Edition 2017 - 184 pages

English Edition

with Model of the Year: Porsche-Auto Union Typ 52 in 43rd scale

The 184 pages book "AutoCult" is a different kind of book - it is THE book for the automotive enthusiast who wants to learn more about the many stories of long forgotten automobiles, brands and other developments. Whether rare, fast or strange – many interesting stories in conjunction with precise historical accuracy, flanked by many historical photographs and illustrations of AutoCult models, make this book (as well as all future editions) a reading experience for those interested in automotive history.

What was taking place inside the design office of Ferdinand Porsche back then? Incomplete traditions leave room for speculations.

An exact date cannot be determined, just be guessed. Although the exact chronology has been lost in history, it is known that those responsible of the design office were occupied with planning a supercar unlike any that had been designed before. Based on the Typ 22 – a race car concept, commissioned by the company Wanderer but never built – they draw the supercar that was referred to as Typ 52 according to a in-house numerical order. Josef Kales was responsible for the engine and Erwin Komenda drew the car body. Both together committed a car to the paper, which was extremely ambitious, downright daring, at that time. Just the engine had dimensions, which were totally foreign to a back-then series vehicle. Scheduled was a sixteen-cylinder V-engine with 4.4-liter displacement, forced induction through a Roots-type supercharger and a performance greater than 200 hp. The sketched blueprints presaged a low height of the car body. The seat arrangement featured a central driving position followed by two slightly towards the rear moved passenger seats on either side. Those responsible of the design office were apparently split whether to built in a rear bench seat or not, since the sketches are contradictory concerning this matter. The V-16 engine was long-drawn-out. To connect the gearbox to the rear axle, the former as a rear engine designed driving unit had to be moved forward as far as possible, which led to the position directly behind the seats. From a present-day perspective a mid-mounted engine design. The rear end of the car body with its great number of air outlets harmoniously curved around the engine. The front of the car according to the sketches was characterized by a large upright standing radiator grille, which probably carried the airstream via inner ducts to the cylinders. External fitted mudguards that followed the general silhouette of the car completed the harmonious overall look.

Unfortunately the supercar never progressed beyond the theoretical stage. Why there was not even a prototype built in those days, remains unclear.

model made of resin in scale 1:43

Hersteller: AutoCult

Art.-Nr. 99117-E

Achtung! Sammlermodell, nicht geeignet für Kinder unter 14 Jahren!!!