M O T O R S P O R T S

Before the carbon fiber crash structure, the six-point safety harness and crash-worthy helmet, each Grand Prix lap was literally a life or death gamble for a racing driver.  Armed with nothing more than guts and determination, these men risked their lives for a sport they truly loved.  Some did it for the rush of adrenaline, excitement or a feeling of bliss, but for Karl Kling, it was a way of life.

Born in the town of Gießen in 1910, Kling’s fascination for vehicle engineering and motor sport began at an early age.  It was his foreman’s training in motor vehicle mechanics at his local Daimler-Benz agency that brought his first contact with the Stuttgart-based company.  Having completed his degree in engineering in 1936, Kling started to work for the company as a customer service engineer.

Besides the predominantly deskbound job, Kling enjoyed being Daimler-Benz’s representative in highly popular touring car events of the time.  After World War II, he was crowned German Sports Car champion twice, writing a significant chapter in post-war German racing history.  He formally joined Daimler-Benz’s racing team in 1950, winning the ADAC’s six-hour race at the Nürburgring behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz 170 S.  A year later he became part of the legendary trio alongside Juan Manuel Fangio and Hermann Lang.

Driving refitted supercharged V12 racers from 1939, the team entered two Grand Prix events.  A sixth and second place finish were sufficient to guarantee the 40-year-old “newcomer” further race outings.  Kling’s golden period began in 1952, where he enjoyed great success with the 300SL Gullwing prototype.

He won the Bern Grand Prix, took overall victory in the notoriously demanding Carrera Panamericana in Mexico, proved his skills with a second place in the tortuous Mille Miglia in Italy and finished runner-up in the Anniversary Race for sports cars on the Nürburgring.

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