Circulates throughout the world Established 1903

Straight from the plate: The 1930 German Grand Prix

The overall winner was Graham Walker, riding his 500cc Rudge to a victory ahead of Stanley Woods (Norton) and Tyrell Smith (Rudge), while Tommy Bullus was fourth on the ex-Norton designer Walter Moore penned NSU (which some wags were already calling ‘Norton Spares Used’...). Ulmen’s NSU was fifth, with sixth Duncan on a machine listed just as a ‘Sturmey Archer.’

Jimmy Guthrie won the 350cc class on his ‘cammy’ AJS, over 20 minutes ahead of second placed Ley (German Triumph). Class honours in the 250cc category were claimed by LC Crabtree (Excelsior Bayliss Thomas JAP) from Frank Longman (OK Supreme-JAP) and Ted Mellors (New Imperial). The other Crabtree, Syd, was also riding an Excelsior, which were known as the ‘Bayliss Thomas’ in Germany so as to avoid confusion with the American Excelsior marque (or American X in the UK). The Crabtree brothers had been the early leaders, but Syd retired on the fourth of 13 laps. In the 1000cc German privateer Wiese took the win, after all three of the speedy supercharged works 750cc BMWs retired. Karl Gall had been the pick of them early on, his speed a match for the crack British riders on their race-proven singles.

The Nurburgring was something to behold. Said The Motor Cycle’s man; “Had this 171⁄2mile course been plotted from photographs of a series of serpents writhing in their death agonies, no more amazing circuit could have been designed.”

Walker’s average time for his 15 laps (265 miles) was 66.41mph, Guthrie’s 61.03mph (14 laps, 247miles) and Crabtree’s 57.86mph (13 laps, 230 miles) of which The Motor Cycle commented; “The average speed of the winners...may seem low, but really they are little short of astounding, for on the course there is one climb of 500ft and another of 900ft and seldom are the competitors on anything approaching a straight stretch of road. It is a course that must be seen to be believed.”

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