History

The German Motor Sports Badge was instituted by Adolf Hitler on February 18, 1938, and was conferred in recognition of outstanding achievements in motor sport. The Badge was issued in three classes, Iron, Silver and Gold, and was conferred based on a points system; 150 for Gold, 100 for Silver, and 50 for Iron.

Individuals gained points based on the position they finished in at national and international competitions. Twelve points were conferred for winning first place in an international car race; eight points were conferred for winning second place in an international car race; eight points were conferred for winning second place in a national car race; nine points were conferred for winning a long distance race.

The Badge was designed by Paul Casberg and produced by only one manufacturer, Christian L. Lauer of Nuremburg-Fürth.

The Iron Badge was awarded 314 times.