Rudolf Uhlenhaut
Rudolf Uhlen skin ( born July 15, 1906 in London, † 8 May 1989 in Stuttgart), was a German engineer and later CEO of Daimler -Benz.
Uhlenhaut, son of an Englishwoman and a German came in 1906 in London to the world, where his father headed the branch of Deutsche Bank. From there, the family first moved to Brussels, then to Bremen. The study of mechanical engineering, he graduated because of his fondness for skiing at the University of Munich. In 1931 he went as a young engineer at Daimler- Benz in Stuttgart and began his career under Fritz Nallinger in the testing department. There he experimented on carburetors and worked, among others, the development of the Mercedes 170 V.
1936 took over Uhlenhaut the vacant leadership of the race car division, which was inferior in this Year of Auto Union. In testing the gifted as a driver Uhlenhaut found the weaknesses in to soft chassis of the " Silver Arrow " W 25 After extensive revision became the new W 125 the superior car in the Grand Prix season in 1937, with Rudolf Caracciola as a rider European champion. The car was replaced by the W 154, which the seasons 1938 and 1939 dominated. Surprise caught his almost " lightning-like " structure of the 1.5-liter car W 165 for the Grand Prix of Tripoli in 1939, which was - probably been downgraded at the latest possible time of the 3-liter championship on the Voiturette class to the time in this group leading Alfa Romeo type 159 to give a chance of victory - the Alfa Romeo with the 3 - liter racing cars in the large class hardly had.
Due to the Second World War, it was not until the early 1950s, Mercedes built up again a competitive sports car. Uhlenhaut idea was to build the engine of the type 300 a racing car. From the W 194 (Mercedes 300 SL), who won in 1952 surprisingly important sports car race, then in 1954 the legendary "Gullwing Coupe " 300 SL ( W 198 ) was for the road.
Uhlen skin was always anxious to improve the racing car and also gave themselves to the maximum. Famous are events that took place with racers. So said 1955 driver Juan Manuel Fangio, that the car was not yet fully prepared. Uhlenhaut rose then, after a sumptuous lunch in a suit and tie, sat in the car and lapped the Nürburgring three seconds faster than the world champion. Back at Fangio told him Uhlenhaut that he still wants to practice a little.
Rudolf Uhlenhaut never owned life its own car. But he is identified with various vehicles. Most famous is the so-called " Uhlenhaut coupe " based on the open 300 - SLR - eight-cylinder engine, along with, inter alia, Stirling Moss with Denis Jenkinson won the 1955 Mille Miglia. For the 1956 racing season, it was provided with a closed body to offer drivers greater comfort on long journeys. However, Mercedes -Benz withdrew after the accident back in the 24- hour race at Le Mans in 1955 from motorsport. Uhlenhaut used the vehicle in the following years regularly. It was much faster ( and louder) than the 300 SL.
At the age he needed a hearing aid, which he attributed to the constant driving his car. He was later on the board of the Stuttgart-based company and retired in 1972.