Alfred Neubauer

Alfred Neubauer (29 March 1891 – 21 August 1980) was the racing manager of the Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix team from 1926 to 1955.

Biography Neubauer's father, Karl Neubauer, was a furniture-maker in Neutitschein , which then was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Karl christened his only son Alfred, but the child quickly became known to family and friends as Friedl.

Silver Arrows

The Silver Arrows years were dominated by German racing cars and the rivalry between Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union. In its most successful phase, the Mercedes-Benz team's regular drivers were Rudolf Caracciola, Hermann Lang, Manfred von Brauchitsch, and Richard Seaman.

After the Second World War, Mercedes-Benz was anxious to return to racing as soon as possible, but a new formula was announced for 1954, and there was insufficient time to produce a new model. As a compromise solution, the design of the Mercedes-Benz 300 was adapted. This resulted in a new racing car, the Mercedes-Benz 300SL.

With this car, Neubauer achieved victories at the Carrera Panamericana and the Le Mans 24-hour race. When Mercedes-Benz cars returned to Grand Prix racing in 1954, the new Silver Arrows proved to be as superior as those produced before the war. Juan Manuel Fangio was World Champion in 1954 and 1955.

Probably Neubauer's worst day as racing manager was at Le Mans in 1955, when a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR driven by Frenchman Pierre Levegh, was catapulted into the crowd, killing more than 80 people including Levegh. After consultation with Stuttgart, Neubauer withdrew the remaining cars from the event.

After the shock of Le Mans, Mercedes-Benz withdrew from racing altogether, and Alfred Neubauer retired.

Neubauer died on 21 August 1980 in Aldingen, West Germany.