German styling with an American influence
Auto Union found itself in a bit of a pickle in the late 1950s. Other European manufacturers had models that fit right in with the emerging sports coupe market, such as VW’s Kharman Ghia and Mercedes-Benz’s 190 SL Auto Union had nothing to offer and desperately needed a new, exciting model to promote themselves in this time of the Wirtschaftswunder, or German Economic Miracle. Seizing this opportunity, they contracted with the Baur coachworks in Stuttgart to wrap new, sporty sheet metal around an existing platform, and the 1000SP was born. The bodies were built by Baur, then shipped to the Auto Union factory in Ingolstadt for final assembly. I found this example at the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, TN.
RELATED Spot: Another unique find at the Lane Motor Museum.
American cars were all the rage in Europe at the time, and Ford’s new Thunderbird was admittedly the inspiration for the new coupe. Director William Werner tasked chief stylist Josef Dienst to create a “sports car that looked like a bomb”.Built on the standard 1000 sedan’s platform, the tailfins and grille of the new coupe earned the name “Schmalspur (baby) Thunderbird” in the motoring press. A bit lower in profile and a good bit lighter than the sedan, the 1000SP made good use of its uprated 55-horsepower two-stroke engine and returned class-leading performance, with a top speed of almost 90 miles per hour. Introduced initially as a coupe in 1958, it was joined in 1981 by an equally stylish roadster model. Hampered by inherently high prices, it was a highly desirable car, but it could not be easily afforded by its target market, and production ended in 1965. The 10000P was the last car to carry the Auto Union name, and one of the last two-stroke cars produced by the West
Ok, so let’s say you just have to have one of these. I know, they are cool, and you most likely won’t see one at a local Cars & Coffee Event. I found a couple on some of the sites for sale between 10 and 20 grand.
Thanks for stopping by and checking out this week’s spot I found while visiting the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville a while back. Come back next week for another one of my finds, along with some of its history. Have a great week ahead.
Savage On Wheels 
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