Manfred von Brauchitsch

摘要

Donington hall is a 17th century house in the English Midlands. In the 1930s its owner was persuaded that motor sport was a suitable interest for a gentleman and arranged for a racing circuit, two miles long, to be built in the grounds. It soon became popular, with the smell of motor fuel blending with the scent of the woodlands. In 1937 there was an air of particular excitement among the frequenters of Donington. The Germans were coming. In racing circuits throughout Europe two German teams, from the factories of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union, had created something of a legend, and indeed a sense of fear, among their competitors as a result of their prowess. Some 50, 000 people turned up at Donington to check the legend. The German who seemed to catch everyone's eye was Manfred von Brauchitsch, a driver in the Mercedes team.