Mercedes’ Racing Driver Who Never Competed
Most of today’s car enthusiasts, Mercedes-specific or otherwise, would not know who Rudolf Uhlenhaut was. Born in London to a German banker and his English wife, Rudi, as he has become known, was an engineer who joined Mercedes-Benz in the 1930s. Working at first under engineer Fritz Nallinger with the development of the model 170V, Uhlenhaut eventually became head of the Mercedes-Benz racing department, which produced such notable Mercedes race cars as the W125 (dominant in the 1937 GPs), the W154, W194 and the W196. These cars were all race and championship winners. But as admirable as Uhlenhaut’s engineering skills were his driving skills. He could drive with the best… Continue Reading »