Bernd Rosemeyer

Bernd Rosemeyer, born on 14 October 1909 and died on 28 January 1938, was a German racing driver and speed record holder who is often considered one of the greatest racing drivers of his era. He started by racing motorcycles in his father's garage business and joined the Auto Union racing team with hardly any experience in racing cars, driving its powerful mid-engined Silver Arrows designed by Ferdinand Porsche. He won his first Grand Prix at the Brno Masaryk Circuit in 1935, won the European driving championship in 1936, and in 1937 took four of Auto Union's five victories against Mercedes. He married the aviator Elly Beinhorn, a celebrity pairing the Nazi Party used for propaganda, and he held SS rank. He was killed on 28 January 1938 during a land speed record attempt on the Autobahn between Frankfurt and Darmstadt, after setting a class record of 432 km/h.