Following the successful premiere in spring with the first “AUTOMOBILSPORT Day of Legends” dedicated to Stefan Bellof, the second edition of the event focused on two-time World Rally Champion Walter Röhrl. Once again, the museum in Dietzhölztal-Ewersbach proved to be the perfect location to review the career of a great motorsport personality in a fitting and stylish atmosphere. Together with his long-time co-driver Christian Geistdörfer and Porsche engineer Roland Kussmaul, Röhrl generated great enthusiasm in front of a sold-out audience with exciting stories told at full throttle in conversation with expert Eckhard Schimpf.
Even before the official announcement, the first orders for tickets had already been received, and after the date was confirmed for the third weekend of Advent, the available tickets were sold out within a few days.
On the day of the event, the car park was already filling up in the morning. The number plates on the parked cars showed that some visitors had travelled a long way to get here: Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands and, of course, the whole of Germany. First, visitors had the opportunity to admire the museum’s impressive collection, including the special exhibition on Grand Prix cars. In the large exhibition hall, where the stage for the panel discussion had been set up in the market square, several vehicles from Walter Röhrl’s career were on display, including the Audi Sport quattro S1 and the lightweight Porsche 959 S from the museum’s collection. Schnitzer Classic brought along the BMW 2002 Turbo that Röhrl had driven in the 1977 DRM race at the Norisring. The Lancia Beta Montecarlo from the 1979 Giro d’Italia came from Franco Meiners’ collection, and Freisinger Motorsport provided the Porsche 964 from the 1992 24-hour race at the Nürburgring.
Thanks to partner Leica, all visitors were able to have their photo taken professionally with the Audi Sport quattro S1 on display as a souvenir. Konektra supplied the display cases in which objects such as original helmets, suits and gloves, as well as one of Walter Röhrl’s four Monte Carlo Rally trophies, were exhibited. Pirelli and the Automobile Club of Germany also partnered the event.
The panel discussion, hosted by former racing driver, author and motorsport expert Eckhard Schimpf, focused on Walter Röhrl’s career and the fascinating world of rallying in the 1970s and 1980s. Röhrl mentioned one possible reason why he has been so popular for decades: ‘I saw that I could do something special, but I never believed that I was special.’ His honesty and straightforwardness are further reasons for his popularity: ‘I never let myself be swayed. Today, I would probably be fired after eight days.’ Röhrl’s long-time co-driver Christian Geistdörfer said: ‘Walter is my soulmate; I owe it to him that I’m sitting here. I wouldn’t have survived some accidents with another driver.’ Porsche engineer Roland Kussmaul highlighted Röhrl’s driving skills: ‘Working with Walter is very difficult for a technician because he drives just as fast in a bad car as he does in a good car. Only if you know him can you see the difference.’
The two hours scheduled for the discussion and subsequent questions from the audience were exceeded due to the exciting insights provided. The subsequent signing session also took much longer than planned due to the enormous rush, but the celebrities made sure that everyone present received the autographs, dedications and photo opportunities they wanted, so that everyone left satisfied. For those who had purchased one of the strictly limited exclusive tickets, the event concluded with a dinner together with the ‘legends’. The reactions to the “AUTOMOBILSPORT Day of Legends” with Walter Röhrl were overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Walter Röhrl himself also expressed his positive views: ‘It’s great that so many people are interested in what we have experienced.’ A continuation of the event series is planned, and further editions of the “AUTOMOBILSPORT Day of Legends” are already in the works.
