Designed in the 1930s, the Auto Union Type 52 was to be one of the fastest cars of the time. With a 16-cylinder engine with over 200 horsepower, the supercar would reach a top speed of 200 kilometers per hour.
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The Type 52 was created to be a road version of the 1930s Type 22 Grand Prix race car. Unfortunately, the design of this amazing car had never left the drawing board… until now. Audi decided to dust off the project and bring it to life for the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Using archived documents, Audi hired racing car specialists Crosthwaite & Gardner to build the Type 52, also known as Schnellsportwagen, from scratch. Every part of the car, which began construction in early 2023, was custom-made and handcrafted.
The Type 52 features a 16-cylinder engine similar to what would have been used in the original car, but this version uses a 6.0-liter engine instead of the original 4.4-liter engine. In addition, Audi took the opportunity to increase the power from about 200 horsepower to 512 horsepower.
“This car excites people with its design and technology. For me, it’s an absolute dream car. In its time, unfortunately, it remained just a dream – a dream that we are now able to bring to life 90 years later,” said Stefan Trauf, head of Audi Tradition.
Photos: Divulgation/Audi. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
