The greatest German GP driver before Schumacher

1935 Eifelrennen, Nurburgring

Rudolf Caracciola, acknowledged master of the circuit and of changeable conditions, had been caught unawares. But how could he have known? For this was a bolt from the blue - and the grey. In a single lap - the seventh of 11 - of the world's most challenging track, of which he had no racing experience be it on bikes or in cars, Bernd Rosemeyer had gained 46 seconds.

No matter that his Auto Union was shy two of its 16 cylinders, or that he had lost his skull cap to the unsettling eddies created by a broken aero-screen that had also allowed a stone to smash his goggles, or that the intermittent rain was now at its heaviest, the newcomer in only his second car race was his team's only hope, his more experienced team-mates having pitted regularly in search of a cure for the misfire caused by changes in weather and altitude, and that Rosemeyer was ignoring.

Having been given the 'Faster!' signal, he passed Caracciola's Mercedes-Benz at the first time of asking - "You should have seen his face!" - and held a lead surrendered by the misfiring Mercedes-Benz of Manfred von Brauchitsch until the final rush along the main straight.

Deafened by wind roar, Rosemeyer mistimed a shift and Caracciola drafted past to win by less than two seconds. The latter was hardly complimentary afterwards, admonishing his young combatant - "In future, use your head!" - before awarding him a cocktail stick. The unconcerned Rosemeyer wore it on his lapel for months afterwards.

1936 Eifelrennen, Nurburgring

Rosemeyer's sophomore season had endured a difficult beginning: jaundice caused by a dodgy oyster eaten in Hamburg, followed by an ankle broken skiing in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Crashes in Monte Carlo and at Barcelona's Montjuich Park were sandwiched by a brace of fiery retirements in North Africa: Tripoli and Tunis.

His confidence, however, was unshakeable. Plus his engine-behind-the-driver machine, in its third year of development, was now boasting 520bhp from 6006cc - increases of 225bhp and 1648cc over its original spec - and also benefiting from a secret weapon: ZF's limited-slip differential. Mercedes-Benz in contrast was in disarray, as evinced by the engine failure that cost Caracciola his chance here.

Rosemeyer's main rival on this occasion, therefore, was the brilliant Tazio Nuvolari - a man who spoke no German but whom Bernd understood implicitly and admired immensely. They were nip and tuck until a thick fog descended. Having set the same time on lap seven (of 10), the German began carving huge chunks from the Alfa Romeo man: 42.3s on lap eight and 48.8s on lap nine.

Even Nuvolari was forced to yield in the face of this otherworldly display, and Rosemeyer's eventual margin was 2m13s. Der Nebelmeister was born.

1936 German Grand Prix, Nurburgring

Upstaged Mercedes-Benz hoped fervently that it had left no stone unturned: stronger cylinders and blocks, a return to a larger supercharger, masses of testing, and five cars entered plus a reserve.

In contrast Auto Union had become something of a one-man army: Achille Varzi, addled by drug addiction, was absent; Hans Stuck was out of form and favour; and newcomers Ernst von Delius and Rudolf Hasse lacked star quality. Fortunately, the just-married Rosemeyer's presence was sufficient to take the day. Reckoning on a two-stop strategy compared to the majority one, he took the lead on the second lap and consolidated it by breaking the 10-minute barrier - 9m56.3s - on the third. Speedy pit work on laps seven and 14 (of 22) allowed him to keep the lead and he won comfortably, barely slackening his pace even though he was almost four minutes ahead of runner-up Stuck.

The best Mercedes-Benz was fifth. And this was Caracciola's third car on an embarrassing day for Daimler-Benz, Unterturkheim's team leader assuming it from hotheaded Italian Luigi Fagioli when Fagioli pitted to complain about its handling after being lapped by Rosemeyer.

1936 Swiss Grand Prix, Bremgarten

Mercedes-Benz had regrouped once more: rear axles redesigned for improved handling. Auto Union in turn had been boosted by Varzi's return at the recent Coppa Acerbo - he was quick in practice and the race, albeit at the cost of too many stops for new rubber. But Stuck's practice crash in Pescara now left him nursing an injured right arm.

The biggest news, however, was Rosemeyer's ongoing battle and feud with Caracciola. According to his aviatrix wife Elly Beinhorn, Coppa Acerbo winner Rosemeyer was unusually edgy - a mood soured by Caracciola's late annexing of pole position on this fast and difficult circuit. For nine laps they fought for the lead, Caracciola resolutely ignoring increasingly vigorous flourishes of the blue flag - displayed even though they were dicing for position. Once ahead, however, Rosemeyer immediately set a fastest lap and had lowered it further by the time Caracciola suffered a sticking throttle on lap 18; 11 laps later the Mercedes-Benz broke its rear axle.

The dispute continued when they met awkwardly in a hotel lift. Their embarrassed partners left them to it as Rosemeyer got things - but not the cocktail stick - off his chest.

1936 Italian GP, Monza

Mercedes-Benz had given up and retreated to base, leaving the door wide open for Rosemeyer and Auto Union. The locals tried to shut it by punctuating a new layout, which linked road circuit to a section of the speedbowl, with five chicanes.

Rosemeyer was fastest in practice even so - and surprised to be waved past by both team-mate Stuck and Nuvolari in the early laps; brakes were expected to be at a premium because of those chicanes and the heat. Despite his devil-may-care reputation, Rosemeyer's feedback was said to be excellent, while his ability to pace a race and save his equipment was a match even for the wily Caracciola's. Gradually increasing his pace - he set fastest lap on lap 14 (of 72) - he pulled away from the feisty Nuvolari and discombobulated Stuck.

