Bernd Rosemeyer was Germany s auto racing hero in racing s Golden Era during the 1930 s. Fans loved his carefree, devil may care attitude, outgoing personality and rebellious natures. His marriage to international aviatrix, Elly Beinhorn, elevated them to celebrity status. The Nazi Party tried to take advantage of their popularity and Himmler made Rosemeyer a member of the SS. While Rosemeyer was unable to refuse this honor he certainly did not embrace it. Rosemeyer was too much of a rebel to fit Himmler s ideal Aryan role. Bernd was very much his own person, always testing authority with the mischievousness of a child. Starting at sixteen he lost his driver s license for stunting his motorcycle in the streets of his hometown. As an adult he violated Nazi laws by kissing in public and smoking on the podium. Himmler may have bestowed but Rosemeyer never conformed.
Bernd was born on October 14, 1909 in Lingen, Germany. His father, an independent entrepreneur, owned and operated a vehicle repair shop. This environment sparked young Bernd s interest in cars and motorcycles at a young age. When he was eleven, he supposedly snuck off with his father s car and took some friends on a joyride to the neighboring town. Daddy found out when the boys all ended up at the police station. When Bernd finished school he went to work in the family business and at the same time started racing motorcycles.
He then tried out for the Auto Union team. His intense racing style and rebellious nature both came to light in the tryouts. When Bernd took a corner at full speed he frightened team manager Willy Walb into diving into a ditch for cover. Then he totally ignored Walb s stop signals, driving until he was out of fuel. Although Walb called him impudent, he was so impressed with Bernd s outstanding talent that he recommended him for the team.
Bernd competed against the great drivers of the era such as Rudolf Caracciola and Tazio Nuvolari. In his second Grand Prix try, he astonished fans and the racing community by capturing the lead from Caracciola. A junior driver was out in front. The team manager was almost in cardiac arrest frantically signalling Rudolf from the pits and Rudolf was trying desperately to regain the lead. Unfortunately, Rosemeyer erroneously changed a gear too early and fell back to second place finishing one minute and nine seconds behind Caracciola. Nevertheless the message was there. Rosemeyer was a driver to be reckoned with.
Rosemeyer and Nuvolari who were friends as well as competitors shared a similar driving style. They raced flat out even if their cars were disintegrating around them. Bernd was hard on tires often shredding them out early in the race. Both drivers possessed the uncanny ability to maintain car control at top speeds whether cornering or straight out.
In a little over two years of driving, Rosemeyer chalked up ten Grand Prix victories. On January 28, 1938, he was trying to set a speed record on the Autobahn from Frankfurt to Darmstadt. He spun out and the car went airborne. Rosemeyer was tossed out. He was found leaning against a tree in the woods still alive but died minutes later. He was twenty eight years old.
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