Eugen Böhringer

German racing driver
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Eugen Böhringer
NationalityGermany German
Born(1922-01-22)January 22, 1922
Rotenberg, Weimar Republic
DiedJune 19, 2013(2013-06-19) (aged 91)
Stuttgart, Germany
Retired1965
European Rally Championship
TeamsMercedes-Benz
Best finish1st in 1962
Championship titles
1962European Rally Championship[1][2]

Eugen Böhringer (22 January 1922 – 19 June 2013) was a German racing driver and hotelier who spent the majority of his racing career on the Mercedes-Benz works team.[3] A specialist in grueling long-distance events, his crowning achievement was victory in the 1962 European Rally Championship.

Early life

1921 Mercedes-Knight 16-45 PS Tourenwagen in the Mercedes-Benz Museum

Eugen Böhringer was born on 22 January 1922 in Rotenberg, Stuttgart to Gottfried and Emma Böhringer. By 1925 the family owned a Mercedes-Knight 16/45 PS Tourenwagen, and Emma Böhringer was one of the first women in the Stuttgart area to have a driver's license. In 1928, his father started a bus service between Rotenberg and Untertürkheim for commuting employees of the Mercedes-Benz plant located there. Before becoming a driver, Eugen worked as a chef at the family's hotel and restaurant. His road to fame began with him entering a Mercedes-Benz W105 in local and regional competitions for a wager with friends.[citation needed]

Racing career

Böhringer drove various Mercedes roadsters, including the 230 SL "Pagoda"

Early successes brought a promotion to the Mercedes-Benz works team for 1960, and a second-place finish at Rallye Monte-Carlo behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz 220 SE Tourenwagen. The "fintail" saloons became his trademark, as he developed a reputation for nimble driving in rallies which often exceeded 5,000 kilometers.

Race results

1958

  • Stuttgart Solitude Rally, 1st place

1959

  • Stuttgart Solitude Rally, 1st place

1960

  • Rally Monte Carlo, 2nd place
  • Coupe des Alpes, 2nd in class

1961

  • Rally Monte Carlo, 1st place in over 2000 cc class
  • Tulpenrallye, 1st place
  • Rally Acropolis, 1st place in over 2000 cc class
  • Coupe des Alpes, 2nd place in class
  • Rajd Polski, 1st place
  • Liège–Sofia–Liège, 4th place
  • Deutschland-Rallye, 2nd place

1962

  • Rally Monte Carlo, 2nd place overall, 1st in class
  • Tulpenrallye, 1st in over 2000 cc class
  • Rally Acropolis, 1st place
  • Midnight Sun Rally Sweden, 5th place overall, 1st in class
  • Rallye Solitude, 2nd place
  • Rajd Polski, 1st place
  • Liège–Sofia–Liège, 1st place
  • Deutschland-Rallye, 2nd place

1963

  • Rally Acropolis, 1st place
  • Internation ADAC 6-Hour-Race, 2nd in over 2500 cc class
  • Deutschland-Rallye, 1st place
  • Spa-Sofia-Liège, 1st place
  • Argentine Touring Car Grand Prix, 1st place

1964

  • Rally Monte Carlo, 1st in over 2000 cc class
  • Brands Hatch 6-Hour-Race, 1st in class
  • 6 Hours of Zolder, 3rd in class
  • International ADAC 6-Hour-Race, 1st place
  • Macau Touring Car Grand Prix, 1st place
  • Spa-Sofia-Liège, 3rd place
  • Argentine Touring Car Grand Prix, 1st place

1965

  • Rally Monte Carlo, 2nd overall, 1st in class

References

  1. ^ Brian Long (31 January 2014). Mercedes-Benz 'Fintail' Models: The W110, W111 and W112 Series. The Crowood Press UK. ISBN 978-1847976031. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  2. ^ "Eugen Böhringer - eWRC-results.com". eWRC-results. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  3. ^ "Former European rally champion Eugen Böhringer has died, at the age of 91" (Press release). Daimler AG. Mercedes-Benz. 21 June 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2015.