Gerhard Mitter

Biography Gerhard Mitter

Born :  August 30 1935
Deceased : August 1 1969

Gerhard Mitter was born in Schönline,  Czechoslovakia. Mitter’s father was called to duty in the war. In 1945 Gerhard Mitter, his sister and his mother flew to Germany.  At that time, father August Mitter was missing. However, it seemed he was taken prisoner of war. August Mitter showed up again, and the family started a new life in Leonberg, close to Stuttgart. Gerhard Mitter attended grammar school – first in Korntal, then in Bad Reichenhall – but left it prematurely at secondary school to begin an apprenticeship as a mechanic and electrician. Already during his apprenticeship he drove off-road races on a self-made NSU Fox. His greatest success in 1955 was winning the German Junior Championship in the class up to 125 cm³.

In 1959, Gerhard Mitter switched from motorcycle racing to car racing . He started in Formula Junior with a self  built car. Mitter used that same car in hillclimbs too. The engines tuned by Gerhard Mitter seemed to be popular. Even Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips used one in his TCA (Trips-Colotti-Auto-Union).

Formula 1 Career

Gerhard Mitter drove his first F1 race, at the Solitude race track, in 1962 in a Lotus 21/24. That race was not part of the World Championship. Mitter finished sixth. In 1963 he competed in a two-year-old Porsche 718 of the Ecurie Maarsbergen of Count Carel Godin de Beaufort at the Dutch Grand Prix. Unfortunately he did not finish the race, due to a clutch failure. At the Nürburgring he finished fourth with the technically outdated Porsche and won three world championship points.

Porsche factory driver

Gerhard Mitter belonged to the Porsche works team since 1964. After winning the airfield race in Trier in Count Beaufort’s Porsche 904 on May 3rd.  Mitter and Herbert Linge competed for the first time for Porsche in the 1000 km race at the Nürburgring on May 31dt. They finished  in 12thplace overall. From 1966 to 1968 Gerhard Mitter won the European Mountain Championship three times for Porsche.  In 1969 Mitter shared the wheel of a Porsche 908 with do Schütz for the Targa Florio,  with an outright victory as a result. In numerous other races Mitter achieved victories or good placings with Porsche sports cars and Porsche prototypes. 1969, at the Daytona 24H, The Porsche 908 of Gerhard Mitter and Udo Schütz was in second place before Schütz had an accident with the car halfway through the race. The year before, it was Mitter who crashed his Porsche 907 LH at the same track. 1968 was the year Vic Elford, Rolf Stommelen and Jochen Neerpasch won the Daytona 24H in a Porsche for the 1st time. 

Fatal accident at the Nürburgring

n 1969 Gerhard Mitterwas aiming for a permanent place in a Formula 1 team. He had a contract with BMW for Formula 2 races.In August, at the  the German Grand Prix Formula 1 and Formula 2 cars competed together. , BMW competed with three F269s, which were to be driven by Hubert Hahne, Gerhard Mitter and Dieter Quester.

In the second round of the afternoon training on Friday, 1 August 1969, Gerhard Mitter was killed in an accident at kilometre 4.9 of the Nürburgring between the airfield and Schwedenkreuz sections of the route. The cause of the accident was probably a defect in the steering system.

Gerhard Mitter’s race results with Porsche

Year: 1962

Date	Race	No.	Car	Drivers	Entrant	Result
27.5.1962	1000 km Nürburgring	26	Porsche 356B	Rank / Mitter	Autohaus Mitter	DNS

Year: 1964

Date	Race	No.	Car	Drivers	Entrant	Result
3.5.1964	DARM GT Trier [GT2.5]		Porsche 904	Gerhard Mitter		1st
31.5.1964	1000 km Nürburgring	46	Porsche 904	Linge / Mitter	Porsche System Engineering	12th
31.5.1964	1000 km Nürburgring	60	Porsche 904	Gerhard Mitter	Carel Godin de Beaufort	DNA
22.6.1964	24 h Le Mans	30	Porsche 904	Davis / Mitter	Porsche System Engineering	DNF
22.6.1964	24 h Le Mans	62	Porsche 904	de Beaufort / Mitter / Ligier	Racing Team Holland	DNA
5.7.1964	12 h Reims	42	Porsche 904	Koch / Mitter	Porsche System	6th
11.10.1964	1000 km Paris	31	Porsche 904	Linge / Mitter	Porsche System Engineering	DNF

