Editors: Marcel Visbeen, Dennis Drenthe, Mattijs Diepraam. Feedback: feedback#carelgodindebeaufort.nl (# = @). This tribute site is in no way connected to the Beaufort family.

Edgar Barth

b Herold-Erzgebirge (Germany), January 26, 1917 – d Ludwigsburg (West-Germany), May 20, 1965

Originally a DKW motorcycle racer who switched to BMW-powered sportscars and F2 racers, Barth represented East Germany driving an EMW in the 1953 German GP. Barth fled from the German Democratic Republic to the West in 1957 and was immediately enrolled as a Porsche factory driver. He returned their faith by taking the 1959, ’63 and ’64 European Mountain Championships for Porsche, as well as the 1959 Targa Florio. His 1963 title impressed due to his win tally of six wins out of seven attempts.

Like Gerhard Mitter he was a occasional Grand Prix driver by entering his home GP four times. Nine months after his last GP outing he succumbed to cancer, 47 years old. Edgar’s son Jürgen became a Porsche works driver by his own account, and won the 1977 Le Mans 24 Hrs with Jacky Ickx and Hurley Haywood.

Barth’s shared success with Carel came at their first attempt, taking a class win along with Richard von Frankenberg in the 1958 Nürburgring 1000kms. They formed a duo again a year later but their outstanding second place on the grid couldn’t be translated into results. Carel was due to share an RS60 with Barth and Graham Hill in the 1960 Targa Florio but Carel was a no-show. Similarly Carel was officially entered for the works Porsche driven by Herrmann and Barth at Le Mans in 1961 but Carel chose to run his own Porsche with Ben Pon.

Carel and the people in his presence

This section features the stories about the people who were around him while he was alive – his family, his friends, his mechanics, his entourage, his co-drivers, his rivals.