Wilfried Edgar Barth was a German racing driver whose career bridged a divided nation and multiple eras of motorsport. Competing under both East and West German flags, he appeared in five Formula One Grands Prix between 1953 and 1964. Beyond Formula One, Barth was a formidable competitor in sports cars and hillclimbing—most notably winning the Targa Florio in 1959 alongside Wolfgang Seidel.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | East German (1953) West German (1957–1958, 1960–1961, 1964) |
| Birthplace | Herold, Germany |
| Born | 26 January 1917 |
| Died | 20 May 1965 |
| First Grand Prix | 1953 German Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1964 German Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1953, 1960, 1964 |
| Current/Last Team | Privateer: Cooper |
Racing career
From motorcycles to factory racing
Born in Herold, Barth began his racing life on two wheels as a DKW motorcycle rider before transitioning to cars. His early four-wheel career was closely tied to BMW, whose East German factory evolved into Eisenacher Motorenwerk (EMW) after the Second World War.
Driving for the EMW factory team, Barth quickly established himself as a leading figure in East German motorsport. He claimed the East German Formula Two Championship in both 1952 and 1953—an impressive double that cemented his reputation.
First steps in Formula One
In 1953, Barth was granted permission to compete in selected events in West Germany—a rare opportunity at the time. That year included his first appearance in the Formula One World Championship.
He showed promise with a fifth-place finish in the non-championship Eifelrennen, though his World Championship outings proved less fruitful, with retirements at both the Avusrennen and the German Grand Prix.
Moving west and racing with Porsche
Barth’s career took a decisive turn in 1957 when he emigrated to West Germany. There, he became associated with Porsche, driving occasionally for the works team in Formula One through to 1961.
He also competed in Formula Two races at his home Grand Prix in 1956 and 1957, though he finished outside the points on both occasions. His most notable Formula One result came at the 1960 Italian Grand Prix, where he finished seventh—just shy of the points-paying positions of the era.
Entries continued sporadically: he was listed for his home race in 1961 but withdrew, then appeared as a substitute at Monza. His final Formula One outing came in 1964 at the German Grand Prix, driving a Cooper-Climax for Rob Walker Racing Team, though he failed to finish.
Success beyond Formula One
While his Formula One record was modest, Barth’s achievements elsewhere were far more substantial. He competed regularly in endurance and sports car racing, including multiple appearances at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In 1960, he raced a BMW 700 in the 500 kilometres of the Nürburgring, finishing fifth. But his greatest successes came in other disciplines:
- Victory in the 1959 Targa Florio
- European Mountain (Hillclimb) Champion in 1959, 1963, and 1964, driving for Porsche
These accomplishments highlighted his versatility and technical skill across very different forms of racing.
Final years and legacy
Toward the end of 1964, Barth was diagnosed with cancer. He died on 20 May 1965, bringing to a close a career that had spanned motorcycles, Formula racing, endurance events, and hillclimbs.
Motorsport remained in the family. His son, Jürgen Barth, went on to become a Porsche engineer and racing driver himself—most notably winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1977.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 3 |
| Race Starts | 3 |
| Did Not Start | 0 |
| Best Race Start | 12th |
| Best Race Finish | 7th |
| Retirements | 2 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 3 |
| Reached Q3 | 0 |
| Q2 Eliminations | 0 |
| Q1 Eliminations | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Complete Formula One World Championship results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Rennkollektiv EMW | EMW R2 | EMW 6 2.0 L6 | ARG | 500 | NED | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER Ret | SUI | ITA | NC | 0 | ||
| 1957 | Dr Ing F. Porsche KG | Porsche RS550 (F2) | Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 | ARG | MON | 500 | FRA | GBR | GER 12 | PES | ITA | NC | 0 | |||
| 1958 | Dr Ing F. Porsche KG | Porsche RSK (F2) | Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 | ARG | MON | NED | 500 | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER 6 | POR | ITA | MOR | NC | 0 |
| 1960 | Dr Ing F. Porsche KG | Porsche 718 | Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 | ARG | MON | 500 | NED | BEL | FRA | GBR | POR | ITA 7 | USA | NC | 0 | |
| 1961 | Dr Ing F. Porsche KG | Porsche 787 | Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 | MON | NED | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER WD | NC | 0 | |||||
| Porsche System Engineering | Porsche 718 | ITA PO | USA | |||||||||||||
| 1964 | R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Cooper T66 | Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 | MON | NED | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER Ret | AUT | ITA | USA | MEX | NC | 0 |
Teammates & Qualifying Head-to-Head
| Teammate | Years | Races | Qualifying H2H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jo Bonnier | 1964 | 1 | – |
