It took Audi 90 years to build the Schnellsportwagen, but it’s here and striking

Here comes the Audi car that was 90 years in the making.

Not literally of course – but it took a very long time for this idea to get off the ground.

The Schnellsportwagen is on the way, and it is a remarkable car.

READ MORE: Behind the wheel of the truly bonkers Audi Activesphere 

A history of the car that almost never got made

Ferdinand Porsche conceived of the Auto Union Type 52 as a ‘race car for the road’.

It never saw the light of day because World War Two threw Germany into chaos.

Ninety years or so have passed, and the car is now becoming a reality.

Using drawings, Audi created the car and unveiled it at a press conference.

F1 cars becoming street cars isn’t a new phenomenon by any means—Red Bull is set to debut its RB17 hypercar, and Porsche, BMW, and McLaren have all had their take on the concept.

Auto Union was formed in 1932 as a conglomeration of different German automakers.

One of their first projects was to create a series of race cars which would set speed records and win races.

These would become the ‘Silver Arrow’ cars, now known as the best European racing cars of the era.

Eventually, Auto Union decided they wanted to make cars that could compete in the increasingly popular long distance races.

This is when they turned to Porsche, who drew up a design for the Type 52 Schnellsportwagen.

Audi described the car as such: “Unlike its Grand Prix siblings, the car is more suitable for everyday driving, as the designers intended, with an overhead roof, headlights, and room for luggage. 

“As is typical for a race car, the Auto Union Type 52 driver sits in the middle, with the rear passenger seats slightly offset to the side.

“With three passengers, 70 kilograms of luggage, and 150 kilograms of equipment, the technical data sheet lists the car’s total weight at 1,750 kilograms, with an unladen weight of 1,300 kilograms.”

Audi revive the Auto Union Type 52

After spending nearly a century as a paper design, Audi revived the idea and made it a reality.

They reached out to British firm Crosthwaite & Gardner, who manage the company’s historic cars, and asked them to build the car using the original design sketches.

Stefan Trauf, the head of Audi Tradition, said: “We are thrilled to present the Auto Union Type 52 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

This car gets people excited about design and technology.

“For me, it is an absolute dream car. In its day, unfortunately, it remained only a dream – one that we are now, 90 years later, able to bring to life.”

The car is definitely a product of its time—the trunk, in addition to being on the front of the car, is tiny and practically unusable by modern-day standards.

But it’s steely silver exterior is hard to resist.

It’s a striking looking car – it was well worth the ninety year wait.