Long before Formula 1 as such existed, in the 1930s, the silver arrows of Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz fought to be the fastest in Germany. And that meant, most likely, becoming the fastest in the world. In those years, a street version was dreamed of that was never built. Until now.
On the occasion of the 2024 edition of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, in England, Audiwhich represents one of the four rings of the emblem that nation with Auto Union (the other three are Horch, DKW and Wanderer), decided to build this never-before-made sports car.
Its about Auto Union Type 52a 16-cylinder mid-engine sedan, based on the Silver Arrows, but originally designed to be used legally on public roads.
The Auto Union Type 52 was never produced, so there are no photographs of a finished model. During the dissolution of Auto Union, in the Russian occupation zone after World War II, Most of the historic racing cars disappeared of the Grand Prix of the time, as well as many archives and photographs.
Likewise, there are no verified reports from contemporaries to draw conclusions about the intended final configuration of this vehicle, if there ever was one. However, the plans offer a clear vision of the direction of development and the objectives that the engineers were pursuing.
Now Audi has built this car, also known as the Fast sports car (Auto Deportivo Veloz, in German) and presented it to the public for the first time at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the event where the Argentine Pronello Huayra Ford shone last year.
Born of a legend
Auto Union, founded in 1932 from the merger of Audi, DKW, Horch y Wanderer, He became a sports car competitor from the beginning. And its four-ring logo quickly gained popularity around the world.
That same year, the rules were published for the new 750-kilogram Formula that would be used in the Grand Prix held between 1934 and 1936.
By 1933, Auto Union commissioned the design office, led by Ferdinand Porschein Stuttgart, the development of a racing car based on the 750 kg formula.
Work on the Auto Union Type A, which Porsche internally called the Type 22, began in March 1933, and just a year later, Hans Stuck set a world record driving the car at the AVUS circuit in Berlin.
It was at this time, when the innovative racing cars from Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz burst onto the international racing scene, the legend of racing was born. Silver Arrows.
These legendary cars captivated the public not only for their speed but also for their futuristic design and cutting-edge technology. But there was a big difference between the two manufacturers.
While Mercedes-Benz preferred front-mounted engines, Auto Union was the first to place the engine behind the driver. This mid-engine layout remains the standard in today’s Formula 1.
But few people knew that while Grand Prix cars were being developed, Auto Union and Ferdinand Porsche’s design office were also planning a street-legal sports sedan. The documents called him Fast sports carapparently its intended trade name.
The Auto Union Type 52, as the project was called, was intended to be sold to customers for use in long-distance races such as the Mille Miglia or in sports car competitions such as the Spa-Francorchamps or Le Mans endurance races. .
At the end of 1933, the first design sketches were made which were finalized in 1934. The idea was to build a test car which, as far as is known, never materialized. The project was abandoned in 1935 and its trace was lost in the archives of Audi and Porsche.
However, the developers left a lot of innovative work on paper. It was based on racing car technology of that era, with a centrally mounted engine. The Auto Union Type 22 running gear and 16-cylinder engine were used but with some changes.
The Auto Union Type 52 engine was supposed to deliver around 200 HP from a 4.4-liter displacement block at 3,650 rpm. Compared to the legendary racing car, this meant a reduction in power, but excellent performance of about 200 km/haccording to engineers’ calculations.
The construction 90 years later
Audi commissioned Crosthwaite & Gardner to build the Auto Union Type 52 from surviving archival documents, plans and design sketches. The British restorers also selected the Silver Arrows for Audi’s collection of historic vehicles and, after several years of work, built the fast sports car, in 2023.
All components They are custom made and handcrafted specifically for the model. At more than five meters long, the Auto Union Type 52 makes an impact: its elongated silhouette reflects how its engineers designed the car for optimal aerodynamics and maximum performance.
The engine varies. Although it is still 16 cylinders, in this case a 6.0-liter block was chosen, similar to the Auto Union Type C, from 1936, which gives it much more power: 520 horsepower.
Unlike its racing siblings, the car is more suitable for daily driving, as the designers intended, with a raised roof, headlights and luggage space. There is also space for the two spare wheels.
But that’s where the comfort features of this car end. for three passengers; Yes, the layout is with the driving position in the center and two seats on its sides, like the McLaren F1.
Although the engine, transmission and open five-speed gearbox come from the racing car, the engineers have opted for different and more modern technical solutions for the suspension and damping.
Instead of a combination of transverse leaf springs and friction dampers as on the Auto Union Type 22, the Type 52 uses a longitudinal suspension with torsion springs in combination with hydraulic dampers. During development, the 100-litre fuel tank has been moved under the seats.
None of the documents specified what color the car would have at that time, so Audi Tradition once again took the racing model as a base and chose the cellulose silver color for the finish.
