Eberhard Mahle

It is not surprising that this Stuttgart native was infected by the racing bug. As the son of Ernst Mahle, co-founder of one of the world's most important automotive suppliers, he had already looked over the shoulders of his father's engineers at a young age and accompanied them to races. Having just come of age, Mahle contested his first motorsport event, the Rally Solitude, in 1954. In a DKW 3=6, he took class victory in the class up to 1000 cc and fourth place overall.

Since Mahle senior had little sympathy for his son's ambitions, no financial support was forthcoming. So the young talent was dependent on vehicles that the manufacturers made available to him. It was therefore not uncommon for Mahle to start in up to four different makes in a season. In 1957, he became German GT champion with Alfa Romeo, in 1959 German mountain champion with Volvo.

In 1960, he was part of the Mercedes-Benz works team with Walter Schock and Eugen Böhringer. His first success was a third place at the Monte-Carlo Rally with co-driver Roland Ott behind Schock/Moll and Böhringer/Socher, all in 220 SEs. This was followed – also in 220 SEs – by two fourth places for the duo at the Rallye Internationale de Genève and the Austrian Alpine Rally, both rounds of the European Rally Championship.

Mahle subsequently achieved numerous victories and class wins in a red 300 SL Roadster with the number plate S - EE 660. The car became his trademark until 1962. In 1964, an accident interrupted his promising career for two years.

In 1966, the Stuttgart driver returned to the action and immediately won the GT category of the European Mountain Championship in a Porsche 911. After his sporting career ended, Mahle devoted himself to his work as a shareholder in the Mahle-Stiftung GmbH, into which the Mahle empire was transformed in 1964.