In June 1977, Herbert Schnitzer asked Walter Röhrl, if he can stand in for the ill Albrecht Krebs at the 200-mile Nuremberg race and to compete in the BMW 2002 Schnitzer Turbo.

Exactly 45 years later to the day, we reunited the rally ace and the original legendary Schnitzer racing car in the DTM at the Norisring.

Walter Röhrl visited our Schnitzer Classic Team and was delighted about the reunion with his original racing car from 1977 as well as meeting old friends. After signing countless autographs and taking pictures for fans, the 75-year-old did not miss the opportunity to take his seat again in the BMW 2002 Schnitzer Turbo.

Walter recounted, “When I came into the pits for the start, Schnitzer mechanics were still working on the car. In the last seconds, I was able to take my third starting position on the grid, to then immediately drive to the front of the field, which caused a loud roar of excitement in the grandstands. From lap to lap I increased the gap to Chever and Heyer. At some point the car started to vibrate so much that my sunglasses fell off my face and I realized that the drivetrain was losing its stability. Despite the later retirement, I think back on this race very fondly and thank Herberth Schnitzer and his brothers for this day and the opportunity to race this fabolous car.”

Foto: Hardy Mutschler