Dear Hans Herrmann - we wish you a happy 85th birthday
02/23/2013
Hans Herrmann, one of the greats of days gone by, celebrates his 85th birthday today. Born in Stuttgart on February 23, 1928, Hans Herrmann is a man of many facets.
Not only did he drive the W196 Grand Prix car and the 300 SLR for Mercedes-Benz in 1954 and '55, but as a Porsche works driver from 1953 to 1966 he also drove models such as the 550 RS, 718 RSK, 356B Abarth, Carrera 6, 907, 908 and the 917K, as well as various outings in the Borgward.
1969 saw the closest race decision to date at Le Mans. After 24 hours, just 100 meters separated the winning team of Jacky Ickx / Jackie Oliver in the Ford GT40 from the runners-up Hans Herrmann and Gérard Larrousse in the Porsche 908 Langheck. In the final minutes, Hans Herrmann thought of every conceivable way to get past Ickx. As Jackie Ickx completed his laps flawlessly, there was hardly any chance for Herrmann to overtake the Ford "normally". Herrmann thought about jumping past the GT40 at full throttle at the perfect angle over the "curbs" of the final chicane and crossing the finish line first, or not, with a more or less smashed Porsche. However, he then abandoned this plan as the uncertainty was too great.
A year later, he was able to claim victory in the red and white Porsche 917K, together with Englishman Richard Attwood!
Congratulations and best wishes for continued good health from "Zwischengas" to the likeable man from Stuttgart!
There are over 50 photos of Hans Herrmann and his cars in the Zwischengas archive . ..
