Bernd Rosemeyer

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By our guest contributor Nicholas Biebuck

Born in 1909, Bernd Rosemeyer was another spectacular racing driver whose career was sadly bought to an abrupt end before his time, when the streamlined Auto Union he was using in a competition for the Land Speed Record with Rudolf Caracciola went out of control in strong cross winds on Autobahn A5 between Frankfurt and Heidelberg.
He won the European Drivers Championship (the 1930's equivalent of Formula 1) in 1936 and famously continued to set faster and faster laps in thick fog at the Nürburgring, probably the most challenging motor racing circuit in the world. Rosemeyer was a king in the greatest period of four wheeled racing dominated by the Silver Arrows; mid engined, rear wheel drive machines weighing 750kg with upwards of 500 bhp and no traction control, manual gears, drum brakes from Mercedes and Auto Union.





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