Manfred von Brauchitsch

Lore & Background

Brauchitsch won three Grands Prix: the 1934 ADAC Eifelrennen (first appearance of Silver Arrows Mercedes race cars), the 1937 Monaco Grand Prix (considered his greatest victory), and the 1938 French 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. He was twice runner-up in the European Championship (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 on the verge of winning (no less than five, by some counts). His most famous loss was the 1935 German Grand Prix, when a tire blew while he was leading the last lap, handing victory to Tazio Nuvolari. Brauchitsch was born in Hamburg, of an old military family (his uncle was World War II general Walther von Brauchitsch). He had a brother, Harald. He entered the German Reichswehr after World 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 the National Socialist Motor Corps, in which he held the rank of Sturmführer. After the war, several failed businesses led him to contact Caracciola for South American contacts. Unable to settle there, he returned to West Germany, became a target for East German communists, was arrested and charged with espionage, jailed in 1951, and released on bail. During a bail period in 1955, he defected to East Germany after his wife Gisela committed suicide a year earlier. He was put in charge of the East German national motor sport organisation and became president of its movement to promote the Olympic ideal, leading to the Patriotic Order of Merit in 1988. He later remarried to Lieselotte. Following the death of Hermann Lang in 1987, Brauchitsch was regarded as the last surviving pre-war Silver Arrow driver. He died in Gräfenwarth in 2003.

In Their Own Story

The rain lashed against the windshield of the W25, blurring the grey slate of the Nürburgring. Von Brauchitsch gripped the thin-rimmed wheel, his knuckles white beneath the leather gloves. The engine roared, a mechanical beast demanding to be unleashed, vibrating through the chassis and into his bones. Ahead, the mist parted briefly to reveal the treacherous curve of the Adenau-Berg. He knew Caracciola was close behind, the relentless pressure a constant weight on his shoulders. With a flicker of determination, he downshifted, feeling the tires bite into the wet tarmac. The Silver Arrow surged forward, a ghost of steel and speed tearing through the storm, leaving nothing but the roar of history in its wake.

Reader's Guide

Manfred von Brauchitsch drove for Mercedes-Benz in the 1930s Silver Arrows. He won three Grands Prix (1934 Eifelrennen, 1937 Monaco, 1938 French). He was European Championship runner-up in 1937 and 1938, and third in 1935. Known for his red helmet and bad luck, he lost several races while leading, most famously the 1935 German Grand Prix. After the war, he defected to East Germany in 1955 and later led East German motorsport and Olympic promotion.

Did You Know?

• His fastest lap at the 1937 Monaco Grand Prix (1:46.5) was 11.9 seconds faster than the old record and stood for 18 years.
• He lost the 1935 German Grand Prix on the last lap when a tire blew, handing victory to Tazio Nuvolari.
• He was the nephew of World War II general Walther von Brauchitsch.
• He defected to East Germany in 1955 and was awarded the Patriotic Order of Merit in 1988.