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The history of the legendary “Oldtimer Grand Prix” on the Salzburgring

Oldtimer Grand Prix 1981 with Surtees, Lomas, Taveri, Stastny and Zeller

After retiring from active motorcycle racing in 1955, Helmut Krackowizer began searching for and collecting vintage motorcycles throughout Europe. Some of these finds he kept, restored, modified or sold. In 1967 he founded one of the first vintage motorcycle clubs in Austria, and in 1976 he briefly served as president of the Austrian Vintage Club Association.

At that time, hardly anyone was interested in vintage events. But around 1970 the first meetings were organised in Austria.

Overview

Helmut Krackowizer, 1974 – the first event, not yet called ‘Oldtimer Grand Prix’

One of Helmut Krackowizer’s great dreams became reality with the legendary “Oldtimer Grand Prix” on the Salzburgring, held between 1974 and 1994. The event took place in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985 and 1987 as the “original” Oldtimer Grand Prix, and again in 1994, 1996 and 1997 in a much smaller form – but no longer comparable to the glorious earlier years.

Stars such as Niki Lauda, Juan Manuel Fangio, Sammy Miller, John Surtees, Walter Zeller, Luigi Taveri, Bill Lomas, Hans Haldemann, Schorsch Meier and many other personalities from the world of motor racing came to this event for vintage cars and motorcycles. Mercedes‑Benz sent the famous “Silver Arrows”, and each year more than 100 cars and up to 250 motorcycles took part in this remarkable gathering.

Krackowizer himself continued to ride well into his later years. In 1973 he competed at the Nürburgring on a Sunbeam 90 from 1929 – and won the day. In 1990 he rode the ex‑Wal Handley Rudge during the “Lap of Honour” at the Isle of Man TT. Up to the age of 77 he participated in vintage races.

Now enjoy some photographs of the Oldtimer Grand Prix and remember these days with “Mister Rudge”!

View the photos

The participants

Juan Manuel Fangio, 1979: first time in Austria, driving a Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix car W 196

Between 70 and 100 automobiles and around 200 vintage motorcycles appeared each year, coming from all over Europe. Among the most prominent participants were:

Among the automobile drivers:

  • Juan Manuel Fangio – five‑time world champion from Argentina; in 1979 he appeared for the first time in Austria, driving a 1955 Mercedes‑Benz W 196 Grand Prix car.
  • Niki Lauda – Austrian Formula 1 world champion, driving a legendary Mercedes‑Benz “Silver Arrow”.
  • Prof. Dr. Max Reisch – with his Steyr Type 100 (6/32 HP, 1400 cm³), the car in which he travelled around the world in the 1930s.
  • Bill Lomas (GBR) – 1955 and 1956 world champion on Moto Guzzi.
  • Luigi Taveri (SUI) – three‑time world champion.
  • John Surtees (GBR) – the only person ever to win world championships on both two and four wheels.
  • 1977: Otto Mathé (AUT), Innsbruck – with his Porsche “Urahn”, the 1940 Berlin–Rome car based on VW, never produced for the public.
  • 1977: Hans Herrmann (GER) – with a Mercedes‑Benz 300 SLR.
  • 1981: Jürgen Barth – Porsche works driver.
  • 1981: Bosch racing manager Jüttner.

Among the motorcyclists:

  • “Wiggerl” Kraus and his passenger Bernhard Huser – BMW sidecar team; Kraus was five‑time German champion.
  • Jock West (GBR) – BMW works rider 1937–1939.
  • Reinhard Hollaus – brother of Rupert Hollaus, Austria’s only motorcycle world champion; in 1979 he rode the original 1954 NSU Rennfox 125 cm³.
  • Franz Falk (AUT), Graz.
  • Georg “Schorsch” Meier (GER) – famous BMW rider.
  • Fritz Walcher – winner of the first post‑war race in Salzburg‑Nonntal, October 1946.
  • Ferdinand and Edi Kranavetvogel – motorcycle racers from Salzburg.
  • Siegfried Cmyral – rode the legendary supercharged Puch between 1929 and 1932.
  • August “Gustl” Hobl – DKW works rider in the 1950s, multiple German champion.
  • Franta Šťastný (CSSR) – vice world champion.
  • Hans Haldemann (SUI) – among the world’s best sidecar racers with his fast Norton outfit.
  • Walter Zeller (GER) – BMW works rider, multiple German champion and one‑time vice world champion.
  • Erwin Lechner (AUT) – seven‑time Austrian champion.
  • Nello Paganini.
  • Fritz Walcher (Seewalchen, Upper Austria).
Helmut Krackowizer, 1976: first time called ‘Oldtimer Grand Prix’

The vehicles

A complete list would be far too long, so here are just a few highlights:

  • 1981: A legendary Mercedes‑Benz “Silver Arrow”, in which Hermann Lang became European Champion in 1939. This 3‑litre supercharged racing car with around 500 HP was driven in 1981 by Niki Lauda.
  • 1981: The oldest car present – a 1.5‑litre four‑cylinder supercharged Mercedes‑Benz from 1924, from the Deutsches Museum in Munich, winner of the 1924 Targa Florio.
  • 1981: A Talbot‑Lago Grand Prix car from 1949, the “Delahaye Sport”, driven by Prince Hohenlohe‑Langenburg.
  • 1981: Helmut Schellenberg with his Bugatti 35 C – the winning car of Prince Lobkowitz at the 1930 Gaisberg race in Salzburg, and involved in a spectacular crash.
  • Also present: an Austro‑Daimler ADM (1924), a DKW F1 racing car (1930), a Rolls‑Royce 20/25 (1934), a Mercedes‑Benz 300 SL (1952), and a Stanguellini Formula Junior (1959) – the Modena‑based company for which even Niki Lauda drove early in his career.

Among the motorcycles:

  • 1981: A works NSU 350 cm³ from 1937 with the last double‑cam engine designed by the English engineer Walter Moore, constructor of the NSU “Königswelle” motorcycles until 1938. Restored and ridden by Heinz Metzmeier (Baden, Germany).
  • 1981: Günther Warnecke (Bremen, Germany) with a rare 500 cm³ Rudge TT Replica, restored by him and ridden by his son.
  • Reinhard Hollaus – riding the NSU Rennfox 125 cm³, the winning motorcycle of his brother Rupert.
  • 1974: Ivan Rhodes (GBR) with the only surviving and running 500 cm³ works Velocette – the pre‑1939 machine of Stanley Woods, ten‑time TT winner, which caused many headaches for the Norton riders Guthrie, Frith and Daniell.
  • Hans Wilhelm Busch (GER) – brought an eight‑valve V‑twin Wanderer from 1925.
  • 1987: Michael Krauser Jr. with the ex‑world‑champion BMW sidecar of Deubel/Hörner (1961).
  • 1987: Erwin Bongards (GER) – riding the fully enclosed, double‑cam single‑cylinder Moto Guzzi of 1955.
  • Further machines included a Scott TT 500 (1926), Puch 250 Sport (1928), Megola 640 five‑cylinder (1923), DKW 350 SS (1939) and, of course, many Rudge motorcycles.
  • The range of marques stretched from Ariel and AJS to Brough‑Superior, BSA, Calthorpe, DKW, D‑Rad, Douglas, Gillet Herstal, Humber, Harley‑Davidson, Moto Guzzi, Megola, Norton, New Imperial, NSU, Puch, Raleigh, Rudge, Schütthoff, Standard, Velocette, Wimmer and Zenith. (This list is far from complete!)