30/4/1896 - 0/0/1977
Record updated 30-Apr-07
Willi Seibel came form Diez about 40 km north of Wiesbaden.
He raced Bugatti's for 12 years, driving three differnt 1.5-liter machines. He raced in the sports car class and, by sripping the cars down he sometimes competed in the racing class as well.
Everywhere he went he was accompanied by his trusted race and riding mechanic Karl Michel who was also from Diez.
He aquired his first Bugatti, a T22, which he raced from 1925 at hill climbs in the sports car category, fequently winning his class.
This was replaced with a 4-cyl supercharged T37A. Unfortunately the car was destroyed by fire at the 1928 German GP when he had a high speed crash at the Antoniusbuche on lap lap 7. Seibel receiving serious burns but, when he left hospital three months later, he immediately bought a new T37A, which he kept in race worthy condition until his death.
Seibel raced his new new T37A as either sports car or stripped down as racing car and on three occasions he set the FTD (fastest time of day), beating bigger and more powerful cars.
Seibel’s best result came at the 1931 Eifelrennen where he finished fourth overall. But by the end of 1936 when his car was no longer competitive, Seibel decided to retire.
As graduate of the Düsseldorf and München School of Arts and Crafts, Seibel continued the 300-year tradition of his family of painters. As a well known restorer Seibel was trusted with the renovation of the Limburg cathedral in 1936 and 1956 the Castle of Oranienstein in Diez.
Seibel helped organize the first postwar races at the Nürburgring, including the 1951 Grand Prix of Germany where he served as Clerk of the Course. He was honorary member of the Bugatti-Club Deutschland and received the highest recognition from the ADAC. Seibel died 80 years old.
Infomation from Hans Etzrodt