Until the official opening of his museum in Dietzhölztal-Ewersbach in July 2023, Professor Friedhelm Loh was known as a collector in the classic car scene, but no details about the size and quality of his collection were made public. This has now changed fundamentally within a short space of time: more than 40,000 people have visited the museum since its opening. Before the second season, the passionate collector took the time for an in-depth interview.

AUTOMOBILSPORT: Where does your passion for cars come from?

Loh: Even as a young boy, I was fascinated by technology, by everything that moves and rotates. Especially cars, of course. I was about 10 years old when a friend of my parents came to visit us with a Mercedes-Benz 190 SL. It was a brand-new car at the time and he even had a driver with a chauffeur’s cap. A chauffeur for a two-seater roadster! The 190 SL was silver, with a blue interior and whitewall tyres. I was drawn to the car as if by magic, I couldn’t get enough of it. The chauffeur watched me all the time and made absolutely sure that I didn’t touch the car, let alone sit in it. For me, it was love at first sight.
I never forgot the car and decades later I bought a 190 SL myself. That was my first classic car and it was the start of my passion for collecting. Unfortunately, the car was not in very good condition and I learnt a lot about buying classic cars. I then found a very nice 190 SL in exactly the same colour combination in which I had first seen the car in the 1950s. This car is now on display in the museum.

AUTOMOBILSPORT: What do you find particularly fascinating about historic cars?

Loh: Classic cars are exciting in many ways: the great design, the fascinating technology and the individual history. Every classic car tells a story – of people and ideas, of adventures and challenges, of triumphs and tragedies. Personally, for example, I find it incredible what the constructors and racing drivers achieved in the 1920s and 1930s, often with very limited resources and without any experience. I have the utmost respect for these pioneers!

AUTOMOBILSPORT: Do you remember any particularly spectacular finds or rare opportunities to acquire certain cars? …

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by Robert Weber

Photographs: Nationales Automuseum

‘My new Formula 1 car, built entirely according to my own ideas, will be ready for the start of the new season,’ Jack Brabham told German magazine auto, motor und sport in early 1962. ‘I have a lot of confidence in it. That’s why I’ve given it my name.’ Brabham is known as a three-time world champion with Cooper and then his own cars. But the transition from Cooper to the Brabham team is relatively unknown. The Lotus 24 (chassis 947) driven by the Australian in that time is now taking part in races again after being restored by Hall & Hall.

After winning world titles in 1959 and 1960, Cooper struggled to maintain its supremacy in the 1.5-litre formula. In 1961 Cooper finished fourth in the standings behind Ferrari, Lotus and Porsche. Reigning world champion Brabham ended up 11th in the drivers’ standings without a single win. At the end of the season, Brabham left Cooper with ambitions of building his own car and team. But it took a long time, even though the first Formula Junior from Brabham/Motor Racing Developments debuted in 1961.

Interim solution: Lotus

To bridge the gap, Brabham switched to Lotus which, like Cooper, supplied customers with cars. At the end of 1961, he acquired a Lotus 21 with a four-cylinder Climax engine. However, the 1.5-litre motors were already inferior to the Ferrari V6s that season and had only won three races. Climax had therefore already developed a significantly more powerful V8 engine by the end of the year, which later became a must-have for the British cars. Brabham wanted to use the Lotus for the first time at the Lombank Trophy at Snetterton in April 1962. ‘It was definitely not Jack Brabham’s day,’ wrote British magazine Autosport. ‘After the disastrous fire which destroyed his Lotus a few days before the race, he was even denied the pleasure of seeing his Formula Junior creation defending his honour when the engine blew up in practice.’ …

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by Jacob Queißner

Photographs: Motorsportimages, Robert Weber, Michele Buhofer