Below is a translation submitted by Louis Fourie telling of an award presented to someone he has communicated with for many years. Eckhart Bartels was awarded the equivalent of SAH’s Friend of Automotive History Award by the Automotive Historical Society (AHG), a sister organization to SAH.
The German Automobile History Society (AHG), was founded in 1997 in Berlin. It is an association of experts who research and publish in the field of automotive history. The approximately 110 member group includes historians, writers, engineers, lecturers, chroniclers, archivists, museum operators, curators, and private collectors. The AHG is economically and politically independent, financed by membership fees and donations. AHG’s Oscar of automotive history is the Maybach Bust. On May 2, 2026, Eckhart Bartels received this award at the August Horch Museum in Zwickau for his lifetime achievements.
Eckhart Bartels, born in 1947, has experienced the freedom of movement through the automobile since childhood. As early as 1969, a 1951 Opel Kapitän became his constant companion and a motivator for creative work in the field of automotive history. In 1972, he took on the leadership role of an Old Opel Interest Group leading it 25 years, overseeing more than 130 issues of the club magazine.
In his leadership role at the Old Opel Interest Group, he encouraged veteran and brand clubs to establish in 1976 a classic car interest group, which became the national association “DEUVET Classic and Youngtimer,” advocating positively for the growing collector scene.
In his laudatory speech, Arne Bolzmann, a member of the Association of Classic Car Clubs (AHG), particularly emphasized the concept of a service structure for brand clubs developed and implemented by Bartels. His life’s work also included his own classic Opel archive, regular magazine contributions, and collaboration with the AHG.
Upon receiving the bronze bust and certificate, Bartels thanked not only the presenter, Bolzmann, and the organizer, Professor Dr.-Ing. Ralph Mayer of Chemnitz University of Technology, with jury chairman Matthias Doht from Eisenach, but especially his wife, Inga, who has been a critically constructive and strong supporter of his activities from the very beginning. (lf)