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.

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

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.
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