Christian Friedrich Lautenschlager

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Christian Lautenschlager at the 1914 French Grand Prix
In a Mercedes at the 1908 French Grand Prix

Christian Friedrich Lautenschlager (born April 13, 1877 in Magstadt ; † January 3, 1954 in Untertürkheim ) was a German mechanic and racing car driver .

Life

After an apprenticeship as a locksmith and several years of wandering, Lautenschlager was hired as a mechanic by Gottlieb Daimler in vehicle construction at Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) in Cannstatt in 1899 . From 1905, as a foreman in the driving department, he was responsible for inspections and running-in work, giving him the opportunity to actively participate in motor racing. When the Daimler cars were not very successful in motor racing in 1906/07, Lautenschlager was accepted into the DMG team as a racing driver. His surprising victory in the French Grand Prix in 1908 brought DMG back into the focus of public interest. Sales of Mercedes cars tripled by 1912. On July 4, 1914, shortly before the outbreak of the First World War , he managed another victory at the French Grand Prix, which this time was held in Lyon . With this victory, Lautenschlager reached the high point of his professional career and established the world reputation of Mercedes.

After the First World War, Grand Prix motorsport in Europe came to a temporary standstill. Lautenschlager then started at the Targa Florio in Sicily and finished 10th in 1922 and 1924 . In 1923 he drove in one of three Mercedes racing cars at the Indianapolis 500 in the USA , but retired due to an accident. In 1925 he drove his last race in Palermo .

After the end of his active time, Lautenschlager continued to work as a driving master at Daimler-Benz in Stuttgart until his retirement in 1936 . He died in Fellbach at the age of 76. His grave is in the cemetery in Stuttgart-Wangen .

statistics

run

Awards

  • 1908: French Grand Prix winner's cup at Dieppe
  • 1910: Award of the gold medal of the Order of Stanislaus by Tsar Nicholas II of Russia
  • 1914: French Grand Prix winner's cup near Lyon

literature

  • Richard von Frankenberg: The great drivers of yore. Motorbuchverlag Stuttgart, 2nd edition 1967, pages 13-16.
  • Helmut Zwickl: Exciting Grand Prix. Penny-Verlag Neu Isenburg, 1973, pages 17-22.
  • Alfred Neubauer: Men, women and engines - the memories of Mercedes racing director Alfred Neubauer. Motorbuch-Verlag Stuttgart, 4th edition 1997, ISBN 3-87943-159-0 , pages 15, 26-33, 52, 53, 59, 62, 70-78, 231, 359, 360.
  • Peter Müller: Ferdinand Porsche - the father of the Volkswagen. Leopold Stocker Verlag, Graz 1965, new edition 1998, pages 64, 65.
  • Wangener Zeitung - Official Gazette for Hedelfingen, Obertürkheim and Uhlbach from September 2, 1910
  • Untertürkheimer Zeitung from November 19, 1910
  • Hans Christoph Graf von Seherr-Thoss:  Lautenschlager, Christian. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 13, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1982, ISBN 3-428-00194-X , p. 732 f. ( Digitized version ).

Web links

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personal data
SURNAME Lautenschlager, Christian Friedrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German mechanic and racing driver
DATE OF BIRTH April 13, 1877
PLACE OF BIRTH Magstadt
DATE OF DEATH January 3, 1954
Place of death Untertürkheim