Solitude Revival 2017 - colorful memories of the great times of the Solitude circuit

Name: Mercedes-Benz SSKL
Brand: Mercedes-Benz

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Created on July 24, 2017

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Balz Schreier

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Balz Schreier

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Balz Schreier

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Porsche 718 Formula 2 (1960) - Formula racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Brabham BT3 (1962) - Formula racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Lotus 24 Formula 1 ex-Siffert (1962) - Formula racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Lotus 69 Formula 3 (1971) - Formula racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Gerhard Mitter's son drove the Mitter-DKW Formula Junior (1960) - Formula racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Zink Formula Vau (1968) - Formula racing car at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Brabham BT36 Formula 2 (1971) - Formula racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Lola T142 Formula 5000 (1969) - Formula racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Hick FV 1300 (1969) - Formula racing car at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Metalex MTX 1/06 (1983) - Formula racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Formula car with Porsche engine at the 2017 Solitude Revival in the Formula racing car class

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Melkus/Thassler (1977) - Formula racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Formula Vau Type Rion (1965) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the Formula racing car class

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Porsche 917/-30 (1973) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

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Abarth 2000 Proto SE027 (1974) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing cars and prototypes category

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Ferrari 512M (1971) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

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Porsche 962C Rotmans (1987) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

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Porsche 962C Taisan (1990) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

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BMW M1 Procar Gösser Beer (1979) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

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Porsche 904 (1964) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

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Lola T70 Mk3B (1969) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing cars and prototypes category

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Porsche 906 (1966) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

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Porsche 910/6 (1966) at the 2017 Solitude Revival in the racing car and prototype category

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Hans Herrmann in the Porsche 550A Spyder (1956) at the 2017 Solitude Revival in the racing car and prototype category

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Porsche Speedster (1958) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

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Porsche 908/03 Spyder (1970) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

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Simca Rally 2 (1976) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

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NSU-Brixner Spyder (1969) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

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Nomad Mk1 (1967) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

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Cooper Monaco King Cobra (1963) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

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Chevrolet Corvette C2 Race 360 Stingray (1966) at the 2017 Solitude Revival in the race car and prototype category

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Jaguar XK 120 C-Type (1953) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing cars and prototypes category

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Cooper T49 Monaco Ecurie Ecosse (1960) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

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Sbarro Spyder (1970) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

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Lotus Europa Type 65 (1971) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing cars and prototypes category

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Ford GT40 (1972) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

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deTomaso Pantera GTS (1973) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

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Alfa Romeo Barchetta 1900 (1956) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

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Porsche 928S Trigema (1982) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

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Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA-R (1966) - Touring car and GT at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Porsche 356A T2 (1957) - Touring car and GT at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SE (1962) - Touring car and GT at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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BMW Alpina 3.0 CS (1972) - Touring car and GT at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Mercedes-Benz W109 300SEL 6.3 the red pig (1970) - Touring car and GT at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL AMG Look (1971) - touring car and GT at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Steinmetz Opel Commodore (1970) - touring car and GT at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Dr. Oliver Steinmetz with his Steinmetz Opel at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Alpine A110 1100 Tour de France (1965) - Touring car and GT at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Honda S800 (1969) - Touring car and GT at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Fiat Abarth 595 (1970) - Touring car and GT at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Ford Escort (1970) - Touring car and GT at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Ford Escort Mk1 RS 2000 AVO (1974) - Touring car and GT at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Triumph TR4 Surrey-Top (1965) - Touring car and GT at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe (1965) - touring car and GT at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Alpine Renault A110 (1972) - Touring car and GT at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Porsche 944 Turbo ONS track safety (1984) at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Porsche 928 Recaro ONS track safety (1986) at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Porsche 914/6 GT Recaro (1971 ) at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1987) at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Opel Commodore A Steinmetz (1970) at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Alvis () pre-war racing car at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Bentley Special Old Mother Gun (1927) pre-war racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Jochen Mass drove the Mercedes-Benz 680S (1927) pre-war racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Jochen Mass next to the Mercedes-Benz 680S (1927) pre-war racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Maserati 8CM (1933) pre-war racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Bugatti T51 (1932) pre-war racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Bugatti 37A (1928) pre-war racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Aston Martin 2 Litre Speedmodel Ulster (1937) pre-war racing car at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Aston Martin Ulster (1934) pre-war racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Wolseley Hornet Spezial-Z (1932) pre-war racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Bugatti 51A (1931) pre-war racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Corsa Spider (1939) pre-war racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Austin Seven Salamanda (1926) pre-war racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Fiat 514 Special (1929) pre-war racing car at the Solitude Revival 2017

