Hans Herrmann
A fearless German driver who survived horrific crashes to become the oldest winner of the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans.
1928–2026 (age 98)·German racing driver·Birthday: February 23·The Silent Generation
Biography
Hans Herrmann's career is a testament to sheer durability. The diminutive driver from Stuttgart began in the raw, dangerous era of 1950s motorsport, racing for Mercedes-Benz in Formula One and sports cars. He earned a reputation for incredible bravery, most notably in the 1954 Mille Miglia where he drove his Mercedes 300 SLR with such commitment that co-driver Hermann Lang reportedly closed his eyes in terror. A series of massive accidents, including a plunge into a harbor during the 1955 Carrera Panamericana, could not deter him. After a hiatus, he returned with Porsche, finding his perfect match in their relentless, nimble prototypes. His crowning achievement came in 1970 at the age of 42, when he and Richard Attwood piloted a Porsche 917 to victory at Le Mans in a rain-soaked, crash-marred race, making him the event's oldest winner at the time.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Hans was born in 1928, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Hans Was Born
The biggest hits of 1928
#1 Movie
The Singing Fool
Best Picture
Wings
Hans's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1928Born
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1933Started school
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1941Became a teenager
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Could drive
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1946Could vote
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Turned 21
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1958Turned 30
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 40
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 50
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 60
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 70
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 80
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2026Died at 98
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 with co-driver Richard Attwood, driving a Porsche 917K.
- Secured three class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1966, 1968, 1969) prior to his overall victory.
- Achieved multiple podium finishes in Formula One, including a second place at the 1954 German Grand Prix.
- Won the 1960 Targa Florio sports car race driving a Porsche 718.
Did You Know?
At just 1.60 meters tall, his small stature was an advantage in the cramped cockpits of racing cars.
He famously jumped from his crashing Mercedes 300 SLR into a harbor during the 1955 Carrera Panamericana and survived.
He was the first driver to average over 200 km/h on a lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife, achieving it in a Porsche 718 in 1960.
After retiring, he ran a successful Porsche dealership in Stuttgart for many years.
“I was small, so I had to be brave to survive in those big cars.”
