- History
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- Martini Racing:
the beginning with 910-023
- The two key individuals at the start of Martini Racing’s grand adventure were Paul Goppert, head of publicity and public relations for Martini Germany, and his close friend Hans Dieter Dechent, a racing driver specialising in endurance events who ran an Opel dealership at Sarrebrucken.
- At the start of 1968, advertising unrelated to racing was permitted for the first time on the bodywork of racing cars. Paul asked Hans-Dieter to place a few stickers on his car in exchange for overalls and similar equipment. No money changed hands back in those days!
- Martini stickers then appeared, in April 1968, on the 910 raced by the Lufthansa Racing Team set up by Robert Huhn, an executive manager of the Lufthansa airline and a gentleman-driver.
- The car’s first appearance in its silver livery, with front Lufthansa colors (light yellow and dark blue) is certified at the Dijon Grand Prix, on May 5th 1968, and at the Paris Grand Prix, on May 15th (refer to the photo).
- Then, at the Nurbürgring 1,000-km race, the 910-023, driven by Dechent/Huhn left a lasting impression thanks to its “sponsor”, despite having to abandon the race due to a petrol failure.
- At the end of 1970, Martini Racing Team was officially formed, with Hans Dieter Dechent at the wheel.
- 910-023 was thus, indisputably, the first “Martini car”
