ATLANTA — In celebration of its 60th anniversary year of operating in the U.S., Porsche Cars North America began a contest Friday that entails searching out the oldest Porsche models in the country.

The automaker has put out the call for the oldest vehicles in 12 different model categories, in addition to the oldest vehicle overall.

The My Classic Porsche Search will cover the Porsche 356, 911, 912, 914, 924, 928, 944, 968, Boxster, Cayenne, Carrera GT and Cayman, as well as the oldest model across all categories.

Those interested in participating can visit www.porsche60years.com to submit an entry and read the rules. American Porsche historians from the Porsche Club of America will be among the experts serving on the panel to determine if entries are indeed valid.

Porsche plans to spotlight the winning cars and their owners. Those recognized will up for more prizes, including the chance to be recognized by the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, with an exclusive badge.

Photographs of some winning models will be on display at the museum's "Sixty Years of Porsche in America" exhibit.

Porsche might also select one vehicle to be displayed alongside the automaker's newest models at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Beyond this contest, Porsche will roll out its My Porsche Passion Contest later this month.

Starting Aug. 24 and running until Nov. 1, enthusiasts can write a 500-word-or-less essay about either their passion for a specific model, a Porsche experience or the automaker itself.

A panel of Porsche judges will pick 20 of these essays and then fans will vote online to narrow the list down. 

For the three entries that gain the most votes, Porsche is giving an all-expense-paid trip to the its driving school in Birmingham, Ala.