Walter Schock

Hailing from Stuttgart, Schock was one of the most successful racing and rally drivers of the 1950s and 1960s. First, he completed an apprenticeship as a motor vehicle mechanic at Daimler-Benz AG and was taken on in the testing department. Although only 17 years old, Walter Schock was allowed to get his driving licence and subsequently worked as a breaking-in driver and test driver. After the end of the war, he returned briefly to Daimler-Benz before joining his parents' business.

In sporting terms, he remained loyal to the star. In 1954, Schock fulfilled a childhood dream whose earlier realisation was prevented by the war. He started at the first ever Rallye Solitude and immediately took a class victory in a Mercedes-Benz 220, his company car, at the sporty test drive.

Now the motorsport bug had a firm grip on him, and the Stuttgart native started in the Monte-Carlo Rally the following year together with his co-driver Rolf Moll at his own expense. In their barely modified 220 "Ponton" saloon, the duo fought their way into fifth place overall. After further good placings in European championship races, such as a sixth place in the Sestrière Rally and tenth place in the Viking Rally held in Norway, Schock won the private driver classification of the championship.

In 1956, Schock/Moll were provided with a factory-owned Mercedes-Benz 220. The team immediately returned the favour with a second place at the Monte-Carlo Rally and, most importantly, two victories at the Sestrière Rally and the Acropolis Rally in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. Another top result, again in a 300 SL, was fourth place at the Adriatique Rally. After this result, Schock and Moll could be proud of the title of European Rally Champion at the end of the season. At the same time, Walter Schock also competed on the circuit and won the German Sports Car Championship in the GT class up to 1300 cc in the same season.

The Schock/Moll team returned to full action in the European Rally Championship in 1960 and claimed three victories. Driving a 220 SE "Tail-Fin saloon", the two took the first German victory at the Monte-Carlo Rally at the beginning of the season, followed by another success at the Acropolis Rally and first place at the Poland Rally. With further good results at the Rallye International de Genève, the Tulip Rally and the Germany Rally, where they finished fifth, third and fourth, the duo once again clinched the European Rally Championship.

Schock celebrated the last great triumph of his active career the following year when, together with Manfred Schiek, he won the Gran Premio Internacional de Turismo in a 220 SE ahead of his brand colleagues Hans Herrmann/Rainer Günzler, a 4600-kilometre marathon stage over partly unpaved Argentinian tracks.