21 replies to this topic

[EDWARD FITZGERALD]

When Grohs raced in GPC and the DRM ,he was referred to as an Essen taxi driver , was he or had he been a taxi driver ?

[Jesper O. Hansen]

I've heard of the same stories from German sourses from the early DTM.

One of my favorit drivers of those early DTM days in a Vogelsang BMW 635CSi - winning more races than anybody else during the first season of 1984, but still loosing out to present day DTM Opel chief of sport Volker Strycek in a similar car. Even with the advent of the M3 in 1987 he was still on the pace, but didn't get any of the factory seat in the following seasons.

Jesper

[RTH]

Anyone remember what happened to Mr Grohs, and what line of work he was in for his day job latterly ? I am thinking of a headline in Autosport when they reported he seemed to be in a spot of bother.

[Jesper O. Hansen]

I was just about to say he is team owner of a German Porsche Cup team...

http://www.grohs-mot.../web/index.html

...but his homepage has not been updated since 2004.

I believe he was in some kind of judgementally stressed position over the winter 1984/85 as well.

[fines]

Taxi driver? Hmm... maybe a cover-up day job! Grohs was known for his connections to the business involving horizontal pleasures...

[Jesper O. Hansen]

Michael, are you suggesting Grohs was some kind of Escort driver - although he is mainly associated with BMWs and Porsches!

Jesper

[Steffen]

I have a videotape with the qualifying coverage of the 200 miles of Nürnberg 1984 where he also competed. It's being said that he is the owner of a nightclub in Essen.
Btw:
My uncle told me once that Groh's came together with Stefan Bellof's girlfriend Angelika Langner a few years after Stefan's accident at Spa. Can anybody confirm this?

[ghinzani]

Altfrid Heger was also reffered to as an Essen Gardener . I dont want to even think about the connotations of that one!

[D-Type]

Talking of taxi drivers, was it Danny Sullivan or Eddie Cheever who was supposedly a New York taxi driver at one time?

I mean a genuine taxi driver not a (very ) part time one like Mike Hawthorn. (see Mon Ami, Mate)

[ensign14]

Originally posted by D-Type
Talking of taxi drivers, was it Danny Sullivan or Eddie Cheever who was supposedly a New York taxi driver at one time?

Believe that was Sullivan.

And Benny Parsons was a cabbie in Detroit before hitting it big in NASCAR.

[RTH]

Can anyone put up the Autosport article of the time which as I remember pretty much explained all I think it was in 'Pit & Paddock' either AS or MN and headed............well your know when you see it !

[Graham Clayton]

And Benny Parsons was a cabbie in Detroit before hitting it big in NASCAR.

As was Wendell Scott.

[Frank de Jong]

I have a videotape with the qualifying coverage of the 200 miles of Nürnberg 1984 where he also competed. It's being said that he is the owner of a nightclub in Essen.
Btw:
My uncle told me once that Groh's came together with Stefan Bellof's girlfriend Angelika Langner a few years after Stefan's accident at Spa. Can anybody confirm this?

From the top of my head: I think that's right.

[funformula]

From the top of my head: I think that's right.

Yes, Grohs is married with Angelika Langer.
And it´s also true that he owned a night club in Essen for which he had some sort of trouble with the justice back in the 80´s

[EDWARD FITZGERALD]

Yes, Grohs is married with Angelika Langer.
And it´s also true that he owned a night club in Essen for which he had some sort of trouble with the justice back in the 80´s

amazing to see my query emerge after so long , thank you for the answer

[Arjan de Roos]

....., was he or had he been a taxi driver ?

In an interview I read he even owned a taxi company with eight cars. He got the nickname Nippel (niple) as he wore a red stocking cap with pom-pom as a youngster.

[Arjan de Roos]

Talking of taxi drivers, was it Danny Sullivan or Eddie Cheever who was supposedly a New York taxi driver at one time?

Sullivan, cab driver, bar tender and concierge while on his way to F1! Eddie was a kart driver

Edited by Arjan de Roos, 12 April 2013 - 12:55.

[René de Boer]

Yes, Grohs is married with Angelika Langer.
And it´s also true that he owned a night club in Essen for which he had some sort of trouble with the justice back in the 80´s

For the record, the club was aptly named 'Parc Fermé'. I think it closed in the late 1980s.

[Tony Matthews]

Wasn't Fangio a chauffeur?

[D-Type]

Wasn't Fangio a chauffeur?

I don't think so, but Chiron and 'Williams' were chauffeurs at one stage of the careers. And one of the Unser tribe (Louie I think) learned his way up Pikes Peak by driving the tourist bus.

[Tony Matthews]

I wonder where I got that from, then. I have just Googled him and got this from Wikipedia:-

" In 1932, he was enlisted at the Campo de Mayo cadet school near Buenos Aires. His driving skills caught the attention of his commanding officer to appoint Fangio as his official driver."

I think this may have been misinterpreted by a writer some years ago as 'chauffeur'.

[D-Type]

I missed that when I checked in the Gerald Donaldson biography. It's there on P 12.