Jalopnik
The LeMans-dominating Audi R10 is an incomparable engineering spectacle. Honed from the finest materials and tested by banks of supercomputers before the first part was even crafted, the LeMans Prototype car is only now being challenged three years after its birth by an improved Porsche RS Spyder. The irony here is though these two teams battle for the same prize, they share the same grandfather, Ferdinand Porsche. Today we examine the R10's oldest and most revolutionary ancestor: the Auto Union Type C.
The LeMans-dominating Audi R10 is an incomparable engineering spectacle. Honed from the finest materials and tested by banks of supercomputers before the first part was even crafted, the LeMans Prototype car is only now being challenged three years after its birth by an improved Porsche RS Spyder. The irony here is though these two teams battle for the same prize, they share the same grandfather, Ferdinand Porsche. Today we examine the R10's oldest and most revolutionary ancestor: the Auto Union Type C.To tell the story of the Type C, you have to start at the Great Depression. As they were everywhere, the period was hard for Germany, and though the engineering talent of Ferdinand Porsche was well know at the time, the commissions for automobiles had simply dried up. Not one to have his ambitions squelched, Porsche joined with a group of his former associates including Adolf Rosenberger and Karl Rabe to form the Hochleistungs Motor GmbH (High Efficiency Engines company). At this point, development work on a Grand Prix-competitive engine began in earnest without a contract.
In parallel, the companies of Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer formed Auto Union in an effort to ride out the storm of the depression by way of leveraged finances and increased purchasing power. As all good, freshly minted European auto makers in the 30's must do, a race car was commissioned, and this one went through Porsche, who had connections to Auto Union through Wanderer. The cash to do the development is what gives these cars a special, perhaps infamous place in history. Adolf Hitler, the newly appointed Chancellor of Germany, had commissioned Mercedes Benz to build a car to dominate racing and had provided 500,000 Reichmarks to do it. After convincing Hitler of the benefit of two entries from Germany, the chancellor split the pot and 250k RM went to each team.
At the time, the front engine, rear-driver layout was considered the state of the art, but flush with funds, Porsche's team set to work bringing the drawings of a low, mid-engined, wundercar to life — and the design would be called the Auto Union Type C. By placing the engine at the rear, fuel tank in the center, and the driver in the front, concessions for the drive shaft and transmission tunnel were no longer necessary. And oh, that engine, a twin-block, 6 liter, 45 degree bank, 32 valve V16, was force fed air through a Roots supercharger and developed 520 HP in its final form. With the uneven 40/60 front to rear weight distribution and the massive power available, the car tended to oversteer and it was difficult for drivers used to a rear seating position to determine the limits of adhesion. Before the advent of the ZF limited slip differential, the car was known to produce wheel spin at speeds as high as 150 MPH.
The front and rear suspensions were considered state of the art at the time. The driver sat over a split axle and torsion bar setup in the front while the rear was managed with a double wishbone and transverse leaf spring suspension. The body stretched over this mechanical symphony was carefully crafted in the German Institute for Aerodynamics and provided both efficient cooling and enviable aerodynamic effect. When completely developed, the 1,618 lb. car was capable of 211 MPH flat out.
Drivers of this infamous car read like a who's who of early Grand Prix driving — Hans Stuck, Ernst von Delius, Achille Varzi and of course Bernt Rosemeyer. It was Rosemeyer who mastered the chassis and drove these cars into legend, securing six victories of twelve races in the 1936 season. The wins lead to Auto Union securing the builders title, and Rosemeyer being awarded the European Champion title. Over the next two years he would win another eight races outright and lose to Mercedes in 1938 only after they tied in race wins, but lost in laps led to the newly developed W125.
The Auto Union Type C, as well its competitor the Mercedes Benz W125, represent a pinnacle of engineering achievement not seen again until the turbocharged racers of the 1980s.The Type C was the exact car that started the racing revolution, the shift which was necessary to go faster and lighter. The move to mid engine racing was ultimately inevitable, but the confluence of history, engineering passion, staggering performance, and intimidating design captures the imagination. It also demands a place in the Jalopnik Fantasy Garage.
