Manfred von Brauchitsch

Manfred von Brauchitsch
Von Brauchitsch in 1937
Born	(1905-08-15)15 August 1905 Hamburg,Germany
Died	5 February 2003(2003-02-05)(aged 97) Gräfenwarth,Schleiz,Germany
Occupation	Racing driver

Manfred von Brauchitsch in 1986 with Mercedes-Benz K

Manfred Georg Rudolf von Brauchitsch(15 August 1905 – 5 February 2003) was a Germanauto racingdriver who drove forMercedes-Benzin the famous "Silver Arrows"ofGrand Prix motor racingin the 1930s.

Racing career

Brauchitsch won three Grands Prix - the 1934ADACEifelrennenwhich saw the first appearance ofSilver ArrowsMercedes Race cars, the 1937Monaco Grand Prix(considered his greatest victory), and the 1938French Grand Prix.His fastest lap in the 1937 Monaco race (1 minute 46.5 seconds, 11.9 seconds faster than the old record lap) set a record that stood for 18 years.

Von Brauchitsch in 1951

He was twice runner-up in theEuropean Championship,in 1937 and 1938, and finished third in 1935.

He was noted for his red helmet and his bad luck, losing a number of other Grands Prix when he was on the very verge of winning (no less than five, by some counts). His most famous loss was the 1935German Grand Prix,when a tire blew while he was leading the last lap, handing victory toTazio Nuvolariin anAlfa Romeoin one of the latter's most famous victories - one of the only times during the reign of the Silver Arrows when a Grand Prix was won by a car other than a Mercedes orAuto Union.

Personal life

Brauchitsch was born inHamburg,of an old military family (his uncle was the famousWorld War IIgeneralWalther von Brauchitsch). He had a brother, Harald.He entered the GermanReichswehrafterWorld War I,but after a serious accident he was invalided out in 1928. Due to his many racing injuries, he was rejected for military service in World War II. While working during the war, he met his first wife, Gisela. He became a member of theNational Socialist Motor Corps,in which he held the rank ofSturmführer.

Following World War II, being the son and nephew of military officers was not of much practical use inWest Germany.After several failed businesses, Brauchitsch contacted Caracciola, who gave him contacts in South America. Unable to settle there, he returned to West Germany embittered and became a target for the communists ofEast Germany.Again unable to settle, he returned to West Germany, where he was arrested and charged withespionage.In 1951, he was jailed and then released on bail.

During a bail period in 1955, Brauchitsch defected toEast Germany;after his wife Gisela committed suicide a year earlier. He was put in charge of the East German national motor sport organisation, as well as becoming president of its movement to promote the Olympic ideal. The latter led to his being awarded theOlympic Orderin 1988 by theInternational Olympic Committee.

Brauchitsch later remarried, to Lieselotte, and they were permitted to visit West Germany occasionally. Following the death ofHermann Langin 1987, Brauchitsch was regarded as the last surviving member of the pre-war "Silver Arrow" drivers. He died inGräfenwarthin 2003.

Complete European Championship results

(key) (Races inboldindicate pole position, * denotes a shared drive)

Year	Entrant	Make	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	EDC	Points
1935	Daimler-Benz AG	Mercedes-Benz	MON Ret	FRA 2	BEL 2 *	GER 5	SUI Ret	ITA Ret	ESP 3	3	34
1936	Daimler-Benz AG	Mercedes-Benz	MON Ret	GER 7	SUI Ret	ITA				10=	24
1937	Daimler-Benz AG	Mercedes-Benz	BEL Ret	GER 2	MON 1	SUI 3	ITA Ret			2	15
1938	Daimler-Benz AG	Mercedes-Benz	FRA 1	GER Ret	SUI 3	ITA 3 *				2	15
1939	Daimler-Benz AG	Mercedes-Benz	BEL 3	FRA Ret	GER Ret	SUI 3				4=	19

Further reading

• Landenberger, Dieter (2005).Manfred von Brauchitsch: Kampf und Sieg im Silberpfeil[Manfred von Brauchitsch: Fight and Victory in the Silver Arrow]. Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag.ISBN3613025744.
• Nixon, Chris.Racing the Silver Arrows: Mercedes-Benz versus Auto Union 1934-1939(Osprey, London, 1986) pp. 82–91
• —————— (2003) [1986].Racing the Silver Arrows: Mercedes-Benz versus Auto Union 1934-1939(revised ed.). Isleworth, Middlesex, UK: Transport Bookman Publications.ISBN0851840558.

External links

• ObituaryinThe Guardian
• Die Silberpfeile - Manfred von BrauchitschArchived29 September 2007 at theWayback Machine
• Gentleman aces
• Manfred von Brauchitsch