Paul Pietsch Turns 100, Rally in His Honor

It's not that common these days to see a person live to celebrate their 100th anniversary, and it's even less uncommon for that person to be a famous one. And since in the auto world such a feat is unheard of these days, the event which will take place on June 20 is even more remarkable.

On that date, Paul Pietsch, former racing driver and founder of car magazine Das Auto, celebrates his centennial, and the company he created, Motor Presse Stuttgart, is preparing to say Happy Birthday in style.

With the help of Mercedes Benz, the company will set up a classic car rally and a regularity run from Freiburg to Stuttgart, through the Black Forest, on the course of two days, June 18 and 19. The event will be one not to be missed by the fans of the auto history, as the German rally will be host to a wide range of both classic and modern cars.

For Mercedes, the event marks also just another way for the three-pointed star brand to celebrate its own anniversary, the 125 years that have passed since their first car. At the June rally, big names will join the drive: 170 S Cabriolet B (1950), 220 Cabriolet B (1951), 300d Cabriolet D (1958), 300 SL (1958), 190 SL (1959), 220 SEb Cabriolet (1964), 230 SL (1965), 280 SE 3.5 (1969), 500 SL (1985) and 300 CE-24 (1992).

Pietsch, who was born on June 20, 1911, entered the automotive scene right at the height of its creation. Having begun his career in 1932, as a private Bugatti and Alfa Romeo racer, Pietsch slowly climbed the ladder to become a driver for the big names of that time, like Auto Union and Maserati.