Edgar Barth

Edgar Barth
Barth at the 1957 German Grand Prix
Born	Wilfried Edgar Barth (1917-01-26)26 January 1917 Herold, Saxony, German Empire
Died	20 May 1965(1965-05-20) (aged 48) Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany
Children	Jürgen Barth
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	East German (1953) West German (1957–1958, 1960–1961, 1964)
Active years	1953, 1957–1958, 1960–1961, 1964
Teams	EMW, Porsche, Walker
Entries	7 entries (5 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	1953 German Grand Prix
Last entry	1964 German Grand Prix

Wilfried Edgar Barth (German pronunciation: [ˈvɪlfriːt ˈɛt.ɡaːɐ̯ baʁt]; 26 January 1917 – 20 May 1965) was a German racing driver who competed under the East German flag in Formula One in 1953, and as a West German between 1957 and 1964, taking part in five Grands Prix in all. He also competed in sports car racing, winning the 1959 Targa Florio with Wolfgang Seidel.

Racing career

Barth was born in Herold. He began his career as a DKW motorcycle racer and later switched to BMW sportscars. The East German factory of BMW would become the Eisenacher Motorenwerk (EMW) after the war. He drove the factory team car in the East German Formula 2 Championship, which he won in both 1952 and 1953. He was allowed to participate in three events in the West in 1953, including his first appearance in the Formula One World Championship. He finished fifth in the non-championship Eifelrennen, but retired from the Avusrennen and the German Grand Prix.

In 1957, he emigrated to the West and drove sporadically for the works Porsche team in Formula One until 1961. He drove in the F2 sections at his home race in 1956 and 1957, finishing outside the points both times. He drove a Formula 1 car in the 1960 Italian Grand Prix, finishing seventh. He was entered into his home race in 1961 but was later withdrawn and was entered as a substitute at Monza that year. His final F1 appearance came at the 1964 German Grand Prix driving a Cooper-Climax for Rob Walker Racing, failing to make the flag.

Barth participated in the 500 kilometers of the Nürburgring, in 1960 in a BMW 700, finishing fifth. Barth won the 1959, 1963 and 1964 European Mountain Championships (Hillclimb) for Porsche and also the 1959 Targa Florio. Apart from Formula 2 races with Porsche 718, he also took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans on numerous occasions.

He began to suffer from cancer at the end of 1964, and succumbed to the disease in May 1965. His son Jürgen Barth became an engineer at Porsche and also went into motorsport, winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1977.

from left to right: Jean Behra, Fritz Huschke von Hanstein, Richard von Frankenberg and Edgar Barth

Edgar Barth racing helmet at the Prototyp Museum, Hamburg, Germany.

Career results

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	WDC	Pts
1953	Rennkollektiv EMW	EMW R2	EMW 6 2.0 L6	ARG	500	NED	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER Ret	SUI	ITA			NC	0
1957	Dr Ing F. Porsche KG	Porsche RS550 (F2)	Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4	ARG	MON	500	FRA	GBR	GER 12	PES	ITA				NC	0
1958	Dr Ing F. Porsche KG	Porsche RSK (F2)	Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4	ARG	MON	NED	500	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER 6	POR	ITA	MOR	NC	0
1960	Dr Ing F. Porsche KG	Porsche 718	Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4	ARG	MON	500	NED	BEL	FRA	GBR	POR	ITA 7	USA		NC	0
1961	Dr Ing F. Porsche KG	Porsche 787	Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4	MON	NED	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER WD						NC	0
	Porsche System Engineering	Porsche 718								ITA PO	USA
1964	R.R.C. Walker Racing Team	Cooper T66	Climax FWMV 1.5 V8	MON	NED	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER Ret	AUT	ITA	USA	MEX		NC	0
Source:

References

• "Edgar Barth". Motor Sport. Retrieved 18 December 2018.

External links

Media related to Edgar Barth at Wikimedia Commons