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  #1  
Old 02-06-2003, 11:45 AM
94 E320
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Fairfax, VA
Posts: 437
Sad day for all Mercedes Racing fans

(copied from Autosport.com today)

Manfred von Brauchitsch, 1905-2003
Silver Arrows legend dies aged 97

Former works Mercedes driver Manfred von Brauchitsch, the last of the pre-war greats, has died at the age of 97.

After starting his racing career in a private Mercedes in 1929, the German was the first driver to win a Grand Prix for the legendary Silver Arrows Mercedes at the 1934 Eifelrennen, held at the Nurburgring. He drove for Mercedes until the start of World War Two, during which time he garnered a reputation as a hard-charging, if unlucky, driver.

During his works career von Brauchitsch also won the 1937 Monaco GP and the 1938 French Grand at Reims, both times leading home the legendary Rudolf Caracciola.

As well as Caracciola, von Bracuhitsch was a contemporary of the likes of Tazio Nuvolari and Bernd Rosemeyer, and was considered to be one of the top drivers of his era.

However, despite his many successes, he was best known for the ill-luck which cost him many great victories. He famously missed out on victories in the German Grands Prix of 1935 and 1938 with car problems, and was also disqualified from victory in the prestigious Coppa Ciano, held at Livorno in Italy, after winning on the road in 1938.

"He was one of the founders of the Silver Arrows legend" - Norbert Haug

In the decades after the war he worked in the East German ministry of sports, and retained close ties with Mercedes stemming from his six years as a works driver.

"He was one of the founders of the Silver Arrow legend and the first winner in a Grand Prix car of this name," said Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug. "He was one of the first to congratulate us on Mika Hakkinen's first championship, and we will all keep him in our memory as a great racing driver of our company."



a great short bio

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  #2  
Old 02-06-2003, 10:10 PM
resqguy
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This is without a doubt my favorite era of racing. These drivers were National heros in their time. Those machines that they drove without any thought to their own safety. No helmets or fire suits.

He will be missed.
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  #3  
Old 02-07-2003, 11:05 AM
need2speed's Avatar
speedaholic
 
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 1,253
Thanks for sharing this bio...too often we fixate on the cars and not the people. Seems like von Brauchitsch won his last race....coasting across the finish line having used every drop of fuel in the tank.
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  #4  
Old 02-07-2003, 02:23 PM
94 E320
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Fairfax, VA
Posts: 437
i wasn't really interested in racing history until i started collection 1/18th scale cars and someone introduced me to them

i mean i see all those old racing posters @ allposter.com but it never meant anything to me

plus driving a benz it makes u want to know what made them great and why there is that appeal

just imagine driving those cars.....knowing there is no seatbelt, maybe a helmet, track safety was a joke, and u could seriously die during every race....often times a fellow racer did pay the price

you can still love love the golden age of racing via die cast models

have a look
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  #5  
Old 02-07-2003, 02:45 PM
94 E320
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Fairfax, VA
Posts: 437
oh yeah it was Manfred von Brauchitsch's idea to remove the paint because the cars were over 1kg @ the 1934 Eiffel GP

so in a sense he & team manager Alfred Neubauer (for actually listening to the suggestion) were the inventors of the now famed "Silver Arrows" :-)

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