Just a few months after the death of Hans Herrmann, his biographer Tobias Aichele and Solitude GmbH invited the visitors of the 25th Retro Classics in Stuttgart to an emotional tribute. Hans Herrmann had his roots in Stuttgart, and most of his career, he raced for Mercedes-Benz or Porsche. There were even times that he wore the patches of both Stuttgart based car manufacturers, depending on the series he was competing in.
With the support of both the Mercedes-Benz Museum, the Porsche Museum, and some private collectors, Tobias Aichele and Solitude GmbH build up a large special exhibition ‘Hans im Glück – HH 97’, located in the central atrium of the Stuttgart Messe. The exhibition payd tribute to the life’s work of Hans Herrmann, one of the most important German racing drivers of the post-war period, who died on 9 January 2026 at the age of 97. Hans Herrmann raced against legends such as Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss, repeatedly pushing the boundaries between talent and driving physics, and influenced an entire generation of motorsport enthusiasts. His greatest triumph came in 1970 with overall victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Porsche 917.
Among the most important exhibits from his racing career, the 2 most impressive cars, in my opinion, were the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR and the Porsche 550 Spyder. Both cars plaid an important role in the career of Hans Herrmann, but that doesn’t decrease the importance of the other cars, the well-visited tribute had to offer. From the Porsche 356 over Lola T320 F2 and the Abarth-Simca 1300, not to forget about the Porsche 718/2, Porsche 906 and Porsche 910.
Just this Hans ‘im Glück’ Herrmann HH97 exhibition valued a trip to the Retro Classics in Stuttgart. But there is more, so keep an eye on our report of the Retro Classics show.
Picture Gallery
Pictures ©Tim Havermans
