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1934 Auto Union Typ A

First appearance of the Auto Union Silver Arrow happened on the Avus race track in Berlin 1934. Hans Stuck piloted his Auto Union Typ A and broke three world records.

The Typ A was initially called the Porsche P-wagen or T22. It was design by Ferdinand Porsche to take on the might of Mercedes-Benz and their front-engine grand prix cars. Porsche used the unorthodox layout placing the V16 behind the driver for optimal weight distribution and reduced driver height.

The chassis used two main rails of 75mm steel tubing that swept up over the rear axle. This supported the 4.4-litre V16 engine which had an optimal power to weight ratio. It was fitted with a roots-type supercharger that have the car a fantastic amount of wheel-spinning torque. Since the bank angle was so acute, a single camshaft was placed in the vee that actuated the overhead valves.

Hans Stuck piloted the Typ A to a couple hillclimb victories in 1934, but for the most part, the design couldn’t keep pace with Mercedes-Benz.

In Detail

type Racing Car
built at Zwickau, Germany
engineers Ferdinand Porsche
production 5
engine 45° V16 w/Dry Sump Lubricaion
position Mid, Longitudinal
aspiration Roots Supercharger
power 220.0 kw / 295 bhp @ 4500 rpm
bhp/weight 349.11 bhp per tonne
torque 530 nm / 390.9 ft lbs @ 2700 rpm
body / frame Aluminum over Steel-Tube Frame
driven wheels RWD
f suspension Trailing Links w/Torsion Bars, Friction Dampers
r suspension Swing Axles w/Transverse Leaf Springs, Friction Dampers
curb weight 845 kg / 1863 lbs
weight distro 42 % / 58 %
wheelbase 2800 mm / 110.2 in
front track 1390 mm / 54.7 in
rear track 1390 mm / 54.7 in