The Auto Union Type C was seldom described as beautiful, except perhaps by the man behind the wheel. In this case, that man was the fearless Bernd Rosemeyer, pilot of the No. 4 Type C at the Grand Prix of Germany in 1936, and eventual winner — going away — of the World Drivers’ Championship that year. Rosemeyer had the Type C (and its genius designer Dr. Ferdinand Porsche) to thank for much of his instant success, so innovative was the design. The supercharged 6.0L V-16 engine made 520hp — enough to break the skinny 1936-vintage tires loose at 150mph and propel the Type C well past 200. with so much torque available, the Type C was a handful to drive, pushing Porsche to invent the first limited slip differential to quell wheelspin out of corners.
CMC delivers this stellar example of engineering innovation in 1:18 using over 1000 individual pieces. Detail on the engine, interior and particularly the wheels (with their 70 individual wire spokes each) is glorious. Rosemeyer and Auto Union would be gone just a few years later, but for the brief period following the Type C’s1936 debut, both reigned supreme, and CMC’s model is a fitting tribute.
