Biography Ewy Baroness von Korff-Rosqvist

Ursula Wirth and Ewy Rosqvist in a W113 Pagoda

Born in 1929 in Ystad in southern Sweden, Ewy Rosqvist was the daughter of a farmer and learned to drive at an early age. Her first car was a Mercedes-Benz 170 S, bought for her by her father.

Working as a veterinary assistant, she gained a great deal of experience driving on long, poorly built roads: “The driving which I had to carry out each day amounted to between 150 and 200 kilometres, almost all on unpaved roads, gravel paths and farm roads,” explained Ewy Rosqvist in her book “Fahrt durch die Hölle” [Driving through Hell] (Munich: Copress-Verlag 1963).

In 1954, Rosqvist experienced her first rally – as a passenger in the Midnight Sun Rally, which her husband and father were competing in. “That was so much fun that I decided to take part in a rally myself, either driving or as a co-driver, as soon as possible,” the female driver recalled. And indeed – two years later, the young woman also found herself behind the wheel on the starting line of the Midnight Sun Rally.

In 1959, Rosqvist won the European Rally Championship Women’s Cup for the first time in a Volvo. Then Daimler-Benz AG subsequently took on the successful female driver in the spring of 1962, as part of the Mercedes-Benz works team.

Source: Daimler AG

Veterinary assistant

Ewy exercises her profession

Ewy studied to be a veterinary assistant in Stockholm. Then, in the early 1950´s, she returned to Ystad and began working for veterinary Palsson.

First years

- I took part in my first rally with my father-in-law and my husband. I was the "third man" and it was "The Midnight Sun Rally" in 1954. My father-in-law drove very well.

Racing with Saab

Saabs racing team

Ewy raced the same vehicle she used in her profession. Between 1957 and 1958, she owned SAAB. Now she began to move closer to leaderships.

Growing success

1960 Coupe de Alpes

Ewy started driving for Volvo in 1959. The successes grew. She was champion with her Volvo, until 1962, when the Mercedes rally team, signed her for Mercedes-Benz.

Mercedes-Benz

1962 Winning team

From 1962, Ewy was the only female racingdriver, to drive for the Mercedes team at that time. The same year, she and together with Ursula Wirth, won the Gran Premio in Argentina and caused a sensation.

Ambassador

2012 Representative

When Ewy married Baron Alexander von Korff in 1965, she end compete. But since then she has been a faithful ambassador for her old employer, Mercedes-Benz.

Career

22nd Alpine Rally 1961

Ewy Rosqvist´s (with Monika Wallraff) victory of the Coupe des Dames in the Alpine Rally has put her in a leading position for the title of Women´s European Rally Champion. She now leads Pat Moss by 15 points who is in turn nine points ahead of Anne Hall. There are, however, quite a number of qualifying events to go. The Coupe des Alpes did not alter the first two positions in the full Rally championship and Walter (Schock - Mercedes-Benz 220SE) is still first and Andersson (Gunnar - Volvo) second. Rene Trautmann, however, has come up to third place.

Source: Unknown article from Ewy´s press cutting book.

Triumph for the Mercedes-Benz in Argentina 1962

Argentina's major production-car race, the "toughest of them all," did not seem tough enough for the two blonde flashes from Sweden, Ewy Rosqvist and Ursula Wirth. Entered as the rookie drivers of the Mercedes-Benz team, they soon found themselves alone-the other four team cars were out long before the halfway mark. But "Rennleiter" Karl Kling had good reason to be confident the 220-SEb could take it and the girls had stamina, discipline, and a very heavy foot, besides their good looks.

They not only successfully upheld Mercedes-Benz prestige but also achieved a number of unprecedented feats. Winning every leg of the Gran Premio simply "couldn't be done"; they did it and rewrote the record book. Their 220-SEb was undoubtedly the fastest car, but there are few portions of the Gran Premio where speed alone counts; it is a test of driver as well as of machinery. Many of its sections minimize difference in mechanical power and demand physical endurance and extraordinary driving ability.

The girls had all that was needed. Passing 250 cars at night on a wet road; driving at the edge of a precipice on a twisty, treacherous, narrow, and slippery gravel road are what we used to call man-sized jobs and there is much of this in the Gran Premio Standard.

Source:sportscars.tv

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