DTM Championship (1984 - 1996) - the last gladiators

DTM Championship

The original DTM was based on Group A rules, which implied production models with minor modifications. At first, only private teams with almost serial models participated and the races were not as serious as in later years. Among the models they drove were the largest domestic manufacturers ( BMW,Opel, Audi.. ) although early DTM races could also be seen Ford Sierre, Rover SD1, Volvo 240 Turbo and even Ford Mustang...

DTM Championship

Very quickly, DTM racing began to gain in popularity, primarily because of the great race on the track, the famous cars, but also the famous driver's names. Although the championship was conceived as primarily a German national series, many drivers from other European countries competed while racing in Belgium, Hungary, Austria… Over the years, the rules have changed a bit and vehicles have been slowly leaving stock specifications.

DTM Championship

DTM became the top automotive spectacle of the late 80s and early 90s with the entry of Opel, Mercedes, BMW and Audi factory teams. German manufacturers have struggled for prestige on domestic tracks and international audiences, because except in Germany, DTM has become very popular across Europe. Cars are becoming more sophisticated, with the series attracting the big names of auto sports and often retired Formula 1 drivers are behind the wheel of DTM racers. Keke Rosberg, Jacques Lafitte, Johnny Cecotto, Emanuele Pirro, Nicola Larini, Alessandro Nannini, Stefano Modena, Michele Alboreto and Hans Joachum Stuck…

With the entry of Alfa Romeo and the change of rules in favor of FIA Class 1 regulations, the DTM became almost as popular as Formula 1, with records both in terms of attendance and the number of people who watched the races on TV. The new set of rules prescribed a volume of 2.5 liters, but opened the door for the use of the most modern technologies and materials, so that since 1993, DTM cars had ABS, Kevlar chassis, awd drive and much more, even some things that are prohibited in Formula 1. Despite its popularity and interesting races, DTM has slowly become a victim of its own success. The cars were becoming more complicated and only looked like serial models, advanced technology and demanding participation in races almost eliminated independent teams and manufacturers, and companies began to withdraw due to huge costs. DTM cars from the mid-90s were described as "Formula 1 with a body". All this led to the temporary shutdown of the series from 1997 to 2000. Today there is a DTM championship, but it is no longer the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft but the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters and is far from as interesting and good as the old DTM which certainly deserves its place in the history of motorsport, as the last true battleground of automotive gladiators.

1984-1996 DTM Champions:

1984 Volker Strycek (Germany / BMW 635 CSi)
1985 Per Stureson (Sweden / Volvo 240 Turbo)
1986 Kurt Thiim (Denmark / Rover Vitesse)
1987 Eric van de Poele (Belgium / BMW M3)
1988 Klaus Ludwig (Germany / Ford Sierra RS500)
1989 Roberto Ravaglia (Italy / BMW M3)
1990 Hans-Joachim Stuck (Germany / Audi V8)
1991 Frank Biela (Germany / Audi V8)
1992 Klaus Ludwig (Germany / Mercedes Benz 190E)
1993 Nicola Larini (Italy / Alfa Romeo 155)
1994 Klaus Ludwig (Germany / Mercedes C-Class)
1995 (DTM) Bernd Schneider (Germany /Mercedes C-Class)
1995 (ITC) Bernd Schneider (Germany / Mercedes C-Class)
1996 Manuel Reuter (Germany /Opel Calibra)

And for those who may not remember what it all looked like or want to remind themselves, this video is a must!

Retrieved from: autocaffe.net