Previously viewed as a safe pair of hands, Stuck suffered another accident - and was thrown from his rolling car - when he misjudged the braking for a chicane while chasing Nuvolari. The Italian did not give up but was again more than two minutes behind Rosemeyer by the finish. Having won three of the contest's four rounds, the German was crowned European champion.

1937 Avusrennen, Avus

This showpiece in the German capital of Berlin was a Formule Libre affair, and Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz both entered cars fitted with all-enveloping bodywork. When combined with this autobahn-based venue's new banking - a 43.6-degree wall-of-death statement in brick - they would set lap speeds unmatched until the late 1950s.

Naturally Rosemeyer was in the van, circulating at an unofficial 176.7mph and reaching 225mph on the straights. But he almost went over the banking's lip and thereafter settled for a middle-of-the-road approach. Though he would not win, his dice with Caracciola in the opening heat was for many of the 350,000 spectators the day's highlight.

Although they had ended their feud - Rosemeyer cheekily returning the cocktail stick - they circled each other in the opening stages to save their tyres before uncorking their true performance.

Had not Rosemeyer's engine dropped three cylinders he might have overturned his rival's narrow advantage. There being insufficient time to fit a new head gasket, Rosemeyer's overheating engine coated him in oil - "like a sardine" - during the final.

He had proved his fortitude several times by continuing when others would have stopped because of mechanical problems or physical difficulties, and on this occasion he struggled home fourth after an early stop because of a puncture.

Wife Elly had to strip him to his underwear and wash his overalls in benzine to make him presentable to the Nazi top brass, a process gleefully photographed by the spectating Nuvolari.

1937 Eifelrennen, Nurburgring

When the 750kg formula was given a year's stay of execution, Mercedes-Benz produced a completely new car - the incredible 600bhp W125 - a feat that Auto Union could not afford.

Though Rosemeyer had rebuffed Caracciola's entreaty to join him at Unterturkheim, the line-up of 'Caratsch', von Brauchitsch, Englishman Dick Seaman and Hermann Lang - another ex-motorcyclist who had made a good impression immediately - was among the strongest in the sport's history.

Auto Union's was below par: Stuck was away racing in South America; new recruit Fagioli was hobbled by rheumatism; von Delius was hampered by a painful thigh from a crash in testing; and Hermann Paul Muller, another ex-biker, was making his debut and, as handy as he would prove to be, he was no Rosemeyer.

But then no one was. Having set the only sub-10-minute lap in practice, Rosemeyer battled with Caracciola, the pair passing and repassing before Bernd made it stick with an outside move at the Aremberg right-hander on the third lap.

That brave effort was matched by his pit crew, which was awarded a standing ovation from the grandstand for having turned its victorious man around in 25s.

1937 Vanderbilt Cup, Roosevelt Raceway

Europe's new speed king became an American sensation - and fashion icon - when he won the world's richest race. The 'blonde boy' in the knee-length white socks and his 'silver bullet' were shaded by Caracciola in practice - grid positions were decided by three attempts over a distance of 10 laps - and in the early laps of a race postponed two days because of rain.

But when Caracciola succumbed to supercharger failure on lap 17 - his Mercedes-Benz was using a new suction system that improved throttle response at the cost of silencing the marque's trademark scream - Rosemeyer found himself in another race against the clock, as well as Seaman. Forced to make two refuelling stops because his Auto Union's consumption was worse than anticipated, Rosemeyer pushed hard during the second stint to stay ahead of his one-stopping rival.

The impressive Englishman remained a threat, however, until forced into a splash-and-dash with two laps to go. Rosemeyer was mobbed on his return to Germany and promoted within the SS. (His star was sufficiently great that he got away with not wearing the uniform.) Though it had not been his greatest performance, this was in many ways far beyond the sport his most significant.

1937 Coppa Acerbo, Pescara

There was a showman element to Rosemeyer's method. He looked the part and was happy to play it. Wearing just cap, shorts, gloves and sandals because of the heat, he set pole position at this daunting 16-mile circuit - a mix of twists through hillside villages and two long straights where 200mph was approached - by a cool 24s, from Caracciola.

The 'antics' continued during the race. Leading by almost a minute before his scheduled stop, Rosemeyer clipped a kerb (or kilometre stone) one lap after it, and the damaged right-rear wheel eventually detached and arrived at the team's tyre depot - set up at halfway because of the circuit's length - moments before Rosemeyer crunched into view running on the brake drum.

He resumed 30s behind Caracciola but caught him within three laps, whereupon the Mercedes-Benz ace pitted because of a misfire and handed the car to reserve driver Seaman. Rosemeyer's winning margin was 1m42s.

1937 Donington Park Grand Prix

Despite his successes, it had become clear to Rosemeyer that Mercedes-Benz possessed the superior car. As such he would have happily skipped the last race of the 750kg formula.

Auto Union, however, made a late decision to attend. Second fastest in practice, 1s behind von Brauchitsch and 4.4s faster than the next best Auto Union, Rosemeyer found himself behind four Mercedes-Benz machines after the opening lap, Lang leading from von Brauchitsch, Caracciola and Seaman.

The younger, quicker men were planning two stops whereas Caracciola had scheduled one; although he led briefly, his tactical smarts let him down on this occasion.

Lang led until the broken damper that caused his eventual retirement began to make itself felt, and the race boiled down to a spectacular, tuffet-scattering battle between Rosemeyer and von Brauchitsch, the pair sharing the race's fastest lap.

Rosemeyer, running longer, was pushing hard prior to his second stop when his rival suffered a front blowout not long after his own second stop.

The 30s that this cost the Mercedes-Benz man was the difference at the finish. That the seat of Rosemeyer's overalls had to be taped before the prize ceremony spoke volumes.