Racing for the Reich Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1903

France dominated early motor-racing, French manufacturers winning races all over the continent, and also winning four of the six Gordon Bennett Cups.

Germany would win the 1903 edition, which took place in Athy, Ireland, which at that time was part of the United Kingdom. Belgian Camille Jenatzy, driving a Mercedes, covered a distance of 527 kilometres in a time of six hours and thirty-nine minutes. French drivers, driving a Panhard, finished second and third. Germany would host the 1904 edition, Jenatzy finishing second, again driving a Mercedes.

Answer: 1908

Mercedes attended the first three Grand Prix, though without success in 1906 and 1907. However, with new rules established for the 1908 race, allowed Christian Lautenschlager to take the the first victory for the three-pointed star in Grand Prix motor racing.

Lautenschlager completed the ten lap race, held around Dieppe, in just under seven hours, finishing ahead of the second place car by 9 minutes. On a course at 77 kilometres long, he averaged 111 kilometres an hour.

Answer: True

On public roads around Lyon, with war just on the horizon, the Peugeot team representing France, and the Mercedes representing Germany, locked horns in a battle for prestige and victory on July 4th, 1914. With five cars at their disposal, the Mercedes cars pushed those of the Peugeot team to destruction. French hero Georges Boillot valiantly fought off the Mercedes, but numerous pitstops caused him to lose time, and by the time his engine failed on lap 19 of 20, he was a tired, broken man.

Christian Lautenschlager won his second French Grand Prix, leading home teammates Louis Wagner and Otto Salzer in front of 300,000 fans, most of them French, nearly all of them silent as 'Deutschland Uber Alles' played for the victors. Three weeks later, Europe was at war.

Answer: Targa Florio

Mercedes and Benz had not joined together yet, so competed as separate entities. Benz arrived at the 1923 Italian Grand Prix with a new mid-engined car, and although reported to be a pleasure to drive, was not competitive. Mercedes did not return to Grand Prix racing, at least in an official capacity, but Christian Werner won both the Coppa Florio and Targa Florio

Answer: Avus

In a field of mostly German drivers, Caracciola completed the 20 laps of the near 20 kilometre Avus circuit in a little under three hours, winning by over three minutes from runner-up Christian Riecken. This was the first of six victories for Caracciola at the German Grand Prix.

Answer: French

With financial backing from the state, no expense was spared when Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union arrived at Montlhery for the 1934 French Grand Prix. Each team entered three cars each - Mercedes-Benz with Caracciola, Luigi Fagioli and Manfred von Brauchitsch, Auto Union with Hans Stuck, August Bomberger and Hermann zu Leiningen.

Despite their high hopes, none of the German cars saw the chequered flag. Louis Chiron won for France, leading home an Alfa Romeo 1-2-3.

Answer: Tazio Nuvolari

Mercedes-Benz had won the first three races of the European Championship season, Fagioli in Monaco, Caricciola in France and Belguim.

The German teams were confident of victory as they arrived at the Nurburgring for the 1935 German Grand Prix. Nuvolari started in second place, and by lap 5 was the only Alfa Romeo left in the race in the face of the German juggernaut. Yet the rainy conditions help Nuvolari and the underpowered Alfa Romeo, the little Italian leading by lap 10. After a pitstop that dropped him to sixth, Nuvolari drove out of his skin, and was again in 2nd place by the last lap. He caught the leader, von Brauchitsch, on the final lap, passing the slowing Mercedes-Benz, to take victory. He was applauded by the 300,000 German supporters.

The 1935 German Grand Prix is known as the 'Impossible Victory'.

Answer: 1936

A former motorcycle racer, Rosemeyer made his debut for Auto Union in 1935. He won only one major race, the Masaryk Grand Prix in Brno, Czechoslovakia. 1935 had been a learning year. 1936 was an all-out assault on the race tracks of Europe, Rosemeyer winning three of the four Championship Grand Prix, in Germany, Switzerland and Italy, to win the title with ease. He would also win the Eifelrennen, held at the Nurburgring in appalling conditions.

He would win the Eifelrennen again in 1937, as well as the Donington Grand Prix, though finished well down in the European Championship. By the time of the first Championship race of 1938, Rosemeyer was dead. On January 28, 1938, he was killed while travelling at over 270mph on the Frankfurt autobahn during a land speed record attempt.

Answer: Richard Seaman

Dick Seaman made his racing debut in 1934, initially competing in Voiturette racing, and he was immediately successful. Racing an E.R.A, he won numerous races from 1934 to 1936, eventually catching the attention of Neubauer. By 1937, Seaman was racing for Mercedes-Benz. He competed in only two Championship Grand Prix in that first season, finishing fourth in Italy. For 1938, he missed the French Grand Prix but would win the German Grand Prix, after teammates Hermann Lang and Caracciola both struck trouble.

Seaman would not live to see the outbreak of war. Leading the 1939 Belgian Grand Prix in wet condition, he crashed into a tree, was knocked unconscious and a fire broke out. He would pass away in hospital before midnight of June 25th, 1939.

Answer: Hermann Lang

Hermann Lang won the final race of the European Championship, beating teammate Caracciola to the finish line by only three seconds. von Brauchitsch would finish third, meaning it was another Mercedes-Benz 1-2-3.

Only one more Grand Prix would be held in Europe in 1939, the Belgrade Grand Prix on September 3rd, won by Nuvolari driving an Auto Union. Grand Prix racing would not return to Europe until 1946.