A mechanic and a gentleman

A mechanic and a gentleman

If the term “living legend” applies 100 percent to someone, then it would be Rudi Hammerschmid, racing engine builder and founder of the Hammerschmid company, later “Morgan on Tour GesmbH” in Trumau, Lower Austria. Even today, at the age of 83, the specialist for high-horsepower combustion engines from Great Britain tirelessly lives out his passion for mechanics. In the company, daughter Katja Drev-Hammerschmid, as managing director, takes care of everything administrative and renting out the Morgan roadsters, while father Rudi, together with three automotive technicians, keeps the fleet in good condition and carries out repairs on customer vehicles. For motorsport historians, Hammerschmid's memory holds a true treasure trove of memories, as he was one of the most sought-after mechanics for racing cars in the second half of the last century. For example, he built and improved the engines of the Formula 3 and Formula Ford cars with which the future Formula 1 stars Jochen Rindt and Niki Lauda competed in their first races. The racing legends Helmut Marko and Dieter Quester also trusted Rudi Hammerschmid's art of getting the optimum horsepower out of their racing engines. In the 1980s, among other things, he looked after the rally cars of the Ford factory drivers and carried out test drives on various race tracks. A career as a racing driver was less appealing to him; he preferred to work on the optimal tuning of the engines and was happy when “his” cars achieved good placings.

Hammerschmid's reputation reached the British Isles in the 1990s, where the traditional sports car manufacturer Morgan is located in Malvern in the West Midlands. The Lower Austrian was invited to a factory tour and returned home with the general importer contract, which the Koessler-Hammerschmid family company fulfilled until 2020. Today it holds a service-only contract with Morgan Motor Company. In April 2019, the Italian investor Investindustrial, which also has a stake in Aston Martin, took over the majority of the Morgan Motor Company in Malvern. Today, Hammerschmid is the most important address for maintenance and repairs for around 700 of the 1,000 Austrian Morgan owners. The legendary Morgan 4/4 model was built from 1936 to 2019 and holds the record as the longest continuously produced car model in the world. The 4/4 received modern engines and transmissions at regular intervals so that it complied with applicable laws and registration regulations. Another legendary Morgan model is the “Threewheeler” with one driven rear wheel and two steered front wheels. The latest edition “Super 3” was presented in February 2022. The three-wheeler is powered by a 118 hp 1.5-liter gasoline engine from Ford. All new Morgan models except the Aero 8 with a BMW engine introduced in 2000 are now equipped with a bonded aluminum monocoque with a wooden subframe.