Build up your EGO

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Sometimes on our desk lands an automobile of which we didn’t know it still existed. The EGO is one such car. Its only claim to fame is that famous racing driver Rudolf Caracciola drove one to victory in 1923. In his autobiography “Meine Welt” Caracciola describes how he, as a sales representative for Fafnir, wanted to enter a Fafnir for a light car race in Berlin. Because of his bad sales results he was denied a car. Instead he borrowed a friend’s 4 hp EGO, but before he could enter the race the little car had to be overhauled by the factory. After a hectic race Caracciola won first prize (of course!). The name Caracciola still is well-known, but almost nobody remembers the EGO. The car was made from 1921-1927 by Merkur, an airplane factory east of Berlin and Bogdan Coconoiu from Bucharest tells us that there’s one left in Romania, a 1924 4/14 model (click). Its restoration started in 1988 but while taking the car apart the restorer discovered some bullets hidden in a double compartment in the rear part of the body. He informed the Militia and in the end the secret police destroyed almost the entire car, searching for the... pistol! Of course without success. The restoration was finished last year and now this EGO belongs to a Romanian museum. We tend to think it’s the only EGO still in existence. Is it? [email protected] (RB) (photo’s courtesy Retromobil Club Romania).

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