Bid on Hitler’s favourite

Ultra-rare 1939 Auto Union D-Type comes up for auction. Got spare £5.5 million knocking around?

Posted by: Sam Philip, 03 June 2009

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Photo: James Mann

Liked the look of that Ferrari 250 Testarossa sold at auction last month, but couldn't quite stretch to the £8 million asking price?

Then how about this bargainous Auto Union D-Type racer, up for auction in August and expected to sell for a mere £5.5 million?

Raced by Hans Stuck and Rudolf Hasse in the 1939 Grand Prix season, it's one of only three D-Types known to exist, and was lost behind the Iron Curtain for half a century before being recovered by an American enthusiast just a few years ago.

The D-Type was one of the German ‘Silver Arrows' - named for the national colour of the Mercedes and Auto Union racers - that dominated Grand Prix racing in the 1930s.

This car, chassis 191, is powered by a 3.0-litre, supercharged V12 which puts out around 485bhp - a simply staggering amount for an inter-war racer. Aluminium bodied, it weighs in at just under one tonne, and will top over 200mph.

Bonhams - for it is they who are auctioning the car - confidently assert that the engine puts out so much torque that you can easily light up the rear wheels at 100mph: a buttock-clenching experience, we'd wager, in a car with no harness. Or belts. Or, er, anything.

If all that wasn't enough to have you readying the chequebook, here's the deal-breaker: the D-Type has been described as Hitler's favourite car. The Fuhrer was obsessed with motor racing, and Hans Stuck was his driver of choice.

Could make a lovely pair alongside that tasteful Fiat 2800, if you're into that sort of thing. We really, really hope you're not.

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What do you think?

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Mikeado commented on this article

at 03:56 pm on 03 June 2009

A tube with a massively powerful engine and a seat in it? Sounds dangerous. I'll take it!

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Claiborn commented on this article

at 03:58 pm on 03 June 2009

Wouldn't mind a little cross ply sliding in that thing, although maybe not a 100mph, I'll leave that to the Stig. PS, err why is the Lexus I-SF listed in the related stuff, apart form the fact that all of them will be bought in a matching silver to this D-Type?

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Ben27 commented on this article

at 04:11 pm on 03 June 2009

So it's a bath-tub with 450bhp that'll do 200mph and light up the tyres at 100mph?! How much do you wanna lap the 'Ring in that thing!

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AshHorne commented on this article

at 04:41 pm on 03 June 2009

for over 5 mil, i doubt it'll sell. i'd like to meet the idiot that buys it if it does.

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Turbomatic commented on this article

at 04:43 pm on 03 June 2009

I love all the old auto union (audi) pre WW2 cars, my fave is the 1937 type c streamline, here's a pic http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VWR_zhaF0yA/RdieC2gsDrI/AAAAAAAAAzw/rBeW2On6cp8/s400/1937_auto_union_type_c-01.jpg

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