DRIVERS (K)
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Even with lots of work still do be done this list have reached a state
where it must be considered one of the most complete and accurate ever assembled on
the subject. This has only been possible due to the tremendous help from people
all over the world, each of them experts of their local drivers and events.
Short biographies of drivers with BLUE background, will come up in due time.
If you have any information about any driver with GREEN background, please
contact me!
Graf Eckhart von Kalnein (D) |
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* 8 Aug 1892
† 1945
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Domnau
? |
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From Domnau, Landkreis Bartenstein, East Pressia (nowadays Domnovo, Russia)
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| (Info supplied by Alessandro Silva & Simon Davis) |
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1931: DNA AVUS GP
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Albert Kandt (D) |
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From Gotha? Lived in Berlin and was an authorized officer at the DIXI automobile factory. He regularly took part in reliability drives (e.g. Alpenfahrt) and races with
a DIXI 3/15 (BMW Wartburg).
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| (Info supplied by Hugo Boecker) |
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1930: NC Czech (Voiturette)
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Karl "Charlie" Kappler (D) |
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* 21 Aug 1891
† 30 Nov 1962
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Gernsbach, Baden-Württemberg
Gernsbach-Scheuern, Baden-Württemberg |
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Sometimes Carl, generally named Charlie, from Gernsbach in the Black Forest. Ran a tyre shop there, but could be seen as the first German professional privateer
who made a living from racing. Typical hill-climber, at longer circuit races he often did not see the finish line. During the season he roved from one event
to the other, which he tried to choose by offered prize money and expected competition. To increase his chances for class wins he normally entered two cars in
different categories / classes, a Simson Supra as 2 litre sports car and a Bugatti T35T as 3 litre race car, later he acquired Kimpel’s Bugatti T35C who began
to fetch the 2 litre sports class wins. Retired from speed racing after 1928 and went for reliability runs, rallyes, and alike.
| | (Info supplied by Michael Müller) |
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1925: DNS Solitude GP (2000cc) /
DNF Taunus GP (2000cc)
1926: DNA Solitude GP
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Dr Josef Karrer (CH) |
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* 1882
† ? |
?
? |
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Lived in Zürich. Started driving Wanderer and Salmson cars before trying a Bugatti in 1924. He would favour Bugatti from then on, becoming Swiss sports car champion with
this marque in 1927, 1930, 1931 and 1932. He competed in all of the Klausenrennen apart from the last event in 1934. He was probably the Swiss Bugatti importer for many years,
based in Zürich.
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| (Info supplied by Simon Davis) |
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1931: DNA Geneva GP (2000cc)
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Walter Leo Kaufmann (D) |
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22 Apr 1900
† 1 Dec 1941 |
Stuttgart
Jungfernhof concentration camp, near Riga
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Walter Kaufmann studied mechanical engineering at Stuttgart’s Technical University from 1918 to 1922 and then joined Steiger AG in Burgrieden as head of the test and racing department. Following Steiger’s
bankruptcy in 1926 he returned to Stuttgart and no longer raced. As a Jew he was deported by the Nazis to the Jungfernhof concentration camp near Riga in Latvia and murdered in 1941.
There is some confusion as an Ernst Kaufmann appers in some sources. possibly the picture is of him.
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| (Info supplied by Simon Davis) |
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1924: DNF Targa Florio
1925: 3 Solitude GP /
2 Eifel GP
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Franz Egmont Herbert Keilhold (D) |
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Herbert Keilhold was a car dealer from Leipzig, Saxonia. His premises were at Wiesenstraße 20/22. Keilhod raced from the early 20ies Bugattis, mainly
Brescia Typs and T30 and T40 Touring- Sportcars. He also raced a T37.
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| (Info supplied by Hugo Boecker) |
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1927: 4c/6 Nürburgring Opening (1500cc)
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Sulo Paavo Johannes Keinänen (FIN) |
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* 9 Feb 1907
† 12 Nov 1984
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Säyneinen, Northern Savonia
Vihti |
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One of the major names in Scandinavian pre war racing SPJ Keinänen's career started in 1927
with a Chrysler and went until the early 60s. His greatest achievement was a
second place in the 1932 Swedish GP but he also achieved a lot of victories and podium positions
in local races. A used cars salesman and repair shop owner Keinänen also proved to be very inventive,
spending lot of time and effort on his pioneer work in creating tyre chains and studs
for snow and ice. He retired from racing as late as 1963.
