Luftgekühlt Air-Cooled Porsche Show welcomes special guest, Bobby Rahal

Durham, NC - The historic American Tobacco Campus in Durham, NC will host the Luftgekühlt air-cooled Porsche show series on October 4. It was previously announced that there would be involvement by racer and TV host Tommy Kendall as well as a special celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Type 993 Porsche 911 in the US, featuring a display of special road and racing models.

While there is no need to introduce Bobby Rahal thanks to his incredible success as an IndyCar driver and team owner, perhaps many people won’t know that he actually cut his teeth in sports car racing. In fact, Bobby climbed the formula racing ladder, elevating from Formula Atlantic to F3 and even reaching Formula One before ever stepping foot in an IndyCar. During his career, Rahal won the 1981 Daytona 24 co-driving a Porsche 935 with Brian Redman and Bob Garretson, as well as the 1987 Sebring 12-hour endurance race sharing a Porsche 962 with Jochen Mass. Perhaps most famously, Rahal drove the Apple Computer-sponsored 935 for Garretson Enterprises at the 1980 24 hours of Le Mans. 

It’s for his incredible Porsche racing career that Bobby Rahal has been invited to join Luftgekühlt at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham, NC where he’ll meet fans, recall some incredible stories, and showcase his own stunning 1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS restored by Gunnar Racing.

And on that topic, Kevin Jeannette – Porsche racer, restorer and owner of Gunnar Racing – will have a number of cars featured at Luft 11, including a Porsche 914 rally car and Porsche 962. We’ll share more details on the latter coming soon, so follow @luftgekuhlt on social media for the latest news. 

To mark the first East Coast event for Luftgekühlt, the team has assembled many of the most celebrated racing machines with a Right Coast connection. Among them will be two legendary Brumos racing machines, including the 1975 911 Carrera RSR driven by Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood to victory at the 1977 Daytona 24, which became the last naturally aspirated air-cooled Porsche to claim overall victory at the endurance race.

Visitors will also see the 1985 Brumos Porsche 962, details of which will be available to everybody via Bramo.co. In fact, all cars on display will have individual QR codes, allowing visitors to gather information and interact with owners on the majority of vehicles at Luft via the Bramo event page. 

A quick scan of the 962 will reveal it’s the last Holbert Racing chassis #003. It was built for AJ Foyt, who raced it four times in 1987 in a Columbia Crest livery before swapping to Copenhagen sponsorship in ’88 (which is how it will appear at Luft) for the same races: the unofficial “40 hours of Florida” including Daytona, Miami, Sebring and Palm Beach. As such, it raced a total of 7397 miles and while Foyt never won, he finished fourth on three occasions. The car was supported by Dieter Inzenhofer from Andial, who will also be in attendance.

As another East Coast stalwart, Pennsylvania-based Holbert Racing will be represented by a 1976 Porsche 934. Chassis #9306700173 was one of only 34 cars built by Porsche. Driven by Al Holbert and Doc Bundy, the car placed second at Pocono, Mosport, Trois-Rivieres, and Gainesville races during 1976-77. Al’s son and Porsche enthusiast, Todd Holbert, will be on-hand to meet visitors and share stories.

For the first time ever, Luft is offering an award for the Porsche community's favorite car. All visitors to Luft 11 are invited to vote for their favorite car to receive the 2025 Luft Community Award presented by Hagerty. Visitors are encouraged to explore the details on display cars via the individual QR code on each vehicle. Once your favorite is located, simply place your vote on Bramo and the winning owner will receive a unique Luft-themed prize.

A new collection of the always-popular Luftgekühlt art and apparel will be available at the show and online at luftgekuhlt.com. Among the latest designs is a Bobby Rahal-themed T-shirt as well as event-specific artwork and classic Luft logowear all available at the show.

The national final of Porsche Classic’s 2025 Restoration Challenge will be held on the plaza outside the Durham Convention Center on Saturday, October 4. Open to more than 200 Porsche dealers across the country, each participating Porsche Center shares its progress on social media using #porschechallenge25.

The gathering of expertly restored vehicles represents the final stage of a year-long national competition in which entries from around the country are subjected to an extremely detailed judging process by a panel of experts from Porsche Club of America and PCNA. The successful entries from the regional contests are invited to appear at the national final, which will take place alongside Luft 11 in Durham, NC.

All visitors to Luft 11 are invited to stroll 0.3 miles fom ATC to the nearby Durham Convention Center located at 301 West Morgan Street. Visitors are also invited to vote for the People’s Choice, which is an additional highly-coveted award for Restoration Challenge participants.

The 1948 Lounge presented by The Ingram Experience will be a premium hospitality area located centrally on the American Tobacco Campus for Luftgekuhlt Premier ticket holders and event marketing partners. The lounge will be hosted by Tommy Kendall, who will conduct interviews with key guests from the Porsche community on October 4. 

The Ingram Experience was founded by Bob Ingram who oversaw the refurbishment of the American Tobacco Campus. He also amassed an incredible Porsche collection spanning seven decades. In addition to charity work, The Ingram Collection is available to participants in The Ingram Experience; a Porsche track day opportunity at Virginia International Raceway. A number of the prized vehicles from The Ingram Collection will be displayed at Luft 11 for all visitors to enjoy. 

General admission tickets for pedestrians are still available starting at $45 from luftgekuhlt.com. General parking will be $10 per day at the venue in the designated parking decks. Children under 12 may enter free when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Based on previous events, organizers expect Luft 11 to sell out in advance.

All visitors are encouraged to explore charming downtown Durham since it’s a short walk from the ATC venue and local hotels. There are a number of organized events in the area, such as the Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge taking place at the Durham Convention Center.

You can follow @luftgekuhlt or sign up to the newsletter at luftgekuhlt.com for event updates.

ABOUT LUFTGEKÜHLT - In the world of Porsche, Luftgekühlt stands as a tribute to all air-cooled models in the brand’s illustrious history, from the Pre-A 356 to the 993 series, which wrapped up in 1998. Luftgekühlt is more than an event; it’s a true Porsche phenomenon. It all started from humble beginnings, showcasing a meticulously curated selection of historically significant and intriguing cars, both street and race. What began as a modest gathering has now grown into an event that attracts a global audience.

Over the past decade, Luftgekühlt has ignited a fervor for air-cooled Porsches through its worldwide presence and numerous event activations. There’s no rigid formula for our events; instead, we thrive on unique venues, engaging people, and a hefty dose of creative expression. These elements are always at the heart of what they do.

Their team is passionate about crafting extraordinary experiences that celebrate the allure of air-cooled Porsches. This includes exciting collaborations with like-minded individuals and brands who share our enthusiasm. For the full story and more information, visit luftgekuhlt.com

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