One of the most succesfful and best now works drivers for Porsche AG, Hans Herrmann, celebrates his birthday today February 23rd. The long-distance specialist, considered one of the most successful and dependable racing drivers of his era, was born in Stuttgart in 1928. Herrmann’s won over 80 class and overall victories in a career that spanned 28 years from 1952 to 1970.
Hans Herrmann started his racing career in early 1952, piloting a privately-owned Porsche 356 1500 in mountain races, rallies, and endurance races. A year later he and Richard von Frankenberg took overall fifth place in the Lyon-Charbonnieres rally. Porsche racing chief Huschke von Hanstein thereupon hired him for the Porsche Works team. Herrmann drove the 550 Spyder at the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans, and together with Helmut Glöckler came in first in the 1.5 litre displacement category right off the bat.
In 1953, at the age of 26 Herrmann won the title of German Sportscar Champion and got the attention of legendary Mercedes-Benz racing chief Alfred Neubauer, who hired him for his works team. Hans Herrmann piloted the Mercedes W 196 Silver Arrow in the premier category of motorsports, teaming with top drivers like Juan Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling. Parallel to that, in 1954 he continued to drive for Porsche in the smaller displacement categories. In the 550 Spyder he won widely noted class victories in the Mille Miglia and Carrera Panamericana.
When Daimler-Benz pulled out of racing in 1955, Herrmann went on to drive Formula 1 races for Maserati and BRM, as well as other races as a Borgward works driver. In 1957 he became European Vice “Bergmeister” – Mountan Champion – before returning to the Porsche works team in 1959. Together with Joakim Bonnier, in 1960 Herrmann took the overall victory at the Targa Florio in a Porsche 718 RS60 Spyder, and the Formula 2 championship in a Porsche 718/2. He also won the 12 Hours of Sebring with Olivier Gendebien. In 1963 he left Porsche KG and joined Carlo Abarth’s racing team.
In 1966 Herrmann returned to the Porsche works team, not only driving in all the major long-distance races and European Mountain Championship races, but also doing countless test drives in Weissach. With pilots Hans Herrmann, Jo Siffert, Vic Elford and Rolf Stommelen, in 1969 the team took the World Sports Prototype Championship for the first time. In 1970, at his eleventh Le Mans race Herrmann capped off his career with a bang, winning the first overall victory for Zuffenhausen in a Porsche 917 KH. He took this motorsports achievement as a suitable time to retire from active racing, after 42 years on the track. Since then Hans Herrmann has lived with his wife Magdalena near Stuttgart, successfully operating his company “Hans Herrmann Autotechnik.” As a pilot of historic racecars, he also takes part in many vintage car events for the Porsche Museum.
Major Porsche racing victories by Hans Herrmann
1952 ADAC-Deutschlandfahrt 356 1st place (class)
1953 24 Hours of Le Mans 550 Spyder 1st place (class)
1953 Grand Prix Germany, Nürburgring 550 Spyder 1st place (class)
1954 Mille Miglia 550 Spyder 1st place (class)
1954 Carrera Panamericana 550 Spyder 1st place (class)
1956 12 Hours of Sebring 550 A Spyder 1st place (class)
1956 Grand Prix Germany, Nürburgring 550 Spyder 1st place (class)
1960 Targa Florio 718 RS 60 1st place (overall)
1960 12 Hours of Sebring 718 RS 60 1st place (overall)
1966 Grand Prix Zeltweg 906 Carrera 6 1st place (overall)
1967 1000 km of Spa 910 2nd place (overall)
1968 24 Hours of Daytona 907 1st place (overall)
1968 1000 km of Nürburgring 907 2nd place (overall)
1968 12 Hours of Sebring 907 1st place (overall)
1968 1000 km of Paris 908 1st place (overall)
1969 1000 km of Nürburgring 908 2nd place (overall)
1969 24 Hours of Le Mans 908 2nd place (overall)
1969 1000 km of Monza 908 2nd place (overall)
1970 1000 km of Nürburgring 917 2nd place (overall)
1970 24 Hours of Le Mans 917 1st place (overall)
Other Porsche Blog Posts You Will Enjoy
Hans Herrmann gets Inducted into the Sebring Hall of Fame
Porsche 917 Celebrates 40 Years of Victory
Porsche Names Participants and Cars for Rennsport Reunion IV