Jagermeister racing

Everyone has their list of favourite racing cars, the ones they’d happily sell everything they own for just a few precious minutes behind the wheel of. Top of my list is a 1985 Porsche 956 in bright orange Jägermeister colours. Not the more successful Rothmans or New Man versions, but the distinctive and not-too-subtle eye-searing colours of the famous drinks company. And all because of the paint scheme!

This beautifully designed book, written by Jägermeister’s motor sport team boss and first driver Eckhard Schimpf, tells a personal story of all the drivers, cars, teams and races from the beginning of 1972 in a Porsche 914/6 right up to the awesome DTM Opel in 2000. Stunning images and good-quality design make this book an absolute pleasure to read.

The stories come from Schimpf himself, so each is an engaging account of the many driving legends who’ve worn the Jägermeister colours including Lauda, Stuck, Ickx, Mass, Wollek and Bellof among others. It’s not a bad roll-call for a company that rarely paid mega-dollars for its sponsorship deals.

This is an honest and vibrant tale of how a small German drinks company used motor sport to try to bring its little-known brand to the outside world. I think it worked, don’t you? DC

Published by Delius, Klasing and Co, ISBN 978 3 7688 2661 7, €29.90