Austrian race car driver Otto Mathé had a distinct disadvantage: His right arm was disabled after a motorcycle accident. In 1948 he returned to the track on four wheels. His most remarkable race car: the “Fetzenflieger”. A silver-colored monoposto with a 130-hp Porsche Carrera engine. Two cloth tarps in the vicinity of the carburetor enabled rapid changing of spark plugs and simultaneously served as an air filter. Innovative, but decidedly risky after every misfire, Mathé left a trail of flaming tatters behind him.

But where does the name “Fetzenflieger” come from? The air filter was a piece of white fabric stretched across the open engine compartment, which enabled the spark plugs to be changed faster. But sparks occasionally ignited the fabric, leaving a trail of singed shreds in the car’s wake a spectacular sight! Mathé was loved by the crowds at every race. Not only was his car unique, but they also loved the man from Tyrol himself. His right hand was crippled from an accident in a motorcycle race in 1934, so the gear lever was on the left. When he changed gears, he had to press his torso against the steering wheel to keep the car more or less under control. Yet despite this disadvantage, he regularly outstripped the competition. Sometimes he was less interested in winning than in setting a new record like on this winter Sunday at Lake Zell.

One of the most audacious and crazy racing cars of its time, its 1,500-cc racing engine, and later a Fuhrmann engine from the 356 A Carrera GT, actually made it eligible for Formula Two. With fenders, a second seat, and a spare tire, it could enter other racing series as well. It had an excellent weight distribution thanks to an extremely low center of gravity, short wheelbase, and engine located in front of the rear axle. And because it weighed just 395 kilograms, its 120 hp could catapult it to speeds high as 210 kmph.