Names such as Hans Stuck, Bernd Rosemeyer and Tazio Nuvolari are inseparably linked wîth the Auto Únion Silver Arrows.Veritable gods in their field, these great drivers and their fantastic racing machines created a world of competition the likes of which have never been seen, even in the modern era. This was the pinnacle of the sport and many would say this car was the King.
Powered by a 16 cylinder 366 cubic inch monster of an engine producing 520 horsepower, this car could rocket its 1600 pounds of weight (plus driver) to a then astonishing 195 mph. Indy cars were rolling around at 140 mph at that time so this is a massive increase in autosport global top speeds, which made the European racing circuit one of the most thrilling and dangerous ever seen. And Bernd Rosemeyer, in testing, got one of these cars up to 225 mph on a straight one day, so the capabilities were even higher.
But it all came to an end with the Second World War and motor racing of this kind was never seen again. Most of these cars were destroyed during the war but a couple still exist and faithful copies have been built that modern race car drivers such as Jackie Ickx and Hans Stuck's racing son Hans-Joachim Stuck race at special events all over Europe to celebrate the Golden Age of racing.