The Jalopnik Fantasy Garage:
1978 Aston Martin V8 Vantage | Honda 1300 Coupe 9 | 1931 Daimler Double Six 50 Corsica Drophead Coupe | Ferrari 288 GTO | Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 | 1970 Buick GSX 455 | First Generation BMW M Coupe | Bugatti Veyron 16.4 | Ford GT | Citroen SM | Porsche 928 | Jensen FF | DeTomaso Vallelunga | Audi Quattro S1 | Buick GNX | Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R | Honorary Fantasy Garager: The LS1 Powered Rotus | Lamborghini LM002 | Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe | Ferrari 250 GTO | Bentley Speed Six | Talbot-Lago T150C SS Figoni et Falaschi Raindrop/Teardrop Coupe | Porsche 917 | Audi RS4 Avant | Lamborghini Miura | Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 | BMW E39 M5 | Jaguar E-type | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL | Dodge Charger/Challenger R/T | Toyota 2000GT | Facel Vega HK500 | Voisin C28 Aerosport | Bugatti Type 41 Royale | McLaren F1 | Maserati Bora | Continental MK II | Tucker 48 | Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato | BMW 507 | Porsche 959 | 1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom 1 Jonckheere Coupe | Land Rover Defender | Lotus Eleven | Cadillac Eldorado Brougham | 1963 Mini Cooper S | 1934 Duesenberg Model SJ | Caparo T1 | Morgan Aero 9
Sources: Classics, Wikipedia, DDavid.com, The Supercars, Youtube
Comments
W00t!
3 to nil for Ja!
Quite frankly, I'd be terrified to take this to 211 on those super skinny tires. Lord only knows what they were made of and how they handled that kind of speed back then.
How can I not vote "yes" on this. But on that note, I think the JFG needs more modern cars. Can we put up an Audi R10 for voting next?
All that copy just got in the way of me frantically scrolling down to the poll to vote JAWOHL!
No-freaking-brainer.
A big yes. I worked for Audi not too long ago & got to drive all the current line up,after that we got a tour of the Audi museum,it looks so much better in the flesh,an engineering masterpiece.
If i remember correctly, Car and Driver ran a fantastic article on the history and restoration of one of these Type Cs a few years ago. The guy who bought it had to basically sneak it out of the former Soviet Union in pieces, then reassemble it once it got to America. Definitely belongs in the JFG, and its too bad Audi never built their modern Avus/Project Rosenmeyer V16 supercar.
That video needs a NSFW tag. Pure pr0n.
Ja.
Wheelspin at 150mph? Hoontastic.
Oh, and it's also an engineering, design and performance milestone. And it's gorgeous.
I had to vote Ja. It was driven by my namesake (or more accurately, his dad). What an amazing car. It would be scary as hell, but you would have to peel the grin off my face.
"twin-block, 6 liter, 45 degree bank, 32 valve V16, was force fed air through a Roots supercharger and developed 520 HP in its final form"
Yes, please.
Absolutely yes... this is a true JFG car.
Oh yeah, and just to stir the pot, it's probably about as easy to drive as the Caparo T1.
Holy shit. I could listen to that motor all day. Ja indeed.
In fact "Ja" should really be the only choice.
It's an aluminum Nazi torpedo on four wire wheels.
Es tut mir leid, mein Führer. Ich sage "Nein!"
Oh, and is it just me, or does this car look like it's got a bit of positive camber in some of the photos?
Off Topic:
Does anyone know which car or cars have been in the Fantasy Garage the longest ?
Nah.
The first ones.
This is the kind of kamikaze driving dynamics that belong in the JFG (it makes a good partner for the Porsche 917).
Also, however phallic it may be, that rear shot of the Type C with the engine made me go very dragon.
For everything it represents for autodom, it represented more for Nazism. I can't get behind that. Plus, I really wouldn't care to have one.
Finally, a good car in the JFG! After two weeks of crap, this hits the spot.
I voted yes for the first time in awhile, as this is truly a legendary car. Now, can we get rid of some of the borderline stuff?
Isn't it sick that most of the technology we have today is in some way connected to ze germans and hitler's war machine?
I mean, this thing is beautiful and ballsy, but it's hard to vote for something that was directly funded by hitler.
That said, I voted yes.
@discontinuuity: Yeah, that Dusenberg was just atrocious, and God forbid we nominate a car with the HP/weight ratio closing on an F1 car - pure shyte.
For as cool as this is, I must echo that you can't wash the stink of Hitler off of it.
@evoCS: Now that you mention it, yes, it does look a bit like it.
