Josef Göttgens was born in Vaals, a town in the Dutch province of Limburg, on 28 September 1913. He was a well-known touring car driver. In 1950 Göttgens finished fourth overall in the Dutch National race at Zandvoort driving a Citroën. In 1956 he finished tenth overall in the 12 Hours of Reims, sharing a 2-litre Triumph TR2 with Herman Van Den Driesche of Belgium. The pair qualified in 27th place amongst 45 starters, and completed the race in 18th place overall and 10th in the class for cars with engines between 1500 and 2000 cm3. That same year Göttgens was classified in fourth place in a race for grand touring cars at Assen.
Still in 1956 Göttgens would have his first participation in the Mille Miglia road race in Italy. He competed in that event with Belgian co-driver Freddy Rousselle aboard a Triumph TR2 in the Sportscar Group, Price Class. They finished the gruelling event in a respectable 83rd place overall and sixth in class, crossing the finish line with a time of 15 hours, 15 minutes and 7 seconds.
Josef Göttgens returned to the Mille Miglia the next year, racing alone - this time in another Triumph, a TR3 model, which he entered in the Grand Touring class for cars equipped with engines with no more than 2000 cm3. During that race Göttgens suffered an accident under pouring rain at Viale Aleardi in Firenze where his Triumph TR3 hit a tree, probably due to a steering failure. He passed away that same day at 21h30 in a hospital in Firenze. Göttgens, a forty-three year old, was survived by his wife, Martha J. M. Lousberg.
During the 1957 Mille Miglia race 13 people lost their lives: besides Göttgens, the policeman Silvio Alessandrini riding a service-motorcycle, slid on the wet asphalt of the Emilia street and died, and nearly the finish line drivers Alfonso Portago and Ed Nelson and nine spectators were killed in the great Guidizzolo tragedy. These accidents determined the end of the legendary Mille Miglia and the prohibition of every road race in Italy.
R.I.P
