Hans Herrmann - Hans in luck with luck in misfortune

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Hans Herrmann - Hans in luck with luck in misfortune

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Created on February 12, 2021

Text:

Daniel Reinhard

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Daniel Reinhard

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Josef Reinhard (Archiv Daniel Reinhard)

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Archiv Daimler AG

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Klaus D. Lehmann-Gräve

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Porsche AG

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Porsche Archiv

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Archives ACO

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Porsche AG / Porsche Schweiz AG

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Balz Schreier

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ACO

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Daimler AG

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Don Downie

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Archiv Daytona

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Archivbild

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Emanuel Zifreund

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Archiv

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Hans Herrmann and a model of the Mercedes-Benz W196

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Hans Herrmann marvels at the letter from back then

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Letter from Hans Herrmann to Josef Reinhard (1955)

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Hans Herrmann with his family in the background

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Over the decades, Hans Herrmann has accumulated quite a few things

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The impressive trophy collection of Hans Herrmann

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Hans Herrmann likes to leaf through old books and remembers ...

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Chance meeting between Hans Herrmann and Michael Schumacher

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Hans Hermann shows Sebastian Vettel the famous accident photo of Julius Weitmann

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Hans Herrmann explains to Sebastian Vetterl what it was like back then

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Sebastian Vettel and Hans Herrmann and their racing cars

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Hans Herrmann - still full of life at 80

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On stage Hans Herrmann and Egon Alber - Porsche Sound Night 2015

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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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Monaco Grand Prix (Europe) on May 22, 1955 - before his serious accident, Hans Herrmann in Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 racing car W 196 R

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Mercedes Benz W 196 (1954) - Hans Herrmann in the streamlined Silver Arrow in Reims on July 4, 1954

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Mercedes Benz W 196 (1954) - Hans Herrmann before the start of the French GP in Reims on July 4, 1954

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Hans Herrmann with his Mercedes-Benz W198 in 1955

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Mercedes Benz W 196 (1954) - Hans Herrmann poses next to the new streamlined racing car in Reims

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Hans Herrmann (right), together with Juan Manuel Fangio (center) and Karl Kling (left) in Reims

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Hans Herrmann in a Mercedes-Benz W196 streamlined racing car in 1954

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Porsche 550 1500 RS (1954) - no expense spared - Hans Herrmann's one-off car with Huschke von Hanstein and airplane at the Carrera Panamericana 1954

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Porsche 550 RS (1954) - the victorious Hans Herrmann and Jaroslav Juhan at the finish line in Juarez at the 1954 Carrera Panamericana

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Porsche 550 1500 RS (1954) - Hans Herrmann at the Carrera Panamericana 1954

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Porsche 550 (1954) at the Carrera Panamericana 1954 - Victory in the class up to 1500 cm3 went to Hans Herrmann from Stuttgart in a Porsche 550

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Porsche 550 Spyder (1954) - At the fifth and final Carrera Panamericana from November 19 to 23, 1954 in Mexico, Hans Herrmann (left) took 3rd place overall in the Porsche 550 Spyder

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Hans Herrmann and Gerhard Mitter at the Gaisbergrennen 1966

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Porsche RSK (1959) - Hans Herrmann before the start at Solitude

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Porsche RSK (1959) - Hans Herrmann at the Klosters-Davos hill climb in 1959

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Hans Herrmann and Kurt Ahrens at the 1000km race Nürburgring 1970

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Porsche Carrera 6 (1966) - The works Porsche with Herrmann in the Carrera 6 and Mitter in the 910/8 Coupé at the start in Freiburg in 1966

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Porsche 906 E (Carrera 6) (1966) at the 1000km race of Spa Franchorchamps 1966 - Hans Herrmann/Dieter Glemser

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Porsche Carrera 6 (906) (1966) at Daytona 1966 - Hans Herrmann with Herbert Linge in the Porsche Carrera 6 were class winners

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24 Hours of Daytona 1968 - Porsche celebrates the triple victory of the Porsche 907 with additional laps of honor in formation

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The beauty queen is delighted with the two winners Jo Siffert (left) and Hans Herrmann. (12 Hours of Sebring 1968)

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Porsche 907 LH (1968) - Overall winner 24 Hours of Daytona 1968 - Elford, Neerpasch, Stommelen, Siffert, Herrmann

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Hans Herrmann in the Porsche 917 at the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans

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Hans Herrmann on Porsche 908/3 at the Nürburgring

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Hans Herrmann in a Porsche 917, which he drove to victory with Attwood at Le Mans in 1970

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Le Mans 1970 - Overall winner Porsche 917 short-tail by Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood

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Porsche 917 K (1970) - Attwood/Herrmann - Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970

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Le Mans 1970 - Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood celebrate their victory. (1970)

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Summary

Not all racing drivers were granted a long life; many paid for their passion and will to win with death. Not so Hans Herrmann. Although he did not get through his career without accidents, some of which were even very spectacular, he ended his racing career in good time at the peak after winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970. This racing driver portrait takes you through the most important stages of his career and his great successes and shows Herrmann in historical and modern footage.

This article contains the following chapters

Minimum risk, maximum speed
Not without accidents
Just short of success in Formula 1
First successes in the private Porsche 356
Under the track barrier through
The natural talent in the Mercedes-Benz
Narrowly missing out on Mille Miglia victory
The perfect backpedal
Good businessman
Victim of a crime

Estimated reading time: 10min

Preview (beginning of the article)

One of the great German racing drivers celebrates his 93rd birthday on February 23, 2021. He mainly drove for Mercedes, Porsche and Abarth, but although he never won any of his 18 Grand Prix races, he became one-make world champion with Porsche in 1969 and 70 and won all the classics such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 12 Hours of Sebring, the 24 Hours of Daytona and the Targa Florio. His name is Hans Herrmann, he is Swabian and was born in Stuttgart on February 23, 1928. If Hans Herrmann is asked today about his greatest success, he does not mention any of his legendary victories, but simply says: "I survived and that was not at all a matter of course at the time." How did this come about? The trained confectioner was probably able to assess his limits better than many others. He always listened to his cars and felt them with his whole body. Compared to his rivals, he always drove with the least tire wear, fuel consumption and tire abrasion.

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