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Wolseley Hornet Special-Z (1932) pre-war racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Bentley 3.5 liter (1935) pre-war racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Alvis 12/70 Special (1939) pre-war racing car at the Solitude Revival 2017

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BMW Veritas RS (1947) pre-war racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Technical scrutineering confirmation like in the old days... - Riley Big Four Special (1938) pre-war racing car at the Solitude Revival 2017

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The motorcycle paddock - Impressions of the Solitude Revival 2017

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Impressions of the Solitude Revival 2017

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One Östol oil please - Impressions of the Solitude Revival 2017

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Crêpes from the vintage store - impressions of the Solitude Revival 2017

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Coffee like back then - impressions of the Solitude Revival 2017

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New this year was the continuous spectator passage directly along the start/finish straight - Impressions of the Solitude Revival 2017

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Estonia 21 (1986) - Formula racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

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Impressionen vom Solitude Revival 2017

The organizers counted over 10,000 visitors at Solitude on Sunday, 23 July 2017. Although this is a far cry from the records of the 1960s, when hundreds of thousands lined the track, there was still something of a racing atmosphere around the Solitude Ring. Around 300 vehicles were registered to take on the natural track, which is just over eleven kilometers long, and pass the start/finish tower, which is still completely intact.

Aston Martin Ulster (1934) pre-war racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

Rain and sun

It had rained heavily on Friday, affecting parts of the course protection, so that new straw bales had to be procured and distributed on Saturday. On Saturday, the weather was dry throughout, but the air remained humid, making the temperatures almost humid. Sunday was a little cooler, but the track remained dry during the day.

New this year was the continuous spectator passage directly along the start/finish straight - Impressions of the Solitude Revival 2017

Unexpected incidents handled well

It is to be expected that a small accident can happen from time to time when old racing cars are driving fast. This happened again this year, the track police were called out and made every effort to allow racing to resume as quickly as possible. Once again this year, there was a wedding party that had to pass through the course. However, this did not cause any delays and could be carried out during the generously planned breaks between the race fields. Those sitting along the course with a cool beer hardly cared about the few interruptions. In conclusion, the organization should be congratulated, as the two Solitude days ran much more smoothly than in previous years.

Impressions of the Solitude Revival 2017

Guide vehicles and chicanes

Once upon a time, average speeds of around 180 km/h were driven at Solitude, but of course such speeds are almost unthinkable today. With several braking chicanes and a lead vehicle that was not allowed to be overtaken, the organizers tried to keep the speeds low, too low for some drivers who complained that they could hardly get past second gear.

Porsche 917/30 (1973) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

Behind the "pace car", tricky situations arose time and again, as the fastest cars were always jammed up there.

The Porsche armada

Solitude was and is a home race for Porsche. As early as 1956, Hans Herrmann (in a 550 Spyder in 2017, by the way) and Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips won a one-two victory in the sports car category with the Porsche 550 RS Spyder. The highlight was the double victory with the Formula 1 Porsche, when Dan Gurney and Joakim Bonnier crossed the finish line first.

Porsche 718 Formula 2 (1960) - Formula racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

So it was only natural to bring back this eight-cylinder monoposto, along with a Formula 2 car. They were joined by a Porsche 962C from the factory and the 928 S Trigema.

Porsche 928S Trigema (1982) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

A good handful of other Porsche prototypes (906, 907, 908/3, 910, etc.) came from private owners. Antonius Trichas probably brought the most powerful car to the start, the 917/30 delivered an impressive 1100 hp in its active CanAm time.