520 HP and just over 1600 lbs. --- wow. This is one of the legendary 'Silver Arrows' that were a part of unbelievable engineering accomplishments of their time. When the 120 MPH Duesenbergs were astounding the Americans, this and the Mercedes cars were topping 250 MPH. Gentlemen, this was 72 years ago! To say "No" to this shows an utter disregard or ignorance for automotive history. Sehr gut!
@Ben Wojdyla: Also, apparently I cannot count weeks, or Morgans.
@Ben Wojdyla: Probably not a good sign for the Morgan.
Again with the rennauto...nein!
Ach! Hoo ah ze schweinz hoo votet fur "nein"?!
Mögen sie ewig in der Hölle schmoren!!!
@Ben Wojdyla: If you don't pay attention to me, don't pay attention to these other critics. I hated the Morgan, and the other T1, but there was only one vote for this car.
By the way, are we now voting on race cars for the JFG? I know that was a bit too late to ask, just wondering...
I remember suggesting this car back in the Crowning the King of Group B entry. Jalopnik...it's like you listen. It's like you understand. I'm goign to go read the post now. Don't let me down Ben.
Quite simply put, the most important race car ever, period.
The crown jewel of the JFG. May we toast with the first can of Pabst downed in the garage to Rosenmeyer and Nuvolari!
This is such an obvious "yes" that I had forgotten it wasn't in already - I thought this was some kind of delayed April Fools' joke until I rechecked the list.
Its easy to vilify a man who administered the eradication of millions. Its difficult to acknowledge the interest of the same individual in automotive excellence. If you can seperate those two points then you can seperate the type C from the Third Reich. Adolf financed it, but he didn't realize the Type C. The only tough question I come up with is: was it blood-money? Pray it wasn't and click Ja.
ummm...yeah.
Of course it belongs in. It's the genesis of the modern racecar.
@UDMan: Of course there are racecars (see Audi Sport Quattro, Porsche 917). My next suggestion? Mazda 787b.
@Maymar: Not only that, but it was also the most powerful race car ever... until the 917.
Ja. Das ist gut.
Having now read the article and contemplated running to other computers to vote a resounding jawohl, I'd like to address the naysayers. Aside from the obvious attraction of a mid mounted V16 racecar that raced hillclimbs with duallies and was so powerful it could tear the skin off of you bare hands while driving, uh actually, there's not much more that need be said than that. As for the Naziism attachment, the race car engineers hardly had anything to do with the war effort, let alone the atrocities of World War II. These were the cars that inspired many of the salt flat land speed record hot rodders; truer symbols of America you could not find. Look to the engineering prowess. These were not exhibitions of the grandeur of the Aryan race, these cars are exhibitions of the grandeur of the human race. That and (this is a challenge to everyone with a good imagination) they're faster than one can even comprehend. With these cars Auto Union went to 250 miles per hour. That was like going to the moon. Imagine a Saturn V rocket you could drive around town. After your head is done exploding, I suggest you vote yes.
[en.wikipedia.org]
I might have to crib the audio of that clip for a ringtone. I voted yes.
for the love of all things holy, YES!
1618 pounds, and it has a V16? Holy shit.
The 360 in my old F250 seems like it weighs 1618 pounds. There are bikes that weigh 1618 pounds. Your mom weighs 1618 pounds.
The Auto Union Type C is like Leni Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will": a magnificent work of propaganda deployed specifically to perpetrate an evil. I guess you could say the same about any race car fielded to sell cigarettes, but if a JPS Lotus F1 was raced to get people to burn tobacco, the Type C was raced to get people to burn people.
The magnitude of its evil overshadows its intrinsic magnificence. I vote no.
@voodoojoo: /These were not exhibitions of the grandeur of the Aryan race.../
Except for the fact that yes, they were.
FWIW, this car was built with corrupt money (Hitler et al and the bankers and industrialists who originally bankrolled him in exchange for the profits they made from his government projects), not blood money.
To lift a phrase from hooptyrides:
"This car epitomizes what I wanted to be when I grew up... A savage engineer on the razor's edge. A craftsman dedicated to awesomeness. An artist building folly."
Ja.
I dropped $150 on a gorgeous little CMC 1:18 model of this car, so hell to the Jawohl this shall hold an honored place in the JFG.
[www.diecast.org]
Right next to Tazio Nuvolari's Type D.
@beercheck:
Absolutely, they were. All the more reason to stick them in Jalopnik's (American-based) fantasy garage. Where they can be serviced by a bunch of Vietnamese/Jewish mechanics and driven by Dutch-Africans.