Not only Porsche enthusiasts all around the world, but rallying aficionados too, will appreciate the skills and achievements of Walter Röhrl. An unpretentious man who lets the race and rally reports do the talking for him, Walter Röhrl mastered many different types of motorsport in his time, from rallying to saloon car racing, prototypes and sports car racing…and he was even Porsche’s uber test driver.
In case you are not familiar with the term Querlenker, here is an explanation. Querlenker actually has a double meaning, where the original meaning is wishbone (as in suspension). But Quer fahren is to drive sideways in German and lenken is to steer a car. A Querlenker then could also be interpreted as a person steering a car sideways, which Walter Röhrl did a lot of in his time behind the wheel.
A book covering his life and sporting achievements was firstly, always going to be a tall order for anyone brave enough to tell it, and secondly it was always going to be a thick book, such was Walter Röhrl’s long list of achievements. His motorsport success spanned the globe, from ice and snow to the deserts of Africa and race tracks such as Le Mans, where he drove for Porsche in 1981 and 1993. In 1981, he finished seventh overall at Le Mans and first in class. He drove for the finest manufacturers who in their day succeeded in different motorsport disciplines, and these included: Fiat, Opel, Lancia, Audi, Porsche, Ford and BMW. His name is perhaps more strongly associated with Audi and Porsche, although his achievements with the others is also highly noted.
He is best known as one of the most successful rally drivers of all times. His record speaks for his talent behind the wheel. He was European Rally Champion in 1974 and then won the World Championship Driver title in 1980 and 1982 plus four outright victories on the legendary Monte Carlo Rally driving four different makes of cars. But he also competed successfully in many races in Europe and the USA. Since 1993, he has worked for Porsche as a race driver, test driver and company delegate.
Walter Röhrl celebrated his 70th birthday on 7 March 2017, and in recognition of his life behind the wheel, Porsche put on a special 3-month display at their Museum in Stuttgart. At the same time, this book was published, offering an unparalleled insight into the life and achievements of the man. In an extensive pictorial part of the book there is an A-to-Z of the cars he has driven, places he loves, things he remembers and a lot more.
Walter Röhrl himself was involved in the project to create this book and more than 300, mainly unseen, high-quality images illustrate his career. The book only comes in the German language, but to be honest, it isn’t that difficult to understand what is being said, such is the quality of the imagery that supports this superb work. The subtitle of the book, Eine Zeitreise in Bildern, literally translated means ‘a time journey in pictures’ – which pretty much says it all, the pictures tell the story.
If you are a Walter Röhrl fan, a rally enthusiast, a Porsche or Audi supporter or any of the other manufacturers listed above, you will want this publication on your bookshelf.
Key Information
Title
Walter Röhrl – Querlenker, Eine Zeitreise in Bildern
