A quarter-century elapses in this account.
In the world of automotive history, the Audi Rosemeyer stands as a symbol of speed and innovation. Named after the legendary racing driver Bernd Rosemeyer, this iconic showcar was unveiled on June 1, 2000, in the Audi Brand Arena of the new Autostadt Wolfsburg.
Bernd Rosemeyer, born in 1909 in Lingener, rose to fame as a motorcycle racer before joining the Auto Union factory team in 1934. His career took a turn when he voluntarily joined the SS, rising to the rank of Hauptsturmführer. Despite this, his achievements on the racetrack made him a folk hero during the Nazi era. Historians today view him ambivalently, as an apolitical racer yet also a sports icon who willingly let himself be used by Nazi propaganda.
Rosemeyer made history with high-speed runs, becoming the first driver to break the 400 km/h barrier on a public road on October 25, 1937. This feat earned him a place in the annals of motorsport.
The Audi Rosemeyer, a testament to its namesake's legacy, was designed with a purist racing ambiance. Its body was made of brushed aluminum, and it had an extremely low silhouette of just 1.24 meters in height. The interior featured carbon, aluminum, Nomex, bucket seats, an open shift lever, and a classic four-spoke steering wheel.
The large air intakes and widely extended rear end of the Rosemeyer emphasized its closeness to historic racing cars. Instead of exterior mirrors, Audi used small cameras that transmitted their images to monitors in the cockpit. The monumental front with a large, one-piece grille and the minimalist design without trim strips were reminiscent of historic racing cars.
Initially, there was no official press release about the Rosemeyer, as Audi wanted the show car to speak for itself. The Italian design firm Italdesign Giugiaro was directly involved in the development of the Audi Rosemeyer prototype after Audi integrated the Lamborghini brand into the company.
One reason for not producing a small series of the Rosemeyer was that Audi had recently integrated the Lamborghini brand into the company. The Rosemeyer shared the W16 concept with the 1999 Bentley study Hunaudière. Both the Rosemeyer and the Hunaudière served as the technological basis for the Bugatti Veyron 16.4, which appeared in 2005 as the first series hypercar of the VW group.
Tragically, Bernd Rosemeyer died on January 28, 1938, during a record attempt on the Frankfurt-Darmstadt autobahn. The Rosemeyer, like its namesake, left an indelible mark on the automotive world, serving as a spiritual predecessor to the Audi R8 and inspiring the development of some of the most iconic vehicles in history.
Despite speculations that Audi might build the Rosemeyer in small quantities, with prices starting from 250,000 euros and possible annual volumes of 50 to 100 units, no series production ever materialized. Nevertheless, the Audi Rosemeyer remains a cherished piece of automotive history, a testament to the spirit of speed and innovation that continues to drive the industry today.
"auto motor und sport" commented that the Rosemeyer was intended as a showpiece, not as a drivable series model. However, its impact on the automotive world is undeniable, paving the way for a new league of high-performance vehicles and leaving a lasting legacy in the hearts of motorsport enthusiasts.
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