The event marked the annual summer opening of F.A.T. Mankei, an alpine restaurant and automotive hangout perched along the legendary Grossglockner High Alpine Road. To mark the occasion, Porsche assembled a striking lineup of historic road and race cars, drawing enthusiasts to one of the most scenic and storied driving roads in Europe.
Since its opening in May 2023, F.A.T. Mankei has become a bucket-list stop for driving enthusiasts exploring the Grossglockner, Austria’s highest paved mountain pass. The name “Mankei” is local slang for the Alpine marmot — a stout, groundhog-like creature native to the region — while “F.A.T.” nods to the venue’s motorsport roots, referencing the original F.A.T. International, a 1990s European transport sponsor famously emblazoned on Porsche race cars. Revived as a lifestyle and racing brand by Ferdinand Porsche — grandson of the company’s founder — F.A.T. Mankei blends stunning Alpine views with deep family history and a growing reputation as a global hub for car culture.
On June 20–21, 2025, the team celebrated the spirit of Porsche with a curated display of vehicles spanning 77 years of innovation, speed, and style.
“The response we have received over the last two years has been nothing short of overwhelming,” explains Ferdinand. “When we established F.A.T. International, the vision was to create a brand that encompasses all aspects of car culture, so when the opportunity came to establish F.A.T. Mankei as a rest area and hang-out spot on arguably one of the world’s greatest driving roads, we could not say no. We have worked tirelessly to expand not only the parking and access, but also the frequency of events for those wanting to experience it first-hand. To welcome the Porsche community here across two days – and bring together a huge range of iconic cars from our history – is a surreal experience but one that should be embraced and shared with others.”
But the Austrian Grossglockner is more than just a beautiful scenic driving road. During the formulative years of Porsche’s history, founder Ferry Porsche would use this mountain route as a testing ground to ensure no new model would suffer from any overheating issues during spirited driving especially at high altitude. Setting off from Gmünd and crossing the Grossglockner towards Zell-am-See, the latter discovery would also lead to the creation of Porsche Design established by Ferry’s son Ferdinand Alexander Porsche.
After re-opening its doors from the long winter break last month, F.A.T. Mankei would kick-off its summer season with a two-day celebration of the Porsche community. With F.A.T. Mankei being an open venue welcome to all enthusiasts, Porsche would further support this event by assembling a selection of road and race cars from its museum in Zuffenhausen to represent a wide range of racing classes in equally iconic liveries.
For the Porsche parking lot – located to the right-hand side of F.A.T. Mankei – multiple museum cars adorned the asphalt including the no. 17 Porsche 962 C with its vibrant Shell/Dunlop livery, a Vaillant 917/30 Spyder as raced by Herbert Müller in period and the Paris Dakar 911 Carrera 3.2 4x4 finished in iconic Rothmans colors. Supporting these three race cars – and displayed in bespoke matching liveries – are the 944 Turbo Cup, Taycan Turbo GT and 911 RSR race car.
As a centerpiece within this area were two more incredibly special vehicles – the original road-legal Porsche 917K and the modern tribute – the 963 RSP – based on the 963 Le Mans Hypercar converted to be used on the road, which is possible with certain specific permissions. This would be the pair’s first public appearance outside of Le Mans earlier in the month, and the last time both would be captured together before being displayed at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.
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