CMC Auto-Union Typ D, 1938 – 1/18

• 44 larger and 100 smaller rivets (diameter 0.75-0.9 mm) were individually fixed with tweezers
• Detailed replica of the 12-cylinder V-engine
• 12 Metal exhaust pipes
• Removable bonnet, attached with real rubber pulls
• The radiator grille consists of 16 hand-soldered steel wires
• Spoked wheels with 30 hand-assembled steel wires
• The bonnet mounting consists of 32 individual parts
• Driver's seat upholstered in fabric
• 36 cables and various petrol lines

At the start of 1938, the Auto Union racing department faced almost insurmountable problems. The departure of Ferdinand Porsche as chief designer had to be managed. A suitable successor had to be found for the tragic loss of top driver Bernd Rosemeyer, and ultimately, they needed to assert themselves against their eternal rival Mercedes-Benz with a more powerful car. The omens were good. Robert Eberan von Eberhorst, the new chief designer, developed a completely new twelve-cylinder V-engine for the revised 1938 racing formula, which limited engine displacement to a maximum of 3 litres for supercharged engines. This engine very successfully powered the also revised racing car chassis designated Auto Union Type D.

The newly signed racing ace, Tazio Nuvolari, lived up to expectations and immediately won the 1938 Italian and British Grands Prix with the powerhouse supercharged engine of the Type D. And things continued promisingly. At the French Grand Prix on July 9th, 1939, Auto Union achieved an impressive one-two finish.
H.P. Müller crosses the finish line first, his teammate Georg „Schorsch“ Meier takes a much-acclaimed second place. In the same year, Auto Union can once again enter the winners' list. Nuvolari wins the last Grand Prix race before the Second World War in Belgrade on 3 September with the Auto Union Type D. With this victory, a great racing era came to an end for a long time.