Editorial
The first thing that strikes you about the 1939 Auto Union D-Type grand prix car is its size – or lack of it. It’s a surprisingly small machine that appears in my eyes to have more in common with rear-engined Coopers of the late ‘50s than its immediate forbears, the giant V16 cars with a very cab-forward driving position, massive steering wheel and a large acreage of engine cowling behind the driver.
The opportunity to examine the car, that will be star of the forthcoming Rétromobile sale later this month, was courtesy of Debrett's City Championships who were hosting a launch party for this year’s activities at Christie’s King St salerooms in the heart of British Gentleman’s Clubland. Clearly getting the car up a couple of flights of stairs was impractical, but it would have looked at home with the entries from Impressionist and Modern Art sale to be held next week.
The car’s engine cover was removed to reveal the triple-camshaft, twin supercharged, 2,986 cc V12 that could produce 500bhp at 7,000 rpm. Figures that were not matched until the introduction of the big-capacity sports cars of the mid-sixties, and achieved by using priceless technology more akin to the aeronautic industry of the time. Far removed, it has to be said, from Cooper’s homely (but effective) engineering a couple of decades on.
If you get the chance, do have a look at it from close hand and who knows, it’s fully functioning and someone may even decide to start it up.
An aural masterpiece if ever there was one.
ClassicInside
- The Classic Driver Newsletter
