Gerhard Mitter was considered one of the best and most versatile German racing drivers of the 1960s. His greatest successes were those he celebrated as a Porsche works driver. On the 50th anniversary of his death, we take a look back at his successes.
Whether he was in a sports car or a touring car, a formula racing vehicle or a prototype, on the race track or in the mountains – in the 1960s, Gerhard Mitter was one of the drivers to beat. After initial successes in motorcycle racing in the 1950s, in 1959 Mitter swapped his bike for a racing car.
The trained mechanic initially started in Formula Junior and became the most successful German driver in this racing class, attracting attention along the way by constructing his own cars and driving more powerful DKW engines.
In 1964, Mitter became a Porsche works driver and soon afterwards entered the European Hill Climb Championship, following in the footsteps of Edgar Barth, who died in 1965. Mitter emulated Barth in taking three European Hill Climb Championship titles and doing it in three consecutive years.
In 1966, he achieved this with the Porsche 906 Carrera 6. In 1967 and 1968, he defended his title with the Porsche 910/8 Bergspyder. With his ability to focus all his energy and concentration for a few short minutes, Mitter became virtually unbeatable in hill climb races.
