In the early 1930s, long before Porsche became synonymous with the 911, Ferdinand Porsche was helping create some of the most radical performance machines Europe had ever seen. He was running an engineering consultancy developing radical performance concepts for Germany’s emerging racing programs. One of those ideas eventually became the Auto Union P52, a mid-engined V16 machine many historians now view as one of the earliest true supercar concepts.
Nearly a century later, Audi Tradition has revived part of that engineering lineage with the rebirth of the Auto Union Lucca, a streamlined 16-cylinder record car that once made headlines across Europe for hitting 203.17 mph in February 1935 on a straight section of autostrada between Pescia and Altopascio near Lucca.
Fittingly unveiled in Lucca, Italy, the recreated Rennlimousine reconnects Audi’s modern heritage program with the same experimental thinking that shaped Auto Union’s prewar Grand Prix dominance. This was an era when Auto Union and Porsche worked closely together under Germany’s rapidly evolving motorsport programs in the inter-war years.
Ferdinand Porsche and former racing driver Adolf Rosenberger had already pushed the concept of mid-engine balance with the Auto Union Type A, B, and C racers, placing the driver ahead of the engine and centralizing mass for stability at speed. Those ideas later influenced everything from Formula 1 packaging to road supercars like the McLaren F1.
The recreated Lucca now joins Audi’s historic Silver Arrow collection after more than three years of development by British restoration specialist Crosthwaite & Gardiner. Every component was handcrafted using archive photography, engineering documents, and surviving technical references. Audi even replicated the car’s dramatic aerodynamic aluminum bodywork, including the enclosed cockpit canopy, covered wheels, and elongated tail section designed specifically for high-speed aerodynamic efficiency.
“Audi does not yet have any Auto Union racing or record-attempt cars from the early Grand Prix era in its historic vehicle collection. The car is a testament to the technical innovation of the four rings,” said Stefan Trauf, Head of Audi Tradition.
The original car featured a supercharged 5.0-liter V16 producing roughly 343 horsepower. The recreated version now runs a supercharged 6.0-liter V16 from the Auto Union Type C family, which puts out 520 horsepower at 4,500 rpm. Audi Tradition selected the larger engine for durability during demonstration events while maintaining visual authenticity.
The Lucca is also part of a broader effort by Audi Tradition to revive some of the most ambitious concepts in the company’s back catalog. In 2024, Audi recreated the aforementioned Auto Union P52 and brought the V16-powered concept to the Goodwood Festival of Speed, finally giving motion to a car that existed only as sketches and engineering drawings for decades. Audi Tradition has also revived historically significant competition cars, including the Auto Union Type C hill climb car and multiple Silver Arrow racers that continue appearing at demonstration events across Europe.
The Auto Union Lucca will make its first public dynamic appearance at the upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed this July, where the V16 Rennlimousine will run for the first time in front of spectators since its modern recreation.
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Images: Audi
