German Racing Silver - Drivers, Cars and Triumphs of German Motor Racing

By: Karl Ludvigsen .

From Lautenschlager, who in 1908 and 1914 won two of the greatest motor races in history, to Schumacher, who almost a century later claimed a record seven Formula I World Championships, Germany's racing drivers have carved their names in the pantheon of motor sport. In the intervening period German marques have attracted many of the world's greatest drivers, and their cars, initially painted white, have passed into legend as the `Silver Arrows'.

Central to the story of German motor sport is the golden era of the 1930s, when Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union received significant backing from the Third Reich and employed drivers such as Rudolf Caracciola and Bernd Rosemeyer to battle for top honours. In the 1950s Mercedes-Benz resumed its involvement in top-line motor racing, teaming Juan-Manuel Fangio with Stirling Moss to triumph both in Formula I and in sports cars, while from the 1960s Porsche grew from plucky underdog to dominant power with its 917 'Turbo-Panzer' of the Can-Am series and its 956 and 962 endurance racers, which in the 1980s swept all before them at Le Mans. In the same decade BMW- and Porsche- powered cars achieved further F 1 glory, while the 1990s witnessed the long-awaited return of Mercedes-Benz, which company's involvement has been an essential element of McLaren's recent success.

In German Racing Silver author Karl Ludvigsen combines a dramatic narrative with rare photographs from the world-renowned Ludvigsen Library and striking portraits commissioned especially for the book to create a unique and beautifully illustrated tribute to Germany's rich racing heritage.

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