Ottokar Jacobs, Sarasota Café Racer and Car Guy Who Lunches told us an amusing and remarkable story at lunch yesterday.
First, Ottokar is Austrian and also has a home here on the Sun Coast of Florida. He is a renowned Porsche collector, owning a 917, 908, 910, 904 and many Carreras, and more significantly, a Red/White Stripe Ford GT. :wink
Ottokar was in California at a rare book fair and picked up a book about the great German race car driver Bernd Rosemeyer. The book was published in 1938, shortly after Rosemeyer's death at age 28. Rosemeyer was killed in a crash after a day of land speed record attempts on the Frankfurt-Darmstadt autobahn (the A5). Before the crash that killed him, Rosemeyer set a record of 429.6 km/hr (268 mph). This in 1938!
Back to Ottokar's story. Ottokar remarked to the bookseller that he had the same book in his library in Austria. Then, he opened the cover, and was shocked to see that this was his book. He told the bookseller, "This is my book!" The bookseller asked, "How do you know?"
Ottokar held the book to his chest just like this photo.
The bookseller gave Ottokar the book.
To this day, Ottokar has no idea how the book he was given in 1939 journeyed from his Austrian home to a book fair in California.
First, Ottokar is Austrian and also has a home here on the Sun Coast of Florida. He is a renowned Porsche collector, owning a 917, 908, 910, 904 and many Carreras, and more significantly, a Red/White Stripe Ford GT. :wink
Ottokar was in California at a rare book fair and picked up a book about the great German race car driver Bernd Rosemeyer. The book was published in 1938, shortly after Rosemeyer's death at age 28. Rosemeyer was killed in a crash after a day of land speed record attempts on the Frankfurt-Darmstadt autobahn (the A5). Before the crash that killed him, Rosemeyer set a record of 429.6 km/hr (268 mph). This in 1938!
Back to Ottokar's story. Ottokar remarked to the bookseller that he had the same book in his library in Austria. Then, he opened the cover, and was shocked to see that this was his book. He told the bookseller, "This is my book!" The bookseller asked, "How do you know?"
Ottokar held the book to his chest just like this photo.
The bookseller gave Ottokar the book.
To this day, Ottokar has no idea how the book he was given in 1939 journeyed from his Austrian home to a book fair in California.
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