The 'Techno Classica' international classic car exhibition in Essen will host Audi Tradition's stunning Auto Union Type C racing car from 1936, along with an impressive display of other rare gems from the brand's past.

The meeting place for classic car fans, this year's 18th Techno Classica (from 6th to 9th April, 2006) will play host to Audi Tradition's sporty and elegant cars from the 1930s.

Power and speed
The centre of attention at the Audi Tradition stand however, will undoubtedly be the fascinating 16-cylinder Auto Union Type C racing car from 1936, which at the time represented the epitome of power and speed. The Auto Union Silver Arrow, developing 520 horsepower at 5,000 rpm, won the European Championship - the equivalent of today's Formula One World Championship - 70 years ago with Bernd Rosemeyer at the wheel.

A further attraction of the special motor sport exhibition is the exclusive 1:8 model of this V16 mid-engined racing car which is on display to the public in its finished version for the first time.

As well as its successful involvement in Grand Prix racing in the 1930s, Auto Union AG also took part in endurance and off-road racing from 1933, two sports which were also extremely popular at this time.

The Wanderer Streamline Special, a two-seater roadster featuring an aluminium body, won the team title in the Liège-Rome-Liège long-distance race in 1939.

Timeless design
Another highlight characterised by timeless design is one of the most attractive roadsters of the 1930s - the Wanderer W 25 K - a six-cylinder two-seater from 1936 and one of the practice-proven gems of Audi Tradition.

Following its successful debut last year, the sporty roadster will once again be lining up at the Mille Miglia in May 2006.

Luxury and elegance
The Horch brand set the tone in the luxury class in the 1930s - Horch stood for elegance, cultured motoring and top production quality. By the standards of that time, the Horch 930 V Cabriolet of 1939, which featured a 3.8-litre engine with 92 horsepower and reached a top speed of 130 km/h, was capable of extremely impressive performance.

A real gem in Audi Tradition's collection of historic vehicles is the Horch 930 S, a prototype with a streamlined body. Auto Union AG presented this ground-breaking streamlined vehicle, which was tested in a wind tunnel, at the Berlin Motor Show in 1939.

Audi Tradition is also commemorating the DKW and Audi brands' successful tradition of front-wheel drive which began 75 years ago in Zwickau. Auto Union established front-wheel drive in the mid-size class from 1933 with the Audi Front model.

On view at the Techno Classica will be the Audi Front Type UW, a sports convertible built in 1933, and an elegant Audi Front