Petersen hosts yet another special Porsche gathering

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964 version of the Porsche 911 made its debut 30 years ago | Petersen museum photo

Begun as a meet-up for air-cooled Porsche enthusiasts, Luftgekuhit has grown into a phenomenon that celebrates its fifth annual gathering with a special program at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

On April 20, a VIP reception commemorates the 30th anniversary of the debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show of the Porsche 964 and what better place for such an event than among the museum’s current special exhibit, The Porsche Effect.

The evening’s festivities will include a panel discussion moderated by racer Justin Bell and featuring Porsche racer and Luftgekuhit co-founder Patrick Long among other “Porsche legends.”

Long co-founded Luftgekuhit with Howie Idelson, a Southern California creative director. The fifth-annual gathering takes place April 22 at Ganahl Lumber in Torrance, California.

The Luftgekuhit website notes that the lumber yard, family owned since 1884, is a fitting place for such a gathering because the first car labeled as a Porsche was constructed at a former saw mill in Gmund, Austria.

Special events this weekend

The Seal Cove Auto Museum in Maine will be the site of Lego Day this Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., when “kids of all ages” are invited to be inspired by the museum’s cars and to create their own cars from Lego-brand blocks. Then, in the evening, the museum joins the Coda Restaurant in Southwest Harbor in staging Mystery Night from 5 to 7 p.m.

The AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, hosts its 2nd Chance Auction Flea Market this weekend with a swap meet and car corral.

The Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, stages another in its winter lecture series Sunday afternoon but this week it’s a non-automotive topic as historian Tom George celebrates the 100th anniversary of Col. Joseph Westnedge and World War I. It’s back to car stuff the following week with a presentation on vehicles designed for driving on sand dunes.

Kent Kresa, the newest member of the board of directors of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, will present a “Pete Talk” Saturday about “My Summer at GM.” Kresa, who had a career in aerospace engineering and had been chief executive of Northrop Grumman, spent a summer as GM chairman when the company was recovering from bankruptcy.

“One of the Petersen’s priorities is to educate the public on the automobile and its impact on the world around us, including the economy and the business world,” said Terry Karges, the museum’s executive director.“The 2008 financial crisis reshaped the industry including the types of cars that are manufactured today, Kresa was one of the people at the heart of those changes. Mr. Kresa has a fascinating story and is willing to share his unique insight into one of the most pivotal events in automotive history.”

Peter Brock discusses “BRE’s Japanese Auto Racing History” Saturday morning as part of the speaker series at the Blackhawk Museum in Danville, California. Also taking place that day at the museum is the Blackhawk Z Gathering, a car show featuring Datsun 510 and 240Z vehicles.

Sunday at the Blackhawk, it’s horses, not horsepower as U.S. Calvary Association board member Frederick Klink presents “Horses of the Old West: Their origins, their uses, and what became of them.”

Through April 20, LeMay-America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington, offers free admission for children 12 and under as part of its Staycation spring break.

Mark your calendar

The Newport Car Museum in Rhode Island will stage a special showing April 11 of The Cannonball Run and plans a “hoods up” weekend April 14-15.

The Kansas City Automobile Museum stages its fourth annual Dancing with the Cars gala Saturday, April 14.

On April 12, LeMay-America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington, offers a preview of its “Powering the Future” Learning Lab, which opens to the public on Saturday, April 14. The following day (April 15), the museum wraps up its showcase of Lowriders on Route 66 exhibit.

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