Bobby Kohlrausch

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grave of "Bobby" Kohlrausch in the new cemetery in Eisenach

Robert "Bobby" Kohlrausch (born March 9, 1904 in Eisenach ; † August 12, 1953 ) was a German racing driver .

Life and education

Bobby Kohlrausch did an apprenticeship as a locksmith at Eisenacher Dixi -Werke and then studied mechanical and electrical engineering in Ilmenau . His father gave him a BMW 3/15 DA 3 Wartburg in early 1930 to end his son's ambitions as a motorcycle racer , who then began studying business administration in Munich .

He was married to Annemarie Kohlrausch since the 1930s. In 1936 he joined the SS , where he held the rank of Untersturmführer .

Bobby Kohlrausch died of a heart attack on August 12, 1953 while preparing for the Grand Mountain Prize on the Schauinsland route . He found his final resting place in the main cemetery of his hometown Eisenach, where his grave has been preserved.

Racing career

Kohlrausch started his career as a car racing driver at the Kesselberg race on June 15, 1930 on the route between Kochel and Walchensee with his private BMW 3/15 DA 3 Wartburg  - with a new class record he won the popular race.

On July 20, 1930, the newcomer achieved second place in the sports car class up to 750 cc in his first Eifel race on the Nürburgring .

Kohlrausch achieved 27 first and 8 second places on the Wartburg in this and the following years .

In 1931 he received support from BMW with a new Wartburg equipped with an OHV test engine. In 1932, Kohlrausch's modified BMW increasingly met the increasingly powerful competition from Austin and MG , who competed with supercharged engines; BMW discontinued its support in 1933, Kohlrausch switched to Austin in the same year and continued his successful career with MG in 1934.

Because of the Second World War , Kohlrausch had to interrupt his racing career. After the war, he continued his career as a private driver until his death in 1953.

Web links

Commons : Bobby Kohlrausch  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Hagen Nyncke: Bobby Kohlrausch. The tireless one. In: Mobile Tradition live - Edition 02 / June 2004. BMW AG , June 2004, pp. 34–37 , accessed on September 2, 2017 (document in the BMW Group Archive).
  2. ↑ boxing scene in Montlhéry 1936. In: BMW history. BMW AG , June 28, 1936, accessed on September 3, 2017 (photo in the BMW Group Archive): “Fritz Trötsch, Rudolf Schleicher, Bobby and Annemarie Kohlrausch. Due to Henne's early retirement, Bobby Kohlrausch could no longer drive. "
  3. ↑ Bobby Kohlrausch died. Neues Deutschland , August 19, 1952, accessed on May 7, 2016 : "During a visit to southern Germany, the well-known German racing driver Bobby Kohlrausch died of a heart attack at the age of 49."
  4. ^ V. Internationales Kesselberg Race 1930. In: BMW history. BMW AG , June 15, 1930, accessed on May 7, 2016 (document in the BMW Group Archive): “R. Kohlrausch, Eisenach, in a BMW 3/15-Wartburg won the sovereign victory in the sports car class up to 750 ccm, ahead of his fellow brand A. Wetterau, Göttingen and WH Oesterreicher from Dresden on DKW 495 cc wagons. "
  5. ↑ The winners of the sports car class at the Nürburgring in 1930 with their BMW 3/15 Wartburg. In: BMW history. BMW AG , July 20, 1930, accessed on September 3, 2017 (document in the BMW Group archive): "Bobby Kohlrausch [...] took 2nd place."
personal data
SURNAME Kohlrausch, Bobby
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kohlrausch, Robert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German racing driver
DATE OF BIRTH March 9, 1904
PLACE OF BIRTH Eisenach
DATE OF DEATH August 12, 1953