 eamwork and technology have combined to create Metzeler’s history of success, but the company’s many accomplishments are also due to the efforts of individuals and to a heritage of heroes.
Eighty years ago Ernst Jacob Henne became one such hero, living his passion, riding his motorcycle, and using Metzeler tires in the famed and legendary Targa Florio on the isle of Sicily, Italy. This year, Metzeler celebrated Henne’s day on the 29th of April, 1928, when on his BMW he became a man of myth, legend, and a hero.
Born February 22, 1904, in Weiler near Wangen im Allgäu, Ernst Jacob Henne was one of the most successful German motorcycle racers in the 1920s and ‘30s. He achieved numerous victories, championships and speed records on two wheels and was the 1926 German champion in the 500cc class and the 1927 German champion in the 750cc class. But it was in 1928, 80 years ago, that Henne raced and won the legendary “Targa Florio” with Metzeler tires. For that conquering performance in the grueling race around the public roads of Sicily, Henne is still considered a legend, and a great man for Metzeler to honor in the first chapter of the “Metzeler’s Heroes” celebration.
Between 1928 to 1937, Henne set 76 world land speed records, with his last run on November 28, 1937, where he posted 279.5 Km/h (173.7 mph) on a fully-faired 500cc supercharged BMW, a record that stood for 14 years. This high point of his career was achieved with the “Egg.” Because of its characteristic shape, Henne and his motorcycle soon became known as “Henne and his Egg.” Henne also took part in the International six-day races at the beginning of the 1930s. In 1933, 1934 and 1935 he won the team event with the German national team, which was a pure BMW team.
In 1936, Henne made racing history in the automobile sector. In the Eifel Race, he drove the first BMW 328 prototype, winning the two-liter class. With the BMW 328, he then went on to win the Belgian Grand Prix des Frontiéres in Chimay and the Bucharest Grand Prix. Racing legend Ernst Henne passed away on May 24, 2005 at his home on Gran Canaria at the age of 101.
Henne and Metzeler share not just his victory at Targa Florio, but 12 world records. To celebrate Henne’s heroic milestone of motorcycle racing, Metzeler organized a riding tour that went from Targa Florio [Stage 1] with Sportec M3 tires, to the highway [Stage 2] to Siracusa, using Roadtec Z6 Interact, to doing a few laps on the racetrack [Stage 3] on the Racetec K3, before climbing the Mt. Etna volcano [Stage 4] (Tourance EXP) and braving the weather of the apex of the mountain [Stage 5] (Feelfree Wintec) before diving into the off-road [Stage 6] (Six Days) and returning to Palermo [Stage 7] by touring on the highway on the incomparable Metzeler ME 880. It was a journey of over 400 miles, riding in all different conditions, starting in the past and riding into the future.
Metzeler extends many thanks to BMW Motorrad for providing a diverse range of BMW motorcycles for this celebration of the human experience in general, and Henne’s experiences in particular.
Metzeler’s long history of victories and technological innovations is a history made by products developed specifically to match riders’ needs. It’s a history made by people accepting challenges, people who believe in themselves, who transcend the ordinary, and who are born anew to live every journey and challenge.
Eighty years ago, on the legendary Targa Florio circuit, Ernst Jacob Henne wrote his chapter of Metzeler history. Today that chapter is a celebration for all to share. 
|