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1932: 2 Swedish Winter GP (Ice race) /
2 Finnish GP /
DNF Munkkiniemenajo
1933: DNF Swedish Winter GP (Ice race) /
4 Svenska Isloppet (Ice race) /
DNF Finnish GP /
DNS Swedish Summer GP
1934: 3 Vallentuna (Ice race) /
DNF Finnish GP
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George Pearson Glen Kidston (GB) |
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* 23 Jan 1899
† 5 May 1931
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Brompton, London
Van Reenan, Natal, South Africa |
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Son of a a captain in the 3rd Royal Highlanders Glen Kidston was born at 54 Cromwell Road, Brompton, London, 1899,
His grandfather had established a firm of metal and maachinery merchants in Glasgow.
After passing Royal Naval College 1912 Kidson was one of the 400 fifteen and sixteen year old cadets from Naval Collage Darthmout, who filled up he crews of the
infamous "livebait squadron" armoured cruisers. He survived the consequent sinking of HMS Aboukir and HMS Hogue by German U-9. Interned in Holland, he was repatriated
and served on HMS Orion during the battle of Jutland before transferring to submarines. He was given command of submarine H48. He married in 1925 and retired with the rank of lieutenant-commander in 1927(?).
Kidston competed in motorcycle racing events from 1921. In May 1927 he had survived an 50 knots motor boat crash.
Glen Kidston competed in numerous motor races including the Monte Carlo Rally, Isle of Man TT motorcycle races, and Shelsley Walsh hillclimb. He enterd a Bugatti for the 1925 Provence GP.
He took up flying in 1928 and became joint owner of a Fokker plane. On 6 November 1929 he was the only survivor of eight people when Lufthansa Junker G24 (D-903) airliner, crashed at Godstone, Surrey.
Trying to demonstrate the viability of a fast air postal service within the British empire his overloaded Lockheed Vega plane disintegrated in a storm over Van Reenan, Natal 1931,
He was buried at Glasbury church, Breconshire.
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1925: 5 Provence GP (2000cc)
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Georg Kimpel (D) |
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* 30 Jan 1895
† 6 Aug 1942
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Ludwigshafen?
? |
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From Ludwigshafen. Joined B.A.S.F. in October 1920. Later he became captain in the I.G. Farben internal firefighting service and supervisor of their car park.
Raced a Mercedes, a Bugatti T39 (#4603) bought from Edgar Morawitz and a Bugatti T35C (#4821) between 1925 and 1929.
Winner of the 1926 Rusenberg and Feldberg and 1927 Eibsee Bergstraße and Feldberg hillclimbs. 2nd in the 1926 Solitude-Rennen. Killed in action 1942.
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1925: DNF Taunus GP (2000cc)
1926: DNF German GP (1500cc) /
2 Solitude GP
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Otto Kleyer (D) |
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Son of Heinrich Kleyer, founder and main owner of Adlerwerke vorm. H. Kleyer AG at Frankfurt, a large manufacturer of bicycles, typewriters, motorbikes, and motor cars.
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| (Info supplied by Simon Davis) |
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1926: DNS Solitude GP (1500cc) |
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Umberto Klinger (I) |
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* 3 Aug 1900
† 26 Jan 1971
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Saluzzo, Cune Venezia (Venice)
Venice |
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Klinger was better known as an aviator and was a friend of Italo Balbo. After fighting in the Italian Army in WW1 he became Federal Secretary of Ferrara and also organized Italy’s first national airline,
Ala Littoria S.A. From 1934 he was a member of Italy’s parliament with a focus on aviation issues. Four years later he flew across the Atlantic. During WW2 he was a reserve pilot in the Italian air force
with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In the wake of Italy’s armistice he hid in Rome from the ruling socialists until the end of the war. He took over and rebuilt the aeronautical workshops in Venice and
founded the Officine Aeronavali di Venezia. In addition to overhauling aircraft he also organised four airlines within Italy, Egypt and Lebanon. Unfortunately financial difficulties affected his company
by the end of the 1960s to the extent that he committed suicide in 1971. His brief motor racing activities saw him race Maseratis as a private entrant and a works driver as well as an Alfa Romeo for
Scuderia Ferrari.
