Auto Union Type 52: A Quirky Dream of Ferdinand Porsche Comes to Life 90 Years Later

The original design of the Auto Union Type 52 has been found in the Porsche archives. This is not surprising, as it was Ferdinand Porsche who conceived and created the famous rear-engine Auto Union cars that often won Grand Prix races in the 1930s. The project of transforming a Grand Prix single-seater into a spectacularly high-performance sedan with a rear-mounted 16-cylinder engine producing 200 horsepower is reminiscent of recent luxury sports cars like Bugatti.

The original design of the Auto Union Type 25 found in the Porsche archives.

The car, built according to the period plans and with the precision of the final drawings, was showcased at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, driven by Tom Kristensen and Hans-Joachim Stuck. It was a great gift to enthusiasts who had the chance to see a model that never actually came to be, as after the initial designs in 1933 and development the following year, the project—despite a test car being built—was never realized.

Hans-Joachim Stuck at the wheel of the Auto Union Type 52 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The idea was to run it on regular fuels. For this, the supercharger was reduced in pressure, as well as the original power. Commissioned by Audi Tradition, the department of the German manufacturer dedicated to the brand’s classic cars, the vehicle was built in England by specialists Crosthwaite & Gardner. Its single-seater origins meant it could carry three passengers, with the central driving position slightly advanced like in the Grand Prix car. It would have been wonderful to see drivers of the caliber of Hans Stuck and Tazio Nuvolari, two of the champions who drove the single-seaters with the Four Rings, at the wheel of this unusual yet fascinating sporty sedan Type 52.

Hans-Joachim Stuck and Tom Kristensen posing with the Type 52 at the Audi Tradition stand at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.