At 70 years old, Jeff Zwart is not a man with many unfinished chapters. Between directing award-winning commercials, redefining hillclimb heroics at Pikes Peak and curating the now-mythical Luftgekühlt gatherings, his life has long existed at the intersection of speed, aesthetics and endurance. When he isn’t flat-out in a Porsche, he’s back home on his Colorado ranch, posting serene images of snow-draped landscapes, air-cooled icons and his beloved Bernese Mountain Dogs.
And yet, even for Zwart, there remained one box unticked.
More than half a century after first reading about it as a teenager, the American Porsche racer has finally conquered what he describes as “probably the hardest event I’ve ever done”: the East African Safari Classic Rally. Not in a modern weapon, but in a competition-prepared classic Porsche 911—exactly the kind of car that helped ignite his passion all those years ago.
For someone with multiple marathon rallies to his name, that statement carries weight. This year’s Safari Classic stretched across nine days and 2,220 competitive kilometres of some of the most punishing terrain imaginable. Heat shimmered relentlessly, dust and mud alternated by the hour, water crossings tested both nerve and machinery, and wildlife ensured concentration never wavered for a second. It is rallying distilled to its rawest form—and that is precisely the appeal.
“I read about this race while I was in high school and I’d always hoped that I’d one day do it,” Zwart explains. “To be able to compete here in a car from the same era as my school days has made the whole experience feel even more special.”
Alongside co-driver Alex Gelsomino, Zwart finished an impressive 17th overall from a starting field of around 60 cars. Remarkably, more than half were classic 911s, underlining just how well Stuttgart’s air-cooled icon continues to thrive under extreme conditions. The overall victory went to British endurance racer Harry Hunt and co-driver Steve McPhee—also in a 911—further cementing the model’s legendary resilience.
The East African Safari Rally traces its origins back to 1953, created to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Traversing Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, it quickly earned a reputation as motorsport’s ultimate endurance test. After evolving through multiple formats, the event was reborn in 2003 as the East African Safari Classic Rally, now run biennially for historic machinery. This year’s route carved through Diani, Voi and Amboseli, framed by the dramatic silhouette of Mount Kilimanjaro—beautiful, unforgiving and utterly relentless.
“In the 1970s this was considered the most difficult automotive event in the world, and I don’t think it’s got any easier,” Zwart says, smiling. His early F-series 911 was packed to the roof with spares and tools, a necessity rather than a precaution. “It was super rough and super fast, with lots of wild animals on the course. But the scenery was unparalleled, the people were incredible, and being in a classic 911 just feels like home. Every day the car surprised me with how well it handled things.”
That sense of meaning was amplified by the man in the right-hand seat. Gelsomino was the long-time co-driver of the late Ken Block, who contested the rally in 2022. For Zwart, their partnership carried emotional weight.
“I remember Ken telling me how incredible this rally was. He said, ‘Jeff, you’ve got to do it,’” he recalls. “So to be here with Alex as my co-driver feels like coming full circle. At times it’s been pretty emotional for both of us.”
The rally was far from trouble-free. Suspension damage on day three and a transmission issue late in the event forced the pair to crawl nearly 40 kilometres of a stage in first gear. Yet time loss was minimal, a testament to both mechanical sympathy and the extraordinary durability of the car. Zwart describes the 911 as having taken “an incredible beating” while still running flawlessly as it crossed the final finish line, moments before celebrations on the beach.
Exhausted but elated, Zwart is still processing what he calls “the adventure of a lifetime.”
“It was definitely the toughest event I’ve done,” he says, “but it challenged us in so many ways that I’m incredibly glad we went for it. That said—after all that heat and humidity—I’ll be very happy to be back in the snow.”
Even at 70, Jeff Zwart has proven that some dreams are worth waiting half a century to fulfil—especially when they end, fittingly, behind the wheel of an air-cooled 911.
Source: Porsche