Konig History

[Lars Strom]

Konig 8 cylinder OE engine from a race in Nora Sweden..Maybe 1979..

Photo Bengt Schroeder.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This is extremely interesting Henry. You not only told the story, but added the pictures from that very early Konig history. It is incredible to see the paperwork you have. I think no one has seen the pictures you posted other than who you have shared them with until now. Thanks very much, and we are looking forward to more pictures and stories.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Bengt Schroeder Lars........what's the story behind that? I never saw that motor. Of course...Dieter was always working on different things all the time, but I never saw him hide anything. Some of the new stuff I saw and helped him work on a little bit was all laying around. Dieter never told me any photos were off limits, but he never took me upstairs to see all the old stuff Steve Litzell told me about. I think it was more that he was used to going forward rather than looking back and showing someone something that wasn't successful or that had been very successful, but had done it's time.

The only time Dieter told me not to publish a photo (not to take it) was when Hans Krage won the OF World Championship with the six cylinder opposed Konig and Dieter was still working on it. It was too late because he requested that after the article had appeared in Powerboat. But he never got mad or ever said anything else about it.

I had heard that Dieter built a stacked combination motor for OE after the failed attempt of the 6 cylinder, but I never saw it. I will look through my pics I took at the factory when we rigged up to go to Linz, Austria in 1979, but I do not remember seeing anything like that.

Dieter had realized that what Walt Blankenstein had witnessed and told him about the 6 cylinder opposed would be a problem. Apparently Dieter saw the great interest in OE at that time might help boost his company. With you Lars, Roger Jenkins, John Hill, Michael Werner, making big press, Dieter would be able to put out a formidable motor to win and promote the Konig line of motors. The primary weak link of the big Konigs was the lower unit. The six cylinder had a different weakness that only happened with sudden revs that twisted the cranks, but that mostly happened with lower unit failures.

That makes me wonder what that blue hose snaking over the transom leads to. Can you and Herr Schroeder add more photos and also add to the story? It is extremely interesting what you posted here Lars.

[Lars Strom]

Well Wayne..normally my memories are very good, but after I left
VolvoPenta-Konig late 1977 and went back to OMC ..
I was not updated what Dieter was doing.

I found one more photo from Bengt Schroeder collection from the same weekend in Nora Sweden.

[OA57]

This is extremely interesting Henry. You not only told the story, but added the pictures from that very early Konig history. It is incredible to see the paperwork you have. I think no one has seen the pictures you posted other than who you have shared them with until now. Thanks very much, and we are looking forward to more pictures and stories.

Hi Wayne,
Nice to hear your great interrest. I have to explain my fathers opinion about "poor Quality". His profession was as foreman and supervisor of running tests at renovated engines, both piston and jet, for delivery to the Swedish Air Force. So his standards was pretty high.
In 1954 it was a Swedish Grand Prix in Köping and the class A winner was Siegfrid Götsinger from West Berlin, #76 Thiele boat with König motor, second was Torbjörn Fagerström (with the motor my father rejected) and third my father Nils Johansson with the old KR. Götsinger won that year the European Championship and also 1956. In 1955 he won the Swedish GP in Markaryd, all these four photos are from that race. Around 1957 he moved to Sweden and became a farmer, a tenant. Standing smoking at photo.
Swedish GP 1955 class C was won by Dieter König with a Swift Big Dee and his three cylinder motor. He also won the EC that year.
My father had now given up his racing and took these photos instead.

[OA57]

Konig 8 cylinder OE engine from a race in Nora Sweden..Maybe 1979..

Photo Bengt Schroeder.

Hi Lars, I heard that this is a 350cc above a 500cc. Makes 850cc. Same stroke.
Henry

[Lars Strom]

Hi Henry,

First.. you do a fantastic job to promote Classic Outboard Racing in Scandinavia..

Yes, I think you are right..about the Konig 8 cyl.
..this photo is from the OE World Championship 1982.

Boat #222 Beck´s Beer used that 8 cylinder Konig engine..
Well..many cylinders..but not fast enough...

The white Burgess/Evinrude with # 1 was faster and won the W/Champion ship..

[Master Oil Racing Team]

That's what I also heard about the combination motor Henry. My last race was at the OD World Championships in Berlin 1981. I've never been back, but Steve Litzell lived in Berlin for awhile working for Dieter. I think he is the one that told me about the OE Konig. I wish he would take time to come on here and give is some history that he lived through. Dieter gave him the knowledge and confidence he had to build his own 8 cylinder.

Thanks for the pics and info Lars. Who was driving the Beck's boat? I guess after 1978 OE's never ran methanol again? I have a bunch of Powerboat & Waterskiing issues that I did not read after I quit racing. Maybe there's some info there I can post. In the meantime Henry and Lars....keep digging up stuff to post.

[Lars Strom]

I think the drivers name was Peter Walush..

Well...methanol was legal after 1978..I used it for Sprint racing up to the end of 1982 OE/F3 season.
OMC did not have a methanol kit to buy for OE/F3, so I made one for me.
(Thanks to my experience from Volvo Penta/Konig 1977)

The picture from the 1982 OE Sprint World Championship, I raced my Burgess/Evinrude
on Methanol.

Photo ..
My Molinari-Volvo Penta/König from 1977.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

That's right Lars. Here is a roster from a race program from Berlin