Audi has revived a never-built 16-cylinder supercar from the 1930s

Audi has revived a never-built 16-cylinder supercar from the 1930s
The Auto Union Type 52 would have been one of the fastest cars on the planet. But it was never put into production..... until now.
Auto Union Type 52 concept
Audi


We love weird old classic cars, don't we? This one from Audi - more specifically, from Auto Union. Known internally as the Type 52, the so-called “Schnellsportwagen” - or “fast sports car” - was meant to be a road-going version of the Type 22 Grand Prix race car from the 1930s. It was to have a 16-cylinder engine with over 200 horsepower and a top speed of 125 miles per hour, making it one of the fastest cars of the time.

Unfortunately, this amazing supercar never made it beyond the design stage; the Auto Union Type 52 project was shut down in 1935 before World War II. But Audi decided to shake the dust off its history books and revive this very special car for the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed .

Audi commissioned Crosthwaite & Gardner - a historic race car company - to recreate the Auto Union Type 52 from scratch. Using original sketches and drawings, everything from the chassis and body panels to the engine was custom-built for this unique concept. The project started in early 2023 and took over a year to complete.


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