Audi has announced the revival of one of motorsport’s most elegant Silver Arrows, bringing the Auto Union Lucca back to life more than 90 years after its original debut.
Long before aerodynamic efficiency became a defining element of modern performance cars, Auto Union was already pursuing speed through engineering innovation. In 1935, the extraordinary Auto Union “Lucca” Rennlimousine gained global attention when racing driver Hans Stuck recorded a flying-start mile average of 320.267 km/h near the Italian city of Lucca, with a measured top speed of 326.975 km/h. At the time, it was widely described as the fastest road racing car in the world.
Developed during an intense rivalry with Mercedes-Benz in the 1930s Grand Prix era, the streamlined Rennlimousine represented a major leap in aerodynamic thinking. Built around Auto Union’s revolutionary mid-engine layout, the car featured a closed cockpit, teardrop-style wheel arches, and a dramatically tapered tail shaped through wind tunnel testing at the Berlin-Adlershof Aeronautical Research Institute. Lightweight construction and a supercharged 16-cylinder engine completed the package, creating a machine that looked decades ahead of its time.
Now, more than 90 years later, Audi has recreated the Auto Union Lucca as a fully functioning one-off prototype for its historic collection. Developed over three years by British restoration specialist Crosthwaite & Gardiner, the recreation was painstakingly handcrafted using archival photographs and original technical documents. The finished car retains its elegant silver bodywork and even achieved a drag coefficient of 0.43 during testing in Audi’s wind tunnel.
Unlike the original 1935 car, the recreated Lucca uses a 6.0-litre supercharged V16 engine derived from the later Auto Union Type C, producing 513 hp at 4,500 rpm. Weighing just 960 kg, it runs on a period-style methanol-based fuel mixture and remains remarkably faithful to the engineering philosophy of the era.
Following its unveiling in Italy earlier this year, the Auto Union Lucca will make its first dynamic public appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this July.
