Vintage Racing at the Nurburgring

Photos by Alessandro Gerelli

Sending in his set of photos from this year’s Oldtimer Grand Prix (August 11-13), Alessandro Gerelli remarked, “I first attended this event 20 years ago, in 1997! I can’t believe how many years have gone by!” And, he tells us he has not missed a year since.

VeloceToday wasn’t around in 1997, but it was in 2002, when both Alessandro filed his first report for us from the seemingly always-wet Nurburgring.

The weather this year was no better, but we wondered what were the differences between the Oldtimer event in 2002 and today’s event, some 15 years later. The Oldtimer is one of the oldest vintage race car events in the world, this year celebrating its 45th anniversary, meaning it was already 25 years old when Alessandro first attended the races in 1997!

Fortunately, back in 2002, Alessandro also sent a list of the Italian cars of interest entered that year. And there we see what has really changed over the years. The cars are largely the same, but a lot fewer. In 2002 there were at least 36 interesting entries in the prewar and postwar Grand Prix and sports-racing classes: Five Alfas, all prewar, six Ferraris and a whopping 26 Maseratis. Read Story

This year, only 17 cars would have made our list. Only two entrants were on the list in both years; Tony Smith brought a P3 Alfa and the Rettenmaiers brought several pre war Maseratis.

It has been said that as the values of the really great cars increase, their time on the track decreases. So it seems. Here are the entrants for the Historic Grand Prix cars this year. The link to all classes is below.

45th AvD – Oldtimer Grand Prix 2017

Historic Grand Prix Cars 1960
Class 1 1925 – 1934 Grand Prix cars running on 18″ or 19″ wheels
3 Smith, Tony Alfa Romeo P3 2905 1934
11 Gillet, John MG K3 1086 1934

Class 2 1935 – 1951 Grand Prix cars running on 18″ or 19″ wheels
8 Rettenmaier, Stephan Maserati 8 C TF 2991 1938
9 Rettenmaier, Josef Otto Maserati 8 CL 2982 1940
26 Wilson, Richard Talbot Lago T 26 4482 1950

Class 5 1952/53 Grand Prix cars 2000 ccm
6 Eyre, Martin Cooper Bristol 8/53 1971 1953
18 Staes, Erik Cooper Bristol 7/53 1971 1953
19 Grant, Paul Cooper Bristol 3/53 1971 1953
21 Nuthall, Ian Alta F 2 1980 1952
32 Plante, Guy Cooper Bristol MK II 9,5 1971 1953

Class 6 1954 -1958 Grand Prix cars on 16″ wheels
22 Hart, Steven Maserati 250F CM7 2500 1958
33 Fierro, Guillermo Maserati 250F 2523 2500 1954/7
56 Halusa, Martin Maserati 250F 2521 2494 1956
248 Lehr, Dr. Klaus Maserati 250F CM5 2500 1957

Class 7a Pre 1961 Grand Prix cars on 15″ wheels
20 Folch-Rusinol, Joaquin Lotus 16 365 2495 1958
23 Hilliard, Max Lotus 16 363 2207 1959

Entry List, 2017

If you are enjoying this article please click here to subscribe to VeloceToday for only $5 a month!