Audi Resurrects 1935 Auto Union Lucca With Larger, More Powerful V16 Engine

Audi has brought back one of its most important pre-war race cars with a recreated version of the 1935 Auto Union Lucca. The original machine became famous after setting a flying-start mile record on an Italian road near Lucca, reaching an average speed of 320.267km/h and a peak of 326.975km/h. Built by British restoration specialist Crosthwaite & Gardiner, the recreated car was developed using archive photos, engineering records, and historical documents. It will now join Audi Tradition’s growing collection of historic racing models.

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The original Lucca project came during the intense rivalry between Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz in the 1930s. At the time, speed records were a major part of motorsport competition, pushing manufacturers to develop faster and more advanced race cars. After Mercedes driver Rudolf Caracciola set a flying-start mile benchmark of 316.592km/h in 1934, Auto Union engineers quickly began work on a machine capable of going even faster on public roads.

Finding the right location for the record attempt was not easy. The team first planned to run the car in Hungary, but poor weather and snow forced a change of plans. Auto Union later moved operations to Italy and selected a long straight road between Pescia and Altopascio near Lucca. The smooth surface and near-straight layout made it suitable for high-speed testing and record runs.

1935 Auto Union Lucca: Design

The recreated Auto Union Lucca keeps the same streamlined shape that made the original car stand out in the 1930s. Its enclosed cockpit, smooth wheel arches, and long rear section were all designed to improve aerodynamics and reduce drag at high speed. Even today, the design still looks purposeful and race-focused.

Audi says the project took more than three years to complete, with most parts built by hand. Wind tunnel testing in 2026 recorded a drag coefficient of 0.43, showing how advanced the original aerodynamic concept was for its time. The recreated model can also switch between its Lucca record-run specification and the later 1935 Avus race setup.

1935 Auto Union Lucca: Engine

The original Lucca used a supercharged five-litre V16 engine producing around 343bhp. The recreated version gets a larger six-litre V16 from the Auto Union Type C race car, producing 520bhp. Audi says both engines look nearly identical externally, allowing the larger unit to fit without changing the car’s appearance.

The bigger V16 was selected mainly for improved cooling and reliability during demonstration runs. Later versions of the same engine family produced close to 375bhp, making Auto Union’s race cars among the most powerful machines of their era. The recreated Lucca will make its public debut in Italy, close to the site where the original speed record was achieved.