Porsche mourns the loss of Herbert Linge
Herbert Linge (left) and Ferdinand Porsche, 1949.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Carrera Panamericana 1954: Herbert Linge, Hans Herrmann, Huschke von Hanstein and Jaroslav Juhan on the Type 550 Spyder (from left).
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Mille Miglia 1954: Herbert Linge (l.) and Hans Herrmann took first place in the 1.5-liter sports car class and 6th place overall.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Hans Herrmann and Herbert Linge (left) after winning the 1954 Mille Miglia.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Herbert Linge during test drives at the Nürburgring with the 718 RSK Spyder (1957).
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Le Mans 1963 (from right): Herbert Linge, Huschke von Hanstein and Edgar Barth and, on the other side of the car, Erich Lerner and Valentin Schäffer.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Herbert Linge on the test track in Weissach (1965).
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Rally Monte Carlo 1965: Herbert Linge (right) and Peter Falk (left).
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
1970 in Le Mans during the production of the film "Le Mans" with Steve McQueen: Herbert Linge (2nd from right) with Gérard Larrousse (4th from left) David Piper (5th from left) and Steve McQueen (7th from left) as well as Derek Bell (8th from left).
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
ONS track safety team at the Nürburgring in 1973: Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 2.8 (l.) and 914/6 GT.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Herbert Linge at the 1000 km race on the Nürburgring (1983).
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Herbert Linge with the Porsche Carrera 2 Cup (1989).
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Herbert Linge died on Friday at the age of 95. The former racing driver and plant manager of the Weissach Development Center was closely associated with Porsche. Herbert Linge was one of the company's first apprentices and still knew Ferdinand Porsche personally. The company owes him, among other things, the choice of location for the proving ground and motorsport the start of mobile track safety.
Herbert Linge was born in Weissach on June 11, 1928. He received his first company license in April 1943 at the age of 14. Six years later, he was the first mechanic employed by the Porsche company in Stuttgart after returning from Gmünd and was involved in the development of the Porsche 356. Each of the early sports cars was only delivered after Linge had test-driven it. From 1952 onwards, Porsche repeatedly sent him to the USA to set up a nationwide customer service network. He also proved himself as a test and racing driver.
Herbert Linge was awarded the Mexican Order of Merit for three consecutive class victories as co-driving mechanic on the Panamericana from 1952 to 1954. As Hans Herrmann's co-driver, he achieved a class victory at the Mille Miglia in 1954. The mission remains unforgotten, as Herrmann and Linge drove under a closing railroad barrier in the 550 Spyder with their heads down. This was followed by further class victories at the Mille Miglia and the Targa Florio. Herbert Linge finished as overall winner of the 1954 Liège-Rome-Liège Rally, the 1960 Tour de Corse and the 1967 Marathon de la Route on the Nürburgring. He competed eleven times in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing in the classification eight times and was also a class winner here several times. In 1965, Peter Nöcker and he also won the "Index of Performance" award at Le Mans for the most economical ratio of fuel consumption to engine capacity. Also in 1965, Linge finished fifth in the Monte Carlo Rally together with Peter Falk, who would later become Porsche's racing director - the first major motorsport success for the still young 911.
Five years later, Linge drove the Porsche 908, which had been converted into a camera car for the feature film "Le Mans", and doubled legendary actor Steve McQueen in several scenes after the race. "Porsche and McQueen had an extremely good relationship. Our racing director at the time was fully behind the movie and we supported McQueen wherever we could," he once recalled. "Steve couldn't take part in the real race himself for insurance reasons and didn't have a car that complied with the official regulations. But he wanted the real images for his film - and I got them for him with the 908."
Because safety in motorsport is very important to him, Herbert Linge founded the safety squadron of the Supreme National Sports Commission for Motorsport (ONS) in 1972. The mobile track safety system and the equipment of sports cars with fire extinguishers saved the lives of many racing drivers in the 70s and 80s. Ten years after the invention of the ONS, the man from Weissach was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for his commitment and life's work. Linge's first ONS service car was a Porsche 914/6 GT, which took part in the 1971 Monte Carlo Rally. Equipped with various safety systems and a fire extinguishing system, the vehicle established itself as the "fastest fire engine in the world". As a retiree, Linge managed the Carrera Cup from 1990 onwards, as well as the Weissach Development Center for some time. (aum)
More info for topic: Herbert Linge , Porsche
Share this article:
Images of article
Herbert Linge (left) and Ferdinand Porsche, 1949.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Download:
Carrera Panamericana 1954: Herbert Linge, Hans Herrmann, Huschke von Hanstein and Jaroslav Juhan on the Type 550 Spyder (from left).
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Download:
Mille Miglia 1954: Herbert Linge (l.) and Hans Herrmann took first place in the 1.5-liter sports car class and 6th place overall.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Download:
Hans Herrmann and Herbert Linge (left) after winning the 1954 Mille Miglia.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Download:
Herbert Linge during test drives at the Nürburgring with the 718 RSK Spyder (1957).
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Download:
Le Mans 1963 (from right): Herbert Linge, Huschke von Hanstein and Edgar Barth and, on the other side of the car, Erich Lerner and Valentin Schäffer.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Download:
Herbert Linge on the test track in Weissach (1965).
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Download:
Rally Monte Carlo 1965: Herbert Linge (right) and Peter Falk (left).
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Download:
1970 in Le Mans during the production of the film "Le Mans" with Steve McQueen: Herbert Linge (2nd from right) with Gérard Larrousse (4th from left) David Piper (5th from left) and Steve McQueen (7th from left) as well as Derek Bell (8th from left).
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Download:
ONS track safety team at the Nürburgring in 1973: Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 2.8 (l.) and 914/6 GT.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Download:
Herbert Linge at the 1000 km race on the Nürburgring (1983).
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Download:
Herbert Linge with the Porsche Carrera 2 Cup (1989).
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Download:
Herbert Linge in a Porsche Spyder (2003).
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Download:
Herbert Linge at the Col de Turini (2018).
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Porsche
Download: