Hilde & Tommy - this is the authentic love story between Hilde, the youngest daughter of Fritz Gehr, director of the world-famous German NSU vehicle factory, and the legendary English motorcycle racer Tom "Tommy" Bullus. The book provides a unique insight into the eventful history of the company up to the end of the Weimar Republic as well as the incredible story of the exceptional talent Bullus.
The author Susanne Schartel, great-granddaughter of the NSU director's family, skilfully interweaves the stories and personal notes of her ancestors with meticulously researched historical facts. She describes in a captivating way how fateful and momentous the first visit of the likeable chap from Yorkshire to Neckarsulm in December 1929 was for both sides. She also allows the reader to participate in the eventful life of the Swabian entrepreneurial family as well as the most important motorcycle racing events and other current affairs of the time.
The richly illustrated biographical novel contains over 400 never-before-published documents and photographs from the family estate, the archives of various motoring organisations as well as from private collections and many other sources.
Neckarsulm 1924: Hilde, the pretty youngest daughter of the NSU director, lives a carefree life full of comforts with her family at "Villa Gehr" on the edge of the factory grounds. Her father has been with the company for 20 years, which has developed from a knitting machine factory into one of the world's leading bicycle, motorbike and car manufacturers and is celebrating its 50th anniversary today. Hilde's light-hearted life is clouded in the late 1920s by the economic problems in the country and in her father's company. In addition, her two older sisters marry and move out of the family home. Hilde wonders whether she too will find her personal happiness one day. Will there be a dashing go-getter with heart and humour out there for her?
Isle of Man 1925: a dream comes true for 18-year-old motorbike enthusiast Tom "Tommy" Bullus. He is finally here, in the place he has always longed for. For as long as he can remember, he has wanted to take part in the most important road race in the motorbike world, the famous Tourist Trophy. He was allowed to take part as a reserve rider and gets his chance: the main rider is injured in a crash during training. With a great deal of passion and a gigantic joy in his heart, the eventful racing career of the legendary Tom Bullus begins, which will take him from victory to victory, from the AVUS to Monza, from the Nürburgring to the Klausen Pass and all over Europe's race circuits and hill climbs. What could possibly stop him?
Sprache
Verlagsort
Zielgruppe
In addition to classic car and bike enthusiasts, vintage car aficionados and lovers of the pre-war motorsport world, this special historical biographical novel will appeal to readers of all ages with a penchant for authentic historical material and a heartwarming (true) love story. Immerse yourself and feel good!
Produkt-Hinweis
Maße
Höhe: 246 mm
Breite: 175 mm
Dicke: 51 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-3-384-57489-3 (9783384574893)
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Autor*in
In her early twenties, the Stuttgart native left her hometown to study business administration and life in California and Paris for six years. In 1993, she accepted a job offer from BMG Ariola and settled in Munich to find her first calling in the music industry. After twelve turbulent years in marketing international artists in Germany, she became curious about what else life had to offer and, from her forties onward, pursued various other activities. Today, she commutes between Lake Starnberg and Stuttgart as a freelance author, copywriter, and translator.
"I often heard during my childhood that my great-grandfather had been the director of the famous Neckarsulm vehicle factory NSU at the beginning of the 20th century, and that my grandmother had grown up with a nanny and a chauffeur. Grandma longingly recounted that time, and also repeatedly talked about the incredible (love) story of her little sister Hilde with the dashing Englishman Tommy, who had raced motorcycles for NSU. My mother called them Aunt Hilde and Uncle Tommy, and that was the only way I knew them. When they came to visit from England, it was always a highlight - the family and my grandmother's house at the Bismarck Tower in Stuttgart were buzzing with excitement.
After my grandmother passed away at an advanced age at the beginning of this century, it was up to me to clear out the house, which had served as the family home since 1935. Countless photographs, documents, letters, and other memorabilia fell into my hands. Uncle Tommy's personal notes about his racing years with NSU particularly captured my interest.
As I continued to study the documents, my Aunt Hilde became the charismatic, pretty, and courageous youngest daughter of the NSU director, and my Uncle Tommy became the handsome, immensely talented, and universally beloved Yorkshire motorcycle racer Tom Bullus, who, as the number one rider in the NSU works team from 1930 to 1932, rode from victory to victory and could only be stopped by the love of his life.
I simply had to write this story down."
