Although he is one of the most successful German racing drivers of the post-war period, unfortunately only true racing enthusiasts know his name today. Sepp Greger was an entrepreneur, racing driver and hard worker. He hardly ever rested. But he was all the more successful in all disciplines. Journalist Maria Weininger tells his story in a book about his life.
Greger, the hard worker
Sepp Greger was born in 1915 in rural Upper Bavaria. His mother had to raise her three sons, who shared a pair of shoes, alone. They lacked everything. At the age of eleven, he worked as a farmhand for a farmer for almost four years. Then he went to Munich, where Greger began an apprenticeship as a motor mechanic. He was fascinated by motorcycles and cars from an early age.
The war period was not easy for him either, but after the war he managed to build a livelihood for himself thanks to his tremendous dedication to work (72-hour shifts).
He remained extremely hard-working throughout his life, never wasting an hour.
Greger, the entrepreneur
Greger opened an authorized VW workshop as early as 1949. The cooperation with Volkswagen is not easy, but it thrives, and an Audi and Porsche dealership are added at some point.
However, the Greger Racing Show, which he organized in Munich from 1972 to 1992 and where the racing who's who of the time met every year, was almost an even bigger undertaking.
Weininger dedicates 22 pages to this racing show, and rightly so.
Greger, the curve artist
Greger became enthusiastic about racing at an early age and showed his talent everywhere. In his career, which lasted several decades, he competed around 1,200 times and achieved an impressive 600 victories. Although Sepp Greger became famous above all as a mountain specialist - including three-time European mountain champion - he also celebrated successes in rallying (e.g. the Monte Carlo Rally) and on the circuit.
In the book, which is written along the timeline, a lot of space is devoted to his race participations, with a summary of his successes organized by year at the back.
Almost a Porsche book
Sepp Greger almost always drove VW and Porsche vehicles, with a few exceptions (e.g. BMW 700, together with Hans Stuck) or Elva confirming the rule. Accordingly, the book, which is extensively illustrated with around 250 color and black-and-white photos, is also a bit of a Porsche book.
Greger drove almost all of the racing and sports cars of the brand from Zuffenhausen, starting with the 356, followed by the 356 Abarth, 718 RS60, later the 904 and 906, but also the 910. Greger drove them all. And they can all be seen in the book, in photos that will certainly be new to many Porsche fans.
In general, the book is lovingly illustrated and relatively generously designed. This also explains the 200 pages, which never get boring.
Almost written by himself
Sepp Greger actually wanted to write his biography himself, but he was unable to complete his work. The handwritten pages, on which he wanted to show the next generation that commitment and a clear goal in mind are worthwhile, were then handed over to journalist Maria Weininger, who supplemented them with further research, but above all quotes and stories from Greger's racing driver colleagues - including Eberhard Mahle, Jürgen Barth, Hans-Joachim Stuck, Toni Fischhaber, Hans Herrmann, Leopold von Bayern, Rudi Lins and Herbert Linge - and brought them to life. Reading the biography is a pleasure and with every page you devour, you are even more impressed by this man.
For a broad readership
If you are interested in fast cars and special drivers, this beautifully produced book is perfect for you. You don't have to be a hillclimb fanatic or a Porsche fan to read it; the life and history of Sepp Greger reveals so many facets that there is plenty of interesting information for a wide readership to discover. EUR 29.90 is certainly not too much to ask.
Bibliographical information
- Title: The mountain king Sepp Greger - a racing legend
- Author: Maria Weininger
- Language: German
- Publisher: Wartberg Verlag
- Edition: 1st edition (September 20, 2016)
- Format; Hardcover, 21.5 x 28.5 cm
- Scope: 200 pages, 250 color and b/w photos
- ISBN 978-3-8313-2304-3
- Price: EUR 29.90
- Buy/order: Online at amazon.de, online at Wartberg Verlagor at the relevant bookstore
