Everything comes to an end in some way, such as air-cooled engines or more recently the end of one of Europe’s most emblematic and modern airports of the 1970s: Berlin Tegel TXL. On November 8, 2020, the last flight will take off from the airport. It was in operation for 46 years and achieved the change from being the gateway to West Berlin to become the main airport of unified Germany. A total icon of the brutalist architecture of the late 60s Designed by the architects Gerkan, Marg & Partners.

I remember that day when I said that things change very fast in Berlin, and I always wanted to take pictures in the tunnel before arriving at the airport, but it was always a challenge to do so because of the heavy traffic and airport security reasons. But after a few weeks of being closed, I went along with Alex and his 993 4S which perfectly matched the color palette of Tegel and we did this unique shooting. I also asked him a few questions about the relationship with his car, which sadly he actually sold, but owned that day. 

Alex, tell me about yourself.

I grew up in Bochum in the lovely Ruhrgebiet and after my studies, went on to spend the first years of my career in NYC, before moving to Berlin back in 2007. Today I live with my wife and daughter in Berlin Mitte and work as a Partner in a design- and branding agency in Frankfurt and Berlin. 

Tell me how your passion for cars and especially for Porsche began?

Well, my father used to work as an industrial designer so I was always exposed to great product design in general, be it furniture or automobiles. Not surprisingly he also has a passion for car design and I grew up with some pretty cool family cars – be it the Saab 9000, the Mercedes W124 T, or the spectacular BMW Z3 Coupe. My passion for Porsche was ignited after riding shotgun in the mid 80ies in the guard red 911 G coupe of a family friend and over the years I´m afraid I developed an almost fetish-like attraction to the form and driving experience of the 911, fueled by many, many road trips with likeminded friends and the awesome Berlin Porsche Community… big shout-out to Berlin Porsche Enthusiasts!

Tell me the story behind the 993 4S? 

The 993 4S is interesting for several reasons: It is a relatively rare car (by modern standards) and because of its wide rear and otherwise clean design, many fans of the brand feel that it represents the epitome of the original 911 design – also given that the last ever produced air-cooled 911 was a 993 4S, so this car really marks the end of an era. My particular car was delivered to the Porsche Center Zuffenhausen in 1996 and then cherished and meticulously maintained for most of its life by its previous owner, an elderly gentleman in southern Germany, before his widow sold it to me. 

What detail of its design do you think makes this 993 4S special? 

It´s more than a detail but the most striking design element of the 993 4S is the wide rear end, which it shares with the 993 Turbo, but without the turbo wing. One of the more unique features of my particular car is the RS front spoiler, which was added by the first owner to provide more downforce and stability on the front axle, which otherwise might become a bit shaky on the 993. This feature, in combination with the also rather rare absence of a sunroof, gives my car some nice gentleman racer vibes, which I like a lot. 

What other cars would you like to have in your collection?

I wouldn´t really call myself a collector but the one car that got my attention is the first generation GT3 – the 996 GT3 MK1 to be precise – preferably in its reduced to max Clubsport version. This car was the homologation car for the GT3 series and shared a lot of technical details with the epic GT1. The first generation was still hand-built in Weissach and is in my opinion the rightful heir to the legendary 2.7 RS… it is such an amazing machine and such a milestone for the brand, I´ll let you know if I ever lay my hands on one.

Follow Alex on Instagram @flat6berlin