Year: 1965

Date	Race	No.	Car	Drivers	Entrant	Result
27.3.1965	12 h Sebring	38	Porsche 904	Mitter / Linge	Porsche Automobile Co.	9th
11.4.1965	Le Mans Test	32	Porsche 904	Mitter / Linge	Porsche System Engineering	10th
11.4.1965	Le Mans Test	33	Porsche 904	Mitter / Linge	Porsche System Engineering	9th
9.5.1965	Targa Florio	174	Porsche 904	Bonnier / Hill / *Mitter	Porsche System Engineering	4th
9.5.1965	Targa Florio	182	Porsche 904	Davis / Mitter	Porsche System Engineering	2nd
23.5.1965	1000 km Nürburgring	21	Porsche 904	Mitter / Davis	Porsche	9th
23.5.1965	1000 km Nürburgring	21T	Porsche 904	Mitter / Davis / Bonnier / Rindt	Porsche	T-car
13.6.1965	Hill Climb Rossfeld	2	Porsche 904	Gerhard Mitter	Porsche System	T-car
13.6.1965	Hill Climb Rossfeld	2T	Porsche 904	Gerhard Mitter	Porsche System	1st
20.6.1965	24 h Le Mans	33	Porsche 904	Davis / Mitter	Porsche System Engineering	DNF
4.7.1965	Norisring [P2.0]	2	Porsche 904	Gerhard Mitter	Porsche K G	1st
18.7.1965	Solitude [P2.0]	1	Porsche 904	Gerhard Mitter	Porsche	1st
25.7.1965	Hill Climb Cesana-Sestrières		Porsche 904	Gerhard Mitter		2nd
8.8.1965	Hill Climb Freiburg	60	Porsche 904	Gerhard Mitter	Porsche System	2nd
29.8.1965	Hill Climb Ollon-Villars	171	Porsche 904	Gerhard Mitter	Porsche System Engineering Ltd.	2nd
29.8.1965	Hill Climb Ollon-Villars	T	Porsche 904	Gerhard Mitter	Porsche System Engineering Ltd.	T-car
5.9.1965	500 km Nürburgring	11	Abarth 1300 OT	Mitter	Abarth	2nd
5.9.1965	500 km Nürburgring	12	Abarth 1300 OT	Steinmetz / *Mitter	Abarth	3rd
10.10.1965	Preis von Tirol [Sports]	8	Abarth 2000 OT	Gerhard Mitter		2nd
17.10.1965	Aspern [GT]	69	Porsche 904	Gerhard Mitter	Gerhard Mitter	1st
17.10.1965	Aspern [Sports]	91	Abarth 2000 OT	In entry list only	Abarth Corse S. p. A.	2nd

Year: 1966

Date	Race	No.	Car	Drivers	Entrant	Result
6.2.1966	24 h Daytona	15	Porsche 906	In entry list only	Porsche System Engineering	6th
6.2.1966	24 h Daytona	16	Porsche 904	Mitter / Buzzetta	Porsche System Engineering	7th
26.3.1966	12 h Sebring	52	Porsche 906	Herrmann / Buzzetta / Mitter	Porsche System Engineering	4th
26.3.1966	12 h Sebring	53	Porsche 906	Mitter / Klass	Porsche System Engineering	DNF
25.4.1966	1000 km Monza	28	Porsche 906	Mitter / Herrmann	Porsche System Engineering	4th
25.4.1966	1000 km Monza	29	Porsche 906	In entry list only	Porsche System Engineering	7th
8.5.1966	Targa Florio	218	Porsche 906	Mitter / Bonnier	Porsche System Engineering	DNF
8.5.1966	Targa Florio	T	Porsche 904	Arena / Pucci / Mitter / Bonnier / Herrmann / Glemser	Porsche System Engineering	T-car
8.5.1966	Targa Florio	T	Porsche 906	Mitter / Bonnier / Herrmann / Glemser / Arena / Pucci	Porsche System Engineering	T-car
22.5.1966	1000 km Spa	10	Porsche 906	Mitter / Nöcker	Porsche System Engineering	DNS
19.6.1966	DARM Mainz-Finthen [S+1.6]	11	Porsche 906	Gerhard Mitter	Scuderia Lufthansa	1st
19.6.1966	24 h Le Mans	30	Porsche 906	In entry list only	Porsche System Engineering	4th
17.7.1966	DARM Norisring [SP]	15	Porsche 906	Gerhard Mitter	Porsche KG	1st
14.8.1966	GP Hockenheim	1	Porsche 906	Gerhard Mitter	Porsche System Engineering	1st
28.8.1966	Hill Climb Sierre Montagna	186	Porsche 910	Gerhard Mitter	Porsche System	2nd
11.9.1966	500 km Zeltweg	14	Porsche 906	Mitter / Herrmann	Porsche System	1st
9.10.1966	Preis von Tirol [SP2.0]	93	Porsche 906	Gerhard Mitter	Porsche KG, Salzburg	1st
16.10.1966	Aspern [SRP]	75	Porsche 906	Gerhard Mitter	Porsche KG, Salzburg	3rd

