Audi world debut with Nick Mason at Goodwood

Audi Tradition marks this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed (11-13 July) with a world début. At the world’s largest classic car racing event, the German manufacturer will take the wraps off an authentic reconstruction of the original Auto Union "Silver Arrow" Type D Dual Compressor from 1939.

Construction of this racing car, the original version of which won two Grands Prix in the hands of H.P. Müller and Tazio Nuvolari, took four years and took place entirely in England. The "Silver Arrow" will be taken on its maiden drive by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason.

Thomas Frank, Head of Audi Tradition, commented: "We are delighted that we now have this car in our collection. And where better to give it its first outing than in the UK? We believe that this gesture is a fitting tribute to the people whose unique craftsmanship has brought this extraordinary car back to life."

Specialist workshop Crosthwaite & Gardiner in Buxted, East Sussex, was able to call on almost 30 years of experience in reconstructing Auto Union "Silver Arrow" cars. Meanwhile bodywork specialists at Roach Manufacturing in Ower near Romsey, Hampshire, had only a handful of historic photos as their basis.

When Auto Union was broken up by the occupying Soviet forces in East Germany after the Second World War, not only were all Auto Union racing cars lost but most of the technical documents vanished without trace

The Type D racing car was the last version of the Auto Union "Silver Arrow" cars (1934 to 1939) to be developed by Auto Union's Racing Division in Zwickau. In an effort to make the 420 hp twelve-cylinder engine in the Type D even faster, the single-compressor version from 1938, the year it made its début, mutated into a dual-compressor version. This boosted the power output by 65 horsepower but also necessitated various modifications to the body.

The racing car's tail end took on a hump shape to accommodate the dual compressor, coupled with a long air intake pipe, and the nose was made flatter. The resulting modified Type D only made its début mid-way through the 1939 season in the Belgian Grand Prix. This meant that Keith Roach and his team had very few photos to serve as a guide. He is nevertheless very satisfied with the results: "It is one of our all-time masterpieces." Roach Manufacturing had already built a reproduction of the streamlined body of the record-breaking Auto Union Type C from 1937 based on photos. This vehicle is now on show at the Audi museum mobile in Ingolstadt, Germany.

This Auto Union Type D will be the last "Silver Arrow" replica to be commissioned by Audi Tradition. Thomas Frank, Head of Audi Tradition, continued: "Our Auto Union Type D from 1938, which to a very large extent is made from original parts and has been exhibited at racetracks for a number of years, will go on display in the Audi museum mobile in the medium term. One reason for this decision is that we need to avoid it being damaged. The new replica will take its place. We will thus still be able to give people the extraordinary experience of witnessing this car in action."

In Nick Mason, Audi has found a worthy driver for its maiden outing. The Pink Floyd drummer is a massive motor racing fan and recently witnessed Audi’s eighth Le Mans 24 Hours race victory (14-15 June). Mason himself drove in the French endurance race five times and is the proud owner of a notable collection of racing cars. He drove an Auto Union Type C at Goodwood last year and is relishing the prospect of this year's competition: "I must have done something right last year if Audi Tradition is now prepared to let me take to the wheel for this maiden trip. But seriously, it's a huge honour, which I sincerely appreciate," said Mason.

Mason will not be the only driver representing Audi in the Goodwood line-up. Five-time Le Mans winner Frank Biela is making a return to the home country of motor racing in the very same Audi A4 Super Tourer in which he won the 1996 British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). "I'm really pleased to be taking part in Goodwood – especially in my very own former racing car! That's just great!" declared Biela. Audi Sport will also be exhibiting the Le Mans winning Audi R10 TDI of Allan McNish/Dindo Capello/Tom Kristensen, the Scotsman attending Goodwood on Saturday.