Porsche 917/-30 (1973) at the Solitude Revival 2017 in the racing car and prototype category

Stars from next door

A sporting event in Stuttgart without Mercedes-Benz is hardly conceivable - after all, the Daimler people are also at home there. Otto Merz won the "Rund um die Solitude" race in 1927 with the Type S. It was nice to see such a car at the start again in 2017, a white Type S driven by Jochen Mass.

Jochen Mass drove the Mercedes-Benz 680S (1927) pre-war racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

Less associated with the Solitude is the so-called "Red Sow", with which AMG made the touring car elite sweat in 1969. The V8, which was boosted to 6.8 liters at the time, had 400 hp. Due to tire problems, however, the first e-race didn't work out, and it wasn't until 1971 that the revenge came. The heavy touring car could be seen three times at Solitude, once as an exhibit (a replica of the original racing car that had disappeared) and twice on the track, once in red and a second car in blue.

Mercedes-Benz W109 300SEL 6.3 the red pig (1970) - Touring car and GT at the Solitude Revival 2017

Steinmetz sharpens the knives

Klaus A. Steinmetz was the man who provided professional tuning for fast Opel vehicles in the seventies. His Commodore cars stirred up the touring car races.

Dr. Oliver Steinmetz with his Steinmetz Opel at the Solitude Revival 2017

Three of these Steinmetz Opels came together at Solitude, two Commodore and a GT, complemented by another GT and a Manta A, all painted the same yellow.

Steinmetz Opel Commodore (1970) - touring car and GT at the Solitude Revival 2017

ONS track relay almost like back then

For many racing fans, there was a "déja vu" when a racing field passed by, because the ONS track safety cars from back then were always at the end. Today, the ONS cars from back then are of course museum pieces and some of them can look back on almost adventurous stories.

Porsche 928 Recaro ONS track safety (1986) at the Solitude Revival 2017

The first track safety car, a Porsche 914/6, for example, was sold to Switzerland after its active use, where it was converted back into a racing car as it had run in the Monte Carlo Rally. The car later went to the USA, then to Great Britain, until Recaro was finally able to buy it back and restore it to its ONS look.

Porsche 914/6 GT Recaro (1971 ) at the Solitude Revival 2017

Floor effect from the East

It may not look as elegant as the original, but it was almost as successful (in the East) as the Lotus 79 in which Mario Andretti and Ronnie Peterson once drove circles around their Formula 1 opponents. The Russian version called Estonia 21 from 1986 was driven by Viktor Kosankov and was the overall winner of the "Cup for Peace and Friendship of the Socialist Countries" in 1988.

The monoposto was powered by a 1.3-liter Lada engine and shifted with a converted five-speed Sappo gearbox. The approximate 120 hp was enough to push the approximately 420 kg Monoposto forward dynamically.

Estonia 21 (1986) - Formula racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

However, the Estonia was not the only formula car with a Lada engine. The MT77, built by Ulli Melkus and Hartmut Thassler, also relied on the power of the Russian engine. After all, 150 hp should have been enough for 270 km/h. The car became GDR champion of the Formula Easter up to 1300 cc in 1989. It finished third in the 1986 Eastern European Championship.

Melkus/Thassler (1977) - Formula racing car at the 2017 Solitude Revival

A treat for the eyes, ears and nose

Of course, the Solitude Revival is not a racing event. It was neither about seconds nor victories. From a spectator's point of view, this did little to diminish the enjoyment, after all, one had the pleasure of seeing a wide variety of cars and motorcycles not only stationary, but also driving, and was thus presented with an experience for all the senses. This was enough for most people. For those who expect more racing spectacle at the limit, the events at the Nürburgring or in Goodwood are recommended.

However, one wish that many BMW fans have in their hearts was once again not fulfilled. It would certainly be interesting to put together a whole racing field of BMW 700 touring cars again, just like back then when the smallest cars were responsible for the biggest races.

More photos and further information

If you haven't seen enough pictures yet, we refer you to the photo galleries for each race field at the top left. For further information on the Solitude Revival, please navigate to the official website.

Finally, a personal dedication should be allowed. A successful event not only includes interesting cars, numerous participants and spectators as well as good weather, but also an enthusiastic and friendly marshal staff, who sometimes donate a whole bottle of water in the heat of the day. Thanks to marshal 8! See you again in 2019!