Audi recreates a 16-cylinder supercar from 90+ year-old blueprints

Back in the mid-30s, a company named Auto Union was working on a supercar named the Type 52, which was envisioned with a 16-cylinder engine. The project was shelved in 1935, but Audi – which inherited the business from Auto Union – decided to bring it back as a homage to the era.

It entrusted the project to Crosthwaite & Gardner, a known specialist in historical vehicle recreation. The company acquired the original Type 52 blueprints and schematics and managed to build a modern version of it in less than 18 months. It will remain a one-off.

According to the team behind the project, it did its best to stay faithful to the original design, but ultimately had to deviate from it a little. For one thing, the displacement volume of the transaxle engine has been bolstered from 4.4 to 6 liters. A modern turbocharger drives its output to 512 PS (505 hp / 377 kW), far exceeding the initial target of just 200 PS (197 hp / 147 kW).

The original car had also been envisioned as a 1.3-ton (2,866-lb) vehicle with 3 meters (117.2 inches) of wheelbase. The project saw it turn into a 1.45-ton (3,200-lb) car with 3,315 mm (129.5 inches) between the axles. The transmission is six-speed manual.

You may or may not like the deviations from the original, but the interior is sure to impress you with its century-old aesthetic. Wooden paneling all around, huge analog gauges, period-correct switches and vintage upholstery do leave a lasting impression. True to its historical prototype, the completed Type 52 features a 1+2 seating formula, meaning that the driver sits in the middle and there are two seats in the back.