled sports cars afforded the Stuttgart brand a reputation for delivering formidable racing machines capable of dominating motorsport. Away from the track, the manufacturer’s road cars were just as impressive, bringing automotive technology developed in the heat of battle to the world’s dealer showrooms. In this chunky 164-page celebration of air-cooled classics, the makers of 911 & Porsche World and Classic Porsche magazines chart the design and evolution of Porsche’s air-cooled sports cars, from events leading to the development of 356 no.1, all the way to discontinuation of the 993. Along the way, we get behind the wheel of key models, delve into owner stories, explore ground-breaking engineering and salute racing success. Essential reading (and a…

Several factors contribute to the success of a car show, but the fundamentals are clear: getting a clever selection of vehicles and finding an appropriate location will ensure enthusiasts arrive en masse. Luftgekühlt (translating from German as air-cooled) has observed this basic formula since its humble inception in 2014. That year, a dozen Porsches gathered at Deus Ex Machina, a coffee shop and motorcycle store located near Los Angeles. Subsequent Luftgekühlt events — also held near LA — used different sites, not only to keep things interesting, but also because attendance grew by leaps and bounds. Each environment proved both unusual and smart, thus helping ‘Luft’ gain recognition all over the world. Venues included a lumber yard in Torrance and a former warehouse district near the Port of Los Angeles,…

Located between Italy, Libya and Tunisia in the Mediterranean Sea, the Republic of Malta covers just 122 square miles, making it the world’s tenth-smallest country. Its population of almost 540,000 inhabitants makes it the fifth most densely populated sovereign state, so much so, the European Union Commission and the United Nations consider Malta “a single urban region”. Indeed, Malta is just seventeen miles long and nine metres wide, which makes its hardcore car culture all the more impressive. According to Malta’s National Statistics Office (NSO), the country’s number of licensed motor vehicles stood at 439,398 in March 2024, with passenger cars accounting for 74.1% of the total. In the first quarter of the year, 5,637 vehicles were put on Maltese roads, amounting to more than sixty newly licensed vehicles per…

For more than sixty years, the 911’s silhouette has established itself as one of the most recognisable shapes in automotive history. One key design element characterising the evergreen Neunelfer is the model’s nose, complete with its signature protruding headlamps and raised ‘torpedo’ wings, highlighting the lowered hood in between. Put simply, anybody can recognise a classic 911 from seeing just these features, which makes Porsche’s decision to offer a contrasting look so surprising. Kicking off in the early 1980s and lasting the best part of a decade, Flachbau (slant-nose) 911s were indeed built by Porsche in limited numbers. To understand what led to the creation of these very rare models, we have to dive deep into the automotive landscape of the 1970s and 1980s, where Porsche’s position in the motoring…

The appeal of the 914? For Roy Smith, “it’s all about the balance.” He’s referring to the model’s mid-engined chassis, with the air-cooled boxer — in either four- or six-cylinder guise — sitting low for maximum centre of gravity. Roy knows a fair bit about the 914. Not only is he the owner of this fine example, but he’s also written the definitive guide to competition variants of the boxy two-seater. Porsche — The Racing 914s is a soon-to-be-released 320-page hardback dedicated to Porsche’s sometimes less than celebrated road racer. I count myself as 914-curious, but in no way experienced. Indeed, there is a yawning chasm in my Porsche driving history. Yes, I’ve driven a 914 before today, but the example in question was in no way representative of the…

There’s strong argument for a classic 911 being the ‘go anywhere, do anything’ sports car. This is a Porsche we’ve seen tackle terrain as tough as the deserts of Africa and the snow-topped surfaces of the Arctic Circle, not to mention the rough and tumble of safari in some of the world’s most remote locations, but an air-cooled 911 proves itself just as content when tackling a variety of ‘real world’ environments, such as motorway cruising, bombing around twisty backroads or navigating inner cities. What’s remarkable about all this is the fact I’m talking in the here and now. Yes, a fifty-plus-year-old 911 is more than capable of holding its own against modern traffic. Furthermore, this is a retro ride you can use daily, even in the twenty-first century. Take…

The day is done — Snapper Sherwood has remembered to take the lens cap off this camera. The pics are not ‘in the can’ as they would have been in the olden days, but instead are committed to memory card. Various Porsches for various magazine features are dispersing from RAF Little Snoring, which is how I find myself in Kerry Walpole’s 993 Carrera Targa. I’m following him and his 992 GT3 Touring back to his gaff here in North Norfolk. What follows on fast, well-sighted, open roads is really quite epic. Kerry’s not hanging about. I drove his Touring earlier in the day. It is, frankly, awesome. It’s got thirty years on the 993 and nearly double the power, but I’m hanging on... just. Indeed, while Kerry can’t use all…