Audi brings back the ghost of speed: the legendary Auto Union Lucca recreated almost 90 years later

The Audi Tradition division has unveiled a fully recreated Auto Union Lucca – one of the most mysterious cars of the pre-war era. The original reached 203 mph (327 km/h) on a regular Italian highway in 1935, after which both built cars disappeared.

The Lucca was not created for mass production, but as part of a technological duel between Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz. In the mid-1930s, German brands competed for speed records on autobahns and tracks, turning engineering projects into a demonstration of the country's capabilities and technologies.

The engineering is impressive even today. The replica received a mid-mounted 6.0-liter supercharged V16, a five-speed non-synchronized manual gearbox, and a handcrafted aluminum body. Its weight is about 960 kg. In a similar configuration, this engine is capable of developing approximately 520 hp on methanol fuel.

It was Auto Union in 1932 that united the brands Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer – hence the famous four rings. In fact, the Lucca is part of the direct lineage of modern Audis and a reminder of how the brand built its reputation long before Quattro and RS models.

The key point is that the project was not limited to a museum copy. The replica will debut in motion at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the summer of 2026. For a car with a V16, a non-synchronized manual transmission, and pre-war aerodynamics, this is almost a journey through time.

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