When Audi went back to the future
Twenty years ago Audi unveiled this incredible tribute to the famous ‘Silver Arrow’ of the 1930s at Autostadt in Wolfsburg. Projekt Rosemeyer’s familiar features are clear to see: the massive radiator grille at once recalls the historic Auto Union ‘Silver Arrow’ racing cars, and so does the long engine cover falling away to the rear, with its vertical air inlet slots.
A large-capacity engine with sixteen cylinders recalls the number that the Auto Union racing cars also had, cars which legendary drivers such as Bernd Rosemeyer and Tazio Nuvolari steered to victory.
The boldly shaped air inlets are a formal element at all points on the aluminium body of this Audi design study, and nowhere more so than at the front. The headlight units in the aerodynamically shaped nose seem to focus resolutely on the road: compact, powerful xenon headlights shine behind clear glass covers. The flat lights are protected behind flush-fitting metal panels that slide upwards when the headlights are switched on.
Photos © Audi