Lehbrink, H: Fangio & Mercedes-Benz

In den fünfziger Jahren war der fünffache Formel-1-Champion Juan Manuel Fangio ein berühmter Mann. Seine beiden Weltmeisterschaften 1954 und 55 holte er sich auf Mercedes-Benz und half damit der jungen Bundesrepublik Deutschland, sich selbst zu finden. Aber sogar über solche Glorie macht sich die Zeit her. Was heute noch an Fangio erinnert, ist Statistik und Berichterstattung, die Biographie, sogar die Darstellung in der Bildenden Kunst. Vor allem aber blieb ein tiefer Eindruck in den Herzen derer, die ihm nahestanden. Dieses Buch ist der Versuch einer Rekonstruktion aus dem Echo, das dieser sehr besondere Mensch bis heute hinterlassen hat.

Born on June 24, 1911 Juan Manuel Fangio would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year. The enigmatic racing car driver from Argentina dominated the first decade of Formula One racing history. Many still consider him to be one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time - only beaten by Michael Schumacher who won more F1 World Driver's Championships than him. After retiring from racing Fangio sold Mercedes-Benz cars, often driving his former race cars in demonstration laps. Even before he joined the Mercedes Formula One team, in the early 1950s, Fangio had acquired the Argentine Mercedes concession. He was appointed President of Mercedes-Benz Argentina in 1974, and its Honorary President for Life in 1987. Due to its significance for the International motorsport history and in honour of this great racing car driver Mercedes-Benz have commissioned a new biography on his life and racing career illustrated with a wealth of previously unpublished photographs from the Daimler archives.