Year: 1967

Date	Race	No.	Car	Drivers	Entrant	Result
5.2.1967	24 h Daytona	51	Porsche 906	Mitter / Rindt	Porsche of Stuttgart	DNF
19.3.1967	4 h Monza [Div.2+3]	6	Porsche 911	von Wendt / Mitter		1st
1.4.1967	12 h Sebring	36	Porsche 910	Patrick / Mitter	Porsche Auto	3rd
9.4.1967	Le Mans Test	40	Porsche 907	Mitter / Linge	Porsche System Engineering	20th
9.4.1967	Le Mans Test	41	Porsche 907	Mitter / Linge / von Hanstein	Porsche System Engineering	28th
25.4.1967	1000 km Monza	15	Porsche 910	Rindt / Mitter	Porsche System Engineering Ltd.	3rd
1.5.1967	1000 km Spa	22	Porsche 910	Koch / Mitter	Porsche System Engineering	7th
14.5.1967	Targa Florio	226	Porsche 910	Mitter / Davis	Porsche System Engineering	DNF
28.5.1967	1000 km Nürburgring	7	Porsche 910	Mitter / Bianchi	Porsche System Engineering	4th
28.5.1967	1000 km Nürburgring	T	Porsche 910	Schütz / Buzzetta / Hawkins / Koch / Neerpasch / Elford / Mitter / Bianchi / Stommelen	Porsche System Engineering	T-car
11.6.1967	24 h Le Mans	40	Porsche 907	Rindt / Mitter	Porsche System Enginnering	DNF
11.6.1967	24 h Le Mans		Porsche 910	Rindt / Mitter	Porsche System Enginnering	DNA
2.7.1967	6 h Nürburgring	26	Porsche 911	von Wendt / Mitter		DNF
23.7.1967	GP Mugello	1	Porsche 910	Schütz / Mitter	Porsche System	1st
23.7.1967	GP Mugello	T	Porsche 910	Mitter / Stommelen	Porsche System	T-car
13.8.1967	GP Swerige	5	Porsche 906	Gerhard Mitter	Gerhard Mitter	DNA
20.8.1967	500 km Zeltweg	15	Porsche 906	Mitter / Koch	Gerhard Koch	DNF
27.8.1967	Hill Climb Ollon-Villars	196	Porsche 910	Gerhard Mitter	Porsche System Engineering	1st
27.8.1967	Hill Climb Ollon-Villars	196T	Porsche 910	Gerhard Mitter	Porsche System Engineering	T-car

Year: 1968

Date	Race	No.	Car	Drivers	Entrant	Result
4.2.1968	24 h Daytona	52	Porsche 907	Siffert / Herrmann /	Porsche Works Team	2nd
4.2.1968	24 h Daytona	53	Porsche 907	Mitter / Stommelen	Porsche Works Team	DNF
23.3.1968	12 h Sebring	48	Porsche 907	Mitter / Stommelen	Porsche Automobile Co.	DNF
7.4.1968	6 h Brands Hatch	37	Porsche 907	Siffert / Herrmann / *Mitter	Porsche System Engineering Limited	DNF
7.4.1968	6 h Brands Hatch	38	Porsche 907	Mitter / Scarfiotti	Porsche System Engineering Limited	2nd
25.4.1968	1000 km Monza	5	Porsche 908	Scarfiotti / Mitter	Porsche System Engineering	11th
5.5.1968	Targa Florio	230	Porsche 907	Scarfiotti / Mitter	Porsche System Engineering	T-car
5.5.1968	Targa Florio	230T	Porsche 907	Scarfiotti / Mitter	Porsche System Engineering	49th
19.5.1968	1000 km Nürburgring	1	Porsche 908	Mitter / Scarfiotti	Porsche	DNF
26.5.1968	1000 km Spa	4	Porsche 907	Mitter / Schlesser	Porsche System Engineering	2nd
30.6.1968	200 mile Norisring	21	Porsche 908	Gerhard Mitter	Porsche System Engineering	DNF
15.9.1968	Preis der Nationen Hockenheim	23	Lamborghini	Gerhard Mitter		DNF
29.9.1968	24 h Le Mans	32	Porsche 908	Mitter / Elford	Porsche System Engineering	DNF
29.9.1968	24 h Le Mans	34	Porsche 908	In entry list only	Porsche System Enginnering	DNF

Year: 1969

Date	Race	No.	Car	Drivers	Entrant	Result
2.2.1969	24 h Daytona	53	Porsche 908	Schütz / Mitter / Attwood	Porsche System Engineering	24th
22.3.1969	12 h Sebring	29	Porsche 908/02	Mitter / Schütz	Porsche System Engineering Ltd.	5th
13.4.1969	6 h Brands Hatch	54	Porsche 908/02	Mitter / Schütz	Porsche System Engineering Ltd.	3rd
25.4.1969	1000 km Monza	5	Porsche 908	Schütz / Mitter	Porsche System Engineering	DNF
4.5.1969	Targa Florio	266	Porsche 908/02	Mitter / Schütz	Porsche System Engineering Ltd.	1st
11.5.1969	1000 km Spa	24	Porsche 908	Mitter / Schütz	Porsche System Engineering	T-car
11.5.1969	1000 km Spa	24T	Porsche 908	Mitter / Schütz	Porsche System Engineering	DNS
11.5.1969	1000 km Spa	30	Porsche 917	Mitter / Schütz	Porsche System Engineering	DNF
1.6.1969	1000 km Nürburgring	2	Porsche 908/02	Mitter / Schütz	Porsche System Engineering Ltd.	31st
15.6.1969	24 h Le Mans	22	Porsche 908	In entry list only	Porsche System Engineering	DNF
15.6.1969	24 h Le Mans	23	Porsche 908	Schütz / Mitter	Porsche System Engineering	DNF

Sources : Racing Sports Cars

Pictures courtesy unknown