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| (Info supplied by Simon Davis & Alessandro Silva) |
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1930: 3 Monza (1100cc)
1931: 7 Tunis GP /
7* Alessandria GP /
8* Italian GP /
4 (heat)/DNF Geneva GP /
DNF Coppa Ciano /
7 Coppa Acerbo /
5 Monza GP (1100cc)
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Ewald Kluge (D) |
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* 19 Jan 1909
† 19 Aug 1964
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Lausa, Saxonia
? |
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Motor cycle racer. Kluge was born in Lausa (East of Leipzig) and lost his mother at an early age,
He made his living as a taxi driver and bought his first motor cycle in 1929. His good results gave him
DKW support in 1934 and in 1936 he became works driver for DKW. He took four German championships in the 250cc class in 1936-39.
1938 was his greatest year. Out of 14 races he took 12 victories and two second places and became 250cc European Champion.
He also broke the British domination at the Isle of man TT with a dominant victory in the leightweight class. In 1939 he renewed his
European championship. After a test at Nürburgring in May 1938 he signed on as Auto Union reserve
driver for 1938 - 1939. He never took part in a GP race but did some demonstations runs including one at Saxtorp, Sweden in 1939.
Released in bad physlical shape from Russian imprisonment in 1949 he moved to Ingolstadt and retuned to racing the next year.
However his career ended at the 1953 Eifelrennen where he broke his thigh in a crash
that put him into hospital for almost a year. Kluge died of cancer in 1964 at an age of 55.
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Jindřich Knapp (CS) |
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* 1895
† 1982
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Prague
Prague |
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Jindřich Knapp was a Czechoslovak car racer. He raced in Walter cars as a factory driver. His greatest success was the victory in II. year of the 1000 mile
Czechoslovak race on the Walter Standard S in 1934 and 4th place in the international race on the Masaryk Circuit (Voiturette) on the Walter Junior S in 1933.
He had started in the 1930 Masaryk Circuit with the Walter Super 6B in the GP category, but retired with a broken oil line. In the mid-1920s, he received an offer to
race Alfa Romeo cars. |
| (Info supplied by Libor Tošnar & Simon Davis) |
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1930: DNF Czech GP
1933: 4 Czech (Voiturette)
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Constant Knepper (L) |
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* 1 Apr 1900
† ?
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?
? |
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Notary public from Remich, Luxembourg.
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1931: 2 Frontieres GP /
DNF Eifel GP
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Hans Kolb (D) |
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From München (Munich). Raced a Steiger in 1924. Winner of 1924 Oberjoch and Ruselberg hillclimbs.
Had in 1925 one of the earliest Bugatti T35 (#4395) in Germany, possibly only on loan.
Winner of 1925 Würgau, Oberjoch, Salzberg and Ruselber hillclimbs.
Kolb disappeared from the racing scene in 1926.
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| (Info supplied by Michael Müller) |
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1924: DNF* Targa Florio
1925: 2 Solitude GP (2000cc) /
DNA Eifel GP (2000cc)
1926: DNS German GP (2000cc) |
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Alexander Joseph "Sascha" Graf Kolowrat-Krakowsky (A) |
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* 29 Jan 1886
† 4 Dec 1927 |
Glen Ridge, New Jersey, USA
Wien |
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Entrepreneur, pioneer of the Austrian, filmindustry, founding the first major film studio Sascha-Film in Vienna.
As a dedicated car enthusiast he financed the development of the lightweight "Sascha" car, built by Austro-Daimler and designed by Ferdinand Porsche.
Kolowrat died of cancer in 1927.
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| (Info supplied by Hugo Boecker) |
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1922: DNF Targa Florio (1100cc)
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Antonín/Anton Komár (CS/A) |
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* 27 Jan 1907
† 16 Sep 1951 |
Maratice, Moravia
Ostrava |
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Antonín Komár was born 1907 in the small village Maratice in Moravia. From 1927 onwards he owned a small transport company in
city of Kyjov. A "pupil" of Bruno Sojka, who teached him to drive a race car, Komár became involved in racing in 1933. That
year he finished 3rd in the "Czechoslovak 1000 miles" race with a Tatra. In 1934 he started in the Voiturette class of the
Masaryk GP class with Bugatti T37A but retired on the 6th lap. In 1935 he finished 6th in the same race, while he
in 1937 retired on the first lap.
