Taking a Look Back at Walter Rohrl on His 75th Birthday

Milestone

Walter Rohrl is one of the more celebrated names in Porsche history, and for good reason. Rohrl is widely considered to be one of the best, if not the greatest rally car driver of all time after racking up two World Rally Championship (WRC) titles, as well as competing in a wide number of other motorsports series including TransAm, IMSA, Pikes Peak/hill climb, and the German Touring Car Championship. Now, as Rohrl hits the milestone of spending 75 years on this planet, Porsche is paying tribute to the icon himself.

Photos: Porsche

Important Role

Rohrl continues to play an important role in the world of Porsche, for whom he has been a brand ambassador since 1993 and until recently was also a test driver, putting the finishing touches on all new production cars on the Nurburgring. Originally from Regensburg, Rohrl was particularly involved in developing the 959, Carrera GT, and 918 Spyder.

Photos: Porsche

Still At It

Rohrl is still on the road a lot today, predominantly for Porsche. Just recently, for example, he taught journalists how to perfect ice drifting in Porsche models, and appeared on podcasts answering questions on synthetic fuels, the preservation of historic vehicles, and sustainability. Driver training courses for Porsche customers are mandatory.

Photos: Porsche

Meet and Greet

"And when I'm asked what I think of a thoroughbred sports car like the new 911 GT3, I'll take a test drive before I answer," Rohrl said. "All in all, I'm still on the road for more than 100 days a year." A common interview subject at the Porsche Heritage and Museum department, Rohrl has met motorsport fans at a variety of events including during appearances at the Porsche Sound Night, at various trade fairs, and at driving events.

Photos: Porsche

Staying True

For Rohrl, work also means looking after his own fleet of vehicles, which includes a number of classic 911 derivatives. Incidentally, his first vehicle was a Porsche 356 B Coupe. Even as a works driver for Ford, Opel, Fiat, Lancia, and Audi, Rohrl maintained his relationship with Porsche, including rally entries with a privateer 911. 

Photos: Porsche

Loyalty Pays Off

Last year, Porsche thanked him for his loyalty - to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1981 rally season, the Porsche Heritage and Museum department surprised him with the 924 Carrera GTS Rally that he drove back then - newly restored. Together with his co-driver Christian Geistdörfer, he took four overall victories in the 1981 German Rally Championship in the gold-and-black 924 "Monnet."

Photos: Porsche

No Fuss

However, the keen skier and cyclist is not making much of a fuss about his platinum celebration. "I'm going to go skiing that day," he said, confessing that he has always felt a little awkward about award ceremonies in his honor. Whether he will be able to fulfil his wish to have more time for himself over the next few years is debatable considering how active he is. "I'd like to get my old cars out a bit more often and visit friends," he said. 

Photos: Porsche

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