Helmut Deutz

Hellmut Deutz was born in August 1911 and owned roofing business in Lüdenscheid, a Scampolo driver, beginning in the kleinstrennwagen period. The first half of his first season, 1949, proved frustrating with three DNFs and a third place but things improved somewhat with three wins, a second and a fourth plus third in the German Grand Prix to end the year in sixth overall with Walter Komossa, in the sister car taking the honours.

Formula 3 arrived in 1950 and things became more competitive with five Scampolos racing plus the Monopolettas of Walter Schlüter and Helmut Polensky and a pair of imported Cooper Mk IVs for Gottfried Vollmer and Toni Kreuzer. Hellmut took two second places at Frankfurt in and Donauringrennen in July but often had to settle for positions away from the podium. He ended the year seventh with Komossa in fourth and Kreuzer taking the West German Championship.

1951 proved even more challenging as the English had now taken to travelling in Europe and dominated the international races. The year started with a trip to the Findel circuit for the Luxembourg Grand Prix where he finished well in the heat but failed in the final. Hellmut managed only twelfth in the German Grand Prix but eight of the drivers ahead of him were in Cooper Nortons so this was actually a very respectable performance. He took a single win at Braunschweig in July 1951 and a second at Leverkusen but was mostly in the mid field and ended the year in fifth.

1952 proved to be Hellmut's season, aided by switching his Scampolo from DKW to Norton power during the year. He took in some races on the Eastern side of the border to earn a win at Halle Saale in June and three wins in the West at Kiel, Leverkusen and Essen. Podiums at Krefeld and Norisring and a fourth at the Nürburgring in June (the top three places occupied by Brandon and Leston in Cooper Mk VIs and André Loens' Kieft CK52) gave Hellmut the West German Championship. He also took in a trip to England, mid-summer to represent Germany in a match at Prescott Hill an then to Brands Hatch which ended in a roll.

Hellmut continued in '53 but, by now, Coopers were in the hands of local drivers, in numbers. A third at Hockenheim in May was his best result and he finished sixth overall, fastest non-Cooper of the year. By 1954, his Scampolo was completely out classed, he enters for the Nürburgring but does not start.

Luxembourg Grand Prix in May 1951

Hellmut made the occasional foray to England. Seen here at Brands Hatch on 4th August 1952 where he overdid it at Paddock Bend and rolled the car, fortunately without injury.

Some results for Hellmut:

Nürburgring 22nd May 1949, DNF

Lubeck 5th June 1949, 3rd

Kiel 19th June 1949, DNF

Aachen 24th July 1949, DNF

Nürburgring 7th August 1949 German Grand Prix, 3rd

Malente 21st August 1949, 1st

Leverkeusen 28th August 1949, 1st

Hamburg  4th September 1949, 1st

Grenzlandring 11th September 1949, 4th

Koln 2nd October 1949, 2nd

 

Hockenheim 14th May 1950, DNF

Frankfurt 21st May 1950, 2nd

Nürburgring 11th June 1950, 4th

Leverkusen 2nd July 1950, 8th

Donauringrennen 30th July 1950, 2nd

Freiburg 6th August 1950, 4th

Solitude 12th August 1950, DNF

Nürburgring 20th August 1950 German Grand Prix, DNF

Sachsenring 27th August 1950, 4th

Grenzlandring 17th September 1950, 6th

Feldbergrennen 1st October 1950, 8th

 

Luxembourg 3rd May 1951 Grand Prix, 8th in heat, DNF in final

Hockenheim 14th May 1951, 5th in heat, 8th in final

Nürburgring 3rd June 1951, 8th

Kiel 17th June 1951, DNF

Avus 1st July 1951, 4th in heat, 7th in final

Donauringrennen 8th July 1951, 2nd

Leverkusen 15th July 1951, 2nd

Braunschweig 22nd July 1951, 1st

Nürburgring 29th July 1951 German Grand Prix, 12th

Freiburg 5th August 1951, 7th

Grenzlandring 9th September 1951, DNF

Essen 23rd September 1951, DNF

Sachsenring 29th September 1951, 4th

 

Rostock 20th April 1952, DNF

Krefeld 4th May 1952, 3rd

Hockenheim 11th May 1952, DNF

Nürburgring 24th May 1952, 4th

Halle Saale Schleife 8th June 1952, 1st

Kiel 22nd June 1952, 1st

Leverkusen 6th July 1952, 1st

Essen 20th July 1952, 1st

Prescott Hill 27th July 1952, 3rd with Kurt Ahrens

Brands Hatch 4th August 1952, 4th in sprint heat, DNF in international final

Norisring 17th August 1952, 3rd

Grenzlandring 31st August 1952, 5th

 

Hockenheim 10th May 1953, 3rd (see photo below)

Nürburgring 31st May 1953, DNF

Rostock 21st June 1953, 4th

Freiburg 9th August 1953, 7th

Braunschweig 30th August 1953, DNF

 

Nürburgring 23rd May 1954, DNS

If you know more about Hellmut's life, please get in touch