At the beginning of 1938, the racing team of Auto Union had to face a dilemma: The contract with Ferdinand Porsche was cancelled, and Bernd Rosemeyer was killed in an accident in January while the team was attempting to break the world speed record.
Eberan von Eberhorst replaced Ferdinand Porsche as designer, and “Il Diavolo” Tazio Nuvolari succeeded to the national hero Rosemeyer. The “Flying Man from Mantua”, who earned his nickname due to his devil-may-care style of driving, piloted an Auto Union Type D to win the1938 Grand Prix in Italy and England.
In the following year, Auto Union scored a double victory in Reims with the drivers H. P. Muller and Schorsch Meier, despite the tough competition of the Mercedes Silver Arrows. Also, Nuvolari gained the last Grand Prix victory before the Second World War, driving an Auto Union Type D in Belgrade on September 3, 1939.
The Auto Union Type D redefines the manufacturing of model cars. More than 680 parts are hand-assembled into a collector’s item par excellence. First-class paint is applied to the body, giving the car an exceptional brilliance unparalleled in model industry.
