1937 Auto Union C-Type

This is a photograph I took at Donington Park in May 2001 at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting.

It's a 1937 Auto Union C-Type which Audi had brought to the meeting together with a 1938 Auto Union D-Type and various other vehicles which were displayed in the paddock, and some of which took part in demonstration runs round the circuit. The Auto Union C-Type is pictured here on the straight between the Old Hairpin and Starkey's Bridge. 1937 was the last year of the 750kg weight formula where cars were restricted to a maximum weight of 750kg, but there was no limit to the size of the engine. The Auto Union C-Type had a V16 engine of 6,006cc situated behind the driver, but even this was not enough to challenge the supremacy of the 5,663cc straight-8 Mercedes Benz W125 with Rudolf Caracciola, Manfred von Brauchitsch, Hermann Lang and Christian Kautz finishing in the top four positions at the end of the five race European Championship series. Rudolf Hasse though did win the first race of the season, the Belgian Grand Prix, for Auto Union.