Audi decided to look towards one of the most fascinating pages of its past to bring back a vehicle that marked a before and after in the history of motorsports. It is about the Auto Union Luccaan experimental model created in 1935 with the aim of conquering speed records and demonstrating how far German engineering of the time could go.
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The reconstruction of the mythical Lucca appears at a key moment for the brand. The German manufacturer is going through a new stage linked to motorsports and the recovery of several historical models that helped build its identity.
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Audi’s recent push in international competitions, added to its entry into Formula 1ended up reawakening interest in those cars that dominated European tracks before World War II. Among all those legendary names, few are as impressive as Auto Union Lucca.
The model that sought to break all records
In the 1930s, Auto Union became one of the most feared brands in European motorsport. Their Kind A, B, C and D cars revolutionized racing thanks to extremely powerful engines and technologies that seemed decades ahead of their time.
Along with Mercedes-Benzthose cars received the nickname “silver arrows”, a generation of vehicles capable of dominating practically any competition in which they participated.
But Auto Union wanted to go beyond traditional tracks. The brand decided to build a vehicle designed exclusively to reach extreme speeds and compete against the world records of the time. This is how Auto Union Lucca was born
In 1935, the German pilot Hans Stuck managed to take this model up to 199 mph, equivalent to 320.20 km/h.in the Italian city of Lucca. The figure was enormous for that period and positioned the vehicle as one of the most advanced creations of its generation.
A design that seemed to come from the future
The Lucca was surprising not only for its speed, but also for its completely different aesthetics than most cars of that time. While other manufacturers continued to use more traditional lines, Auto Union opted for a silhouette focused entirely on aerodynamics.
The bodywork was developed using a wind tunnel, a technology that was unusual in Europe during those years. In addition, it featured a closed cabin, faired wheels and rear details designed to improve stability when traveling at extremely high speeds.
Underneath that structure was a powerful 5-liter V16 engine that developed more than 340 horsepower. To put it in context, very few racing cars could come close to that level of power in the 1930s.
Despite its impressive capabilities, the project never managed to consolidate itself within the competition. Various mechanical problems affected the model’s performance and limited its race appearances.
Audi rebuilt it from scratch
The return of the Auto Union Lucca was carried out by Audi Tradition, the division in charge of preserving the historical legacy of the brand. To complete the reconstruction, Audi worked alongside British restoration specialists, who spent more than three years on the project.
Each piece was handcrafted following historical documentation and original designs. The objective was to replicate the 1935 vehicle as faithfully as possible.
Modern tests also confirmed something that many already suspected. Lucca was really ahead of its time. During the new aerodynamic tests, the vehicle obtained a coefficient of 0.43, a vital figure considering that the original design was born more than nine decades ago.
The official return will be at Goodwood
Although it maintains a practically identical appearance to the historical model, Audi incorporated small technical improvements aimed at guaranteeing the vehicle’s performance in current exhibitions.
Among the changes are adjustments to engine ventilation and some modifications aimed at improving stability. In addition, the reconstruction uses the legendary V16 engine from the Auto Union Kind C, another of the company’s most emblematic models.
The renewed Auto Union Lucca was already presented in the same Italian city where it achieved its historic speed record in 1935. The next step will be its dynamic debut at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speedone of the most important events in the world for classic and competition vehicles.
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