+5 Mercedes mourns rally driver and pioneer Ewy Rosqvist (94)
Mercedes mourns rally driver and pioneer Ewy Rosqvist (94)
Mercedes mourns rally driver and pioneer Ewy Rosqvist (94)
Mercedes-Benz Werksrennfahrerin Ewy Baronin von Korff-Rosqvist im Alter von 94 Jahren verstorbenMercedes-Benz works racing driver Ewy Baroness von Korff-Rosqvist has died aged 94
The Swedish women’s team of Ewy Rosqvist and Ursula Wirth wins the 6th Argentinian Touring Car Grand Prix (VI Gran Premio Internacional Standard Supermovil YPF) with the Mercedes-Benz 220 SE with the starting number 711. Photo Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive
Mercedes mourns rally driver and pioneer Ewy Rosqvist (94)
Mercedes-Benz Werksrennfahrerin Ewy Baronin von Korff-Rosqvist im Alter von 94 Jahren verstorbenMercedes-Benz works racing driver Ewy Baroness von Korff-Rosqvist has died aged 94
Ewy Rosqvist and Ursula Wirth wons all six stages of the 4,626-kilometre Argentinian Touring Car Grand Prix. Photo Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive
Mercedes mourns rally driver and pioneer Ewy Rosqvist (94)
Mercedes-Benz Werksrennfahrerin Ewy Baronin von Korff-Rosqvist im Alter von 94 Jahren verstorbenMercedes-Benz works racing driver Ewy Baroness von Korff-Rosqvist has died aged 94
Die Mercedes-Benz Rallyefahrerinnen Ewy Rosqvist (Mitte) und Ursula Wirth (rechts) gewinnen in der 32. Rallye Monte Carlo 1963 den begehrten „Coupe des Dames“ mit einem Mercedes-Benz 220 SE „Heckflosse“ Rallyefahrzeug. Am 28. Januar 1963 überreicht Fürstin Gracia Patricia von Monaco (links) den Pokal. (Fotosignatur der Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive: U19101) Mercedes-Benz rally drivers Ewy Rosqvist (centre) and Ursula Wirth (right) win the coveted “Coupe des Dames” at the 32nd Rally Monte Carlo 1963 with a Mercedes-Benz 220 SE “tailfin” rally car. On 28 January 1963, Princess Grace Patricia of Monaco presents the trophy (left). (Photo signature of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive: U19101)
Mercedes mourns rally driver and pioneer Ewy Rosqvist (94)
Mercedes mourns rally driver and pioneer Ewy Rosqvist (94)
Mercedes-Benz Werksrennfahrerin Ewy Baronin von Korff-Rosqvist im Alter von 94 Jahren verstorbenMercedes-Benz works racing driver Ewy Baroness von Korff-Rosqvist has died aged 94
1964 Mercedes works crew for Marathon de la Route. From left to right: Martin Braungart, Dieter Glemser, Alfred Kling, Ewy Rosqvist, Manfred Schiek, Eugen Böhringer, Rolf Kreder and Klaus Kaiser. Photo Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive
Mercedes mourns rally driver and pioneer Ewy Rosqvist (94)
Mercedes-Benz Werksrennfahrerin Ewy Baronin von Korff-Rosqvist im Alter von 94 Jahren verstorbenMercedes-Benz works racing driver Ewy Baroness von Korff-Rosqvist has died aged 94
Erinnerungsfoto im Mercedes-Benz Museum zum 90. Geburtstag von Eugen Böhringer am 22. Januar 2012 an einem Mercedes-Benz 230 SL „Rallye-Pagode“ (W 113). Von links nach rechts: Dr. Peter Lang, Rolf Moll, Eugen Böhringer, Rolf Knoll, Klaus Kaiser, Eberhard Mahle, Ewy von Korff-Rosqvist, Hans Herrmann, Herbert Linge und Dieter Glemser. (Fotosignatur der Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive: 12C62_01) Souvenir photo in the Mercedes-Benz Museum on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of Eugen Böhringer’s birthday on 22 January 2012 in a Mercedes-Benz 230 SL “Rallye-Pagoda” (W 113). From left to right: Dr. Peter Lang, Rolf Moll, Eugen Böhringer, Rolf Knoll, Klaus Kaiser, Eberhard Mahle, Ewy von Korff-Rosqvist, Hans Herrmann, Herbert Linge and Dieter Glemser. (Photo signature of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive: 12C62_01)
Mercedes mourns rally driver and pioneer Ewy Rosqvist (94)
Mercedes-Benz Werksrennfahrerin Ewy Baronin von Korff-Rosqvist im Alter von 94 Jahren verstorbenMercedes-Benz works racing driver Ewy Baroness von Korff-Rosqvist has died aged 94
Ewy Rosqvist, Mercedes-Benz rally driver from 1962 to 1964 and Mercedes-Benz Classic brand ambassador. Photo with Björn Waldegård (left) and Marcel Tiemann at “Mercedes-Benz & Friends” in Sweden, September 2013. Photo Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive
Swedish rally driver Ewy Rosqvist has passed away on July 4th, at the age of 94. Rosqvist – born Ewy Jönsson – was a trail-blazer, as one of the first woman able to beat the men in post-war rallying. She became famous as a Mercedes works driver.
Rosqvist was the only girl in a family counting five children. Born in Ystad, South Sweden, Ewy became a veterinary assistant. She got a knack for driving fast on the dirt roads connecting the farms she had to visit.
Speed was of essence, as the veterinary assitants had to transport frozen bull semen in a thermos flask, with a temperature in the flask that should not exceed -5 degrees Celsius. Rosqvist was good, and even started timing her drives. As she stated in her autobiography ‘Journey through Hell’, “I was usually back one-and-half to two hours earlier than my colleagues.” This is also the premise of the 2008 Swedish film ‘Rallybrudar’, based loosely on the life of Ewy Rosqvist.
Factory driver
Ewy Jönsson became Ewy Rosqvist when she married Yngve Rosqvist, and both went rallying together. Ewy was the co-driver at first, then started driving on her own. With success, and in 1960, Volvo signed her as a factory driver. Only for Mercedes to snatch her away two years later. In 1959, she won the European Women’s Cup in a Volvo, beating another famous and ferocious female rally driver: Stirling Moss’ sister Pat Moss.
Argentinian succes
Mercedes took Ewy Rosqvist and her co-driver Ursula Wirth on board for a 1962 rally campaign and offered the pair a Mercedes 220 SE. The duo would win the fast Argentinian Touring Car Grand Prix at the end of the year. Rosqvist set fastest times on all of the stages. She won, three hours ahead of the 250 men that had entered the rally. In 1963, Rosqvist won the Women’s Cup in the Monte Carlo rally, a class win at the Nürburgring 6 Hours and third in the Argentinian Touring Car Grand Prix.
Monte Carlo
1964 brought Rosqvist a career-best in the Monte Carlo rally: fifth overall and first in class in the +2500 cc category. She would do even better in the Spa-Sofia-Liège marathon, finishing third. Rosqvist, by now partnered by Eva-Maria Falk, ended her career in 1964, with another fine third in the Argentinian Touring Car Grand Prix. She married Mercedes motorsport director Baron Alexander von Korff, and remained associated to the Mercedes brand.
Mercedes Classic director Marcus Breitschwert said: “She has done a lot for motorsport – and at the same time she shaped the image of women in motorsport, especially as an overall winner against the strongest of her time.”
