In the annals of motorsport history, the year 1962 stands out for Mercedes-Benz, marked by an extraordinary victory at the VI Touring Car Grand Prix of Argentina. On November 4, 1962, the world witnessed Ewy Rosqvist and her co-driver Ursula Wirth triumph in their Mercedes-Benz 220 SE (W 111), conquering the grueling 4626-kilometer race. This victory was not just a sporting achievement; it was a cultural phenomenon, celebrated across Argentina and globally, showcasing the prowess of Mercedes-Benz and the groundbreaking success of a women’s team in a traditionally male-dominated arena. The Mercedes-Benz 1962 victory in Argentina was a testament to the car’s robustness and the exceptional skill of its drivers.
Image alt text: Ewy Rosqvist, pioneering female racing driver, in action during the 1962 Argentinian Grand Prix for Mercedes-Benz.
Prior to the race, there was skepticism surrounding the all-women team. However, Ewy Rosqvist and Ursula Wirth quickly silenced their critics. From the very start, they dominated the race, winning every single stage of the Grand Prix – a feat unprecedented in the 1962 competition. This clean sweep not only secured their overall victory but also established a new benchmark in the race’s history. The impact of their win resonated far beyond Argentina, capturing international attention and admiration. Beyond the sheer sporting accomplishment, the world was astonished that two women could outperform an entirely male field in such a demanding contest.
In the early 1960s, female athletes in top-tier international sports were still a rarity. A 1966 report in “Der Spiegel” magazine highlighted Rosqvist and Wirth, alongside female marathon runners and endurance athletes, as pioneers who were redefining the landscape of high-performance sports for women. Ewy Rosqvist was far from a newcomer to motorsport when she joined the Mercedes-Benz team for the 1962 Argentinian Grand Prix. Born in 1929 in southern Sweden, Rosqvist grew up on a farm and learned to drive early on. Her first car, a Mercedes-Benz 170 S gifted by her father, became her companion on the long, challenging roads of her work as a veterinary assistant. She recounted in her book “Fahrt durch die Hölle” (Driving through Hell) that she regularly drove between 150 and 200 kilometers daily, mostly on unpaved roads, gravel paths, and farm tracks, honing her driving skills in demanding conditions.
Image alt text: Victory celebration for the Mercedes-Benz 1962 Argentinian Grand Prix win at Daimler-Benz headquarters, featuring Ewy Rosqvist, Ursula Wirth, and team management.
Rosqvist’s rally experience began in 1954 as a passenger in the Midnight Sun Rally. This sparked her ambition to compete herself, leading her to the starting line of the same rally just two years later. By 1959, she had already distinguished herself by winning the European Rally Championship Women’s Cup while driving a Volvo. Her proven talent led to Daimler-Benz AG recruiting her into the Mercedes-Benz works team in the spring of 1962.
For the 1962 Argentinian Grand Prix, Mercedes-Benz deployed four factory teams. This came on the heels of Manfred Schock and Manfred Schieck’s victory for Mercedes-Benz in the previous year’s Grand Prix, with another Mercedes-Benz team finishing second. Alongside Rosqvist and Wirth in their Mercedes-Benz 220 SE, bearing the number 711, other teams included Hermann Kühne/Manfred Schieck in another 220 SE (number 719), Eugen Böhringer/Peter Lang and Carlos Menditegui/Augustin Linares in Mercedes-Benz 300 SE models (W 112 series). Adding further prestige, Juan Manuel Fangio, a legendary figure in Mercedes-Benz racing from the 1950s, accompanied the team.
Image alt text: Ewy Rosqvist and Ursula Wirth, the victorious duo of the 1962 Argentinian Grand Prix, proudly posing with their Mercedes-Benz 220 SE.
Under the guidance of Karl Kling, the Mercedes-Benz team meticulously prepared by pre-driving the entire 4624-kilometer route. This allowed co-drivers like Ursula Wirth to memorize crucial course details and take notes. The rally itself was structured into six stages, ranging from 515.4 to 863.5 kilometers, starting in Buenos Aires and traversing through Villa Carlos Paz, San Juan, Catamarca, Tucuman, Cordoba, before returning to Buenos Aires. Rest days were scheduled between each race day to allow for recovery and car maintenance.
The 1962 Grand Prix attracted a massive field of 286 registered cars, divided into seven classes, highlighting the event’s demanding nature. Of these, only 258 cars started, and a mere 43 completed the race, underscoring its extreme difficulty. Tragically, Hermann Kühne, part of the Mercedes-Benz team, suffered a fatal accident during the second stage, casting a shadow over the event for the team. The other Mercedes-Benz works teams were also forced to retire from the race due to various challenges, leaving Rosqvist and Wirth as the sole representatives.
Image alt text: The Mercedes-Benz 220 SE, number 711, driven by Rosqvist and Wirth in the 1962 Argentinian Grand Prix, showcasing its white roof for heat reflection.
Initially, media coverage preceding the race had been somewhat dismissive of the women’s team. However, after Rosqvist and Wirth secured victory in the first stage, the tone shifted to one of respect. Following their second stage win, the media and public erupted in enthusiastic celebration of the Swedish women. As reported by the “Freie Presse” newspaper in Buenos Aires, the sensation was so significant that it overshadowed even the Cuban missile crisis in local headlines, emphasizing the magnitude of their achievement.
By the rally’s conclusion, Ewy Rosqvist and Ursula Wirth had achieved the remarkable feat of winning all six stages. They topped the overall rankings with a time of 34 hours, 51 minutes, and 03 seconds, finishing over three hours ahead of the second-place competitor. Their average speed of 126.87 km/h set a new record for the event. In comparison, the previous year’s winner had an average speed of 121.23 km/h. The Mercedes-Benz 220 SE that carried Rosqvist and Wirth to victory was notably close to a standard production model, purposefully chosen with regular steering for enhanced road feedback. Rosqvist did note in her account of the race that power steering would have been beneficial in the demanding mountain stages.
Image alt text: Mercedes-Benz 220 SE racing in the 1962 Argentinian Grand Prix, demonstrating its speed and handling across challenging terrains.
The 1962 victory marked the second consecutive win for Mercedes-Benz in the “Gran Premio Internacional Standard Supermovil YPF.” This success continued in subsequent years, reinforcing Mercedes-Benz’s dominance in this significant American market event. In 1963 and 1964, Eugen Böhringer and Klaus Kaiser secured victories in Mercedes-Benz 300 SE models. Ewy Rosqvist continued to achieve podium finishes, taking third place in both 1963 (with Ursula Wirth) and 1964 (with Eva-Maria Falk), further cementing her legacy in the sport and the history of Mercedes-Benz 1962 racing achievements.
Image alt text: Ewy Rosqvist and Ursula Wirth, the celebrated Mercedes-Benz female racing team, pictured in 1963, a year after their historic win.
Image alt text: The victorious 1962 Argentinian Grand Prix Mercedes-Benz team: Ewy Rosqvist, Ursula Wirth, and Head of Racing Karl Kling, celebrating their remarkable success.
Image alt text: Historic moment from November 1962: Ewy Rosqvist and Ursula Wirth secure their victory in the Argentinian Grand Prix driving a Mercedes-Benz 220 SE (W 111).
