GREAT MOMENTS IN CARS'S HISTORY, They say I could never finish, so, I've finished first. #EwyRosqvist, An Unexpected #Champion - Born on August 3, 1929 in Herrestad, Sweden, Ewy Rosqvist grew up in a family who ran a farming business and was the only girl of five children. After studying veterinary medicine and livestock husbandry in #Stockholm, she returned home to begin a veterinary apprenticeship. As a veterinary assistant in southern Sweden, Ewy drove between 90 and 125 miles each day to reach the remote farming communities she worked in. The substantial district Ewy covered required her to drive on dirt and gravel roads, which were both narrow and poorly built.
In support of his daughter's profession and to reduce the stress of driving on arduous roads for long stretches, Ewy's father bought her a #MercedesBenz170S (W136).
"They say I could never finish. So, I've finished first."
Ewy Rosqvist -
Granted the exhaustive driving routes her work demanded, Ewy Rosqvist racked up 136,700 miles on the 170S within two years and as a result, her finish times improved significantly. In spite of having more stops than her colleagues, Ewy managed to complete a day's work hours in advance of everyone else.
By driving the Mercedes-Benz 170S on taxing roads through numerous farmsteads, she inconspicuously developed skills as a high-performance driver.
For the young Rosqvist, the Mercedes-Benz 170S became more than just a means of transportation, or merely a symbol of social hierarchy.
Her vocation as a veterinary assistant lasted 12 years before she made the pivotal decision to go into racing full-time.
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Ewy Rosqvist's first rally experience as a driver came in 1956 at the age of 27 in the #RallytotheMidnightSun.
Subsequently, she'd earn top rankings in a multitude of rallies across Europe, including four #WomensCup wins at the #1000LakesRally in Finland.
In 1959, she won the #EuropeanRallyChampionshipWomensCup as a factory driver for #Volvo, a title she'd claim again in 1960 and 1961.
Along the way, the racing maven captured the attention of then #DaimlerBenzAG, who bought out her contract with Volvo.
When she joined the Mercedes-Benz works team, Rosqvist partnered with another up-and-coming Swedish driver, #UrsulaWirth.
The racing duo first entered the Rally to the Midnight Sun in a top-of-the-line #MercedesBenz220SE (W111). Owing to the American-style tailfins on its rear fenders, the Mercedes-Benz 220SE adopted the "Fintail" sobriquet, commonly referred to as the Heckflosse in Germany.
Produced from 1959 to 1968, the Fintail 220SE was a premium four-door sedan built on a W111 chassis, which had improved front and rear crumple zones.
With an updated suspension, a 2.2-liter inline-six (118 hp) engine, and excellent road handling chops, the robust but agile 220SE had the aptness of a sports car.
As a team, Ewy Rosqvist and Ursula Wirth got their first taste of victory at the Rally to the Midnight Sun, where they successfully drove the 220SE Fintail across the finish line and took home the women's cup title.
Their greatest victory, however, would come in 1962 at the sixth annual #TouringCarGrandPrixofArgentina.
Initially, the media ridiculed #MercedesBenz for believing that two women were good enough to qualify as competitors in the #GrandPrix.
Considered one of the toughest and most grueling long-distance rallies in the world, the Touring Car Grand Prix of Argentina had been dominated by male competitors since its inception. Infamously known for claiming many lives, the Grand Prix had no mercy on anyone.
Those who did survive the ruthless race were not guaranteed to return home with a functioning vehicle.
Out of 258 vehicles that entered the 1962 Touring Car Grand Prix of Argentina, only 43 made it to the finish line.
With the number 711 stamped on their Mercedes-Benz 220SE Fintail, Ewy and co-driver Ursula drove for 2,874 miles on death-defying roads.
At the end, they swept all six stages, finished three hours ahead, set a new record speed, and won the #1962TouringCarGrandPrixofArgentina.
Record speed - 3 hours of race - 126 km/h = 78 mph.
Photos & paper on Automobile Mag -
Thanks, Honor & Glory to the Winners
Mercedez-Benz USA YouTube -
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