Audi’s 16-cylinder legacy: Auto Union Type 52 unveiled after 90 years

TDT | Agencies

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

In the 1930s, Audi predecessor Auto Union designed a 16-cylinder sports sedan but never built it. Now, ninety years later, it has made its public debut at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The Auto Union Type 52, also known as the Schnellsportwagen, was intended to be a high-performance road car from the firm formed in 1932 from the merger of Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer.

This merger also originated Audi’s four-ring logo, representing the four component brands.

Audi commissioned UK firm Crosthwaite & Gardner, known for maintaining the automaker’s historic fleet of Silver Arrow race cars, to build the modern replica.

Some modifications were made, including installing a 6.0-liter supercharged V-16 engine, similar to the one from the 1936 Auto Union Type C race car.

This engine runs on a mix of 50% methanol, 40% super unleaded gasoline, and 10% toluene, boosting its output from the original 197 hp to 512 hp.

Audi also specified a longer wheelbase, necessary for the drivetrain and suspension.

The finished car measures over 16 feet in length and features space for three people (with the driver in the middle, akin to the McLaren F1), two spare tires, and luggage, all within its streamlined form.