Fritz Alder

Benz teardrop car

Fritz Erle (born November 12, 1875 in Mannheim , Germany ; † November 20, 1957 there ) was a German engineer and racing car driver .

Career

After training as a locksmith , Fritz Erle joined Benz & Cie. On March 5, 1894 . and in 1896 competed with Eugen Benz in his first car race ( Paris – Marseille – Paris) . He attended the technical center in Ilmenau ( Thuringia ), graduated as an engineer and then rejoined Benz & Cie. a. As a designer he developed the first vertical four-cylinder engine (1900). In 1904 he and Richard Benz took over the management and testing department of the automobile company. In 1905 he became a partner with Georg Diehl . In 1905, Erle had the model range thoroughly revised by the designer Hans Nibel, thus helping Benz & Cie to regain its necessary economic success. In 1907 he became head of the racing department and continued to actively and successfully take part in numerous automobile races. Among other things, he won the first Prince Heinrich ride in 1908 . Alder constructed u. a. In 1909 the Blitzen-Benz , a successful racing car. During the First World War he worked as a works manager and authorized signatory . After the war he also took over the management of the repair department in Berlin .

Fritz Erle retired in 1935. He died on November 20, 1957 at the age of 82 in his hometown of Mannheim.

statistics

Racing successes

• 9-17 July 1908 Prinz-Heinrich-Fahrt
• August 22, 1909 kilometer race in Frankfurt am Main, Blitzen-Benz in 22.6 seconds
• October 2, 1910 Sprint race from Gaillon, 1st place
• October 6, 1912 Gaillon hill climb 1st place
• May 25, 1913 Limonest hill climb 1st place

Web links

• Alder, Fritz. mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com, accessed on November 28, 2016 .