The Grossglockner High Alpine Road is one of the great mountain passes in the Alps – and a special place in the history of Porsche. Leading up to 2.576 metres above sea level, the 48-kilometer road with its breathtaking views and 36 trademark turns was frequently used as a test track for the latest sportscar prototypes by Ferry Porsche and his team. What was once a small hut used by “Mankeiwirt”, who was famous for always carrying a tame marmot on his shoulder, was transformed into a minimalist hang-out spot back in 2023. 

Three years on, and FAT Mankei has become one of those rare places that manages to be both a coffee stop and a pilgrimage site, and last weekend, on 17 and 18 July, where Porsche, ever the willing accomplice in these things, sent up a hand-picked selection from its museum in Zuffenhausen to mark the occasion. Leading the charge was the sort of car that makes grown enthusiasts go quiet for a moment, the 911 GT1, the 1998 Le Mans winner, sitting there at 2,262 metres above sea level as if it had simply pulled in for a coffee on the way home from La Sarthe. 

It's a strange, wonderful thing seeing a Le Mans-winning prototype-in-disguise parked against a backdrop of Alpine wonder rather than pit garages, the sort of juxtaposition that only Ferdi Porsche seems able to conjure with any regularity.

The GT1 wasn't alone, of course. True to Mankei form, the gathering pulled together cars spanning generations, road and race machinery mixing freely in the way Ferdi has always insisted they should, because a Porsche parked under museum lighting is a Porsche not being properly appreciated. That's the whole ethos of this place. The Grossglockner has always attracted serious cars and serious drivers, quietly, without much fanfare, and Mankei has simply given that instinct somewhere to park. Add a Le Mans winner to the mix, a weekend of good weather and better company, and you've got as fine a birthday party as the car world manages these days. Here's to year four!

Photos by Szymon Adamczyk