After WWII he and Bruno Sojka purchased two Cisitalia D46 cars and were top runners in race cars class. While Sojka
later became works Tatra driver, Komár built himself a Skoda-engined sportscar. In the "II. Ostrava" car race
while fighting for 2nd positin in 1200cc class on lap 16 Komár crashed hard into a tree wrecking the car completely. The
result for the driver was fatal.
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| (Source : "Postavy našeho motorismu" by Adolf Tuma, 1940/magazin "Svet Motoru" - Info supplied by Michal Velebny & Hugo Boecker) |
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1934: DNF Czech GP (Voiturette)
1935: DNF Czech GP (Voiturette)
1937: ? Czech GP (Voiturette)
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Otto Komnick (D) |
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Junior owner of automobile manufacturer Franz Komnick & Söhne AG at Elbing, East Prussia. Raced own brand cars, which had been simply stripped touring cars.
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| (Info supplied by Michael Müller) |
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1926: DNF German GP (2000cc)
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Kurt Könnecker (D) |
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Car dealer from Hagen Westphalia.
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1930: DNC Eifel GP
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Ernst Otto Kotte (D) |
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* 4 Dec 1888
† 17 Apr 1960 |
Lomnitz, Bautzen, Saxony
Dresden |
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Was Maserati agent and had a car dealership (Automobilhauses Ernst Kotte) in Dresden, Münchner Straße 11. Married Ottilie Müller (1896-1937) on 3rd July 1920. Raced a Maserati tipo 26M (#2514).
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| (Info supplied by Kevin Tjeerdsma & Alessandro Silva) |
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1931: DNA German GP /
DNF AVUS GP
1932: 5 AVUS GP
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Countess Marie-Louise von Kozmian (Marja-Ludwika Kozmianowa) née Komorowska (PL) |
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* 1892
† 1955 |
?
? |
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Raced a Bugatti T37 in the early 1930s. She was the winner of the 1930 Lwow Grand Prix In her native Poland and was sixth and ninth respectively in 1933 and 1934.
Between 1933 and 1937, she also took part in races and hillclimbs in Czechoslovakia, Switzerland and Austria.
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| (Info supplied by Richard A. Salomon.) |
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1933: DNC Lwow (Voiturette)
1934: 10 Swiss GP (Voiturette)
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Albert Jacob "Peter" Kreis (USA) |
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* 19 Jan 1900
† 25 May 1934 |
Knoxville, Tennessee
Indianpolis, Indiana |
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Known as Peter. Wealthy contractor. He and riding mechanic Robert Hahn were killed while practicing for the 1934 Indy 500.
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1925: DNF Italian GP
1927: DNF Milan GP /
DNF/3* European GP
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Rüdiger Curt Krüger (D) |
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Director of the MOTAG Automobil-Finanzierungs-Aktien Gesellschaft, an insurance company with vehicles and water sports as speciality.
Krüger became known for his activities in motorboat racing. In June 1926 he was the first German to take part in the Chiswick - Putney boat race on the Thames after the First Worls War.
With his boat Sigrid IV, equipped with a Mercedes 1.5L compressor racing engine, he came fourth. The race was won by Woolf Barnato.
12 october 1929 Krüger made B and C class World Water Speed Class Records at Potsdam (56.50 km/h 59.80 km/h) with his boat Sigrid XI (Johnson 327cc / Evinrude 498cc).
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| (Info supplied by Hugo Boecker / Marco Kieser) |
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1926: DNF German GP
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Gregor "Fritz" Kuhn (D) |
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Fritz Kuhn was born in Heidelberg, Germany, but had settled in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. Kuhn was an Austro-Daimler test driver and raced for them also at the Ries hill climb and the Targa Florio.
He died on September 9, the last practice day in Monza when his Austro-Daimler went into a slide as some spokes of the left rear wheel ruptured under the load. Kuhn fell in an unfortunate way and
died immediately. His funeral took place on September 16, in Wiener-Neustadt.
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1922: 1 (22) Targa Florio (1100cc) /
DNS Italian GP
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© 2024 Leif Snellman - Last updated: 19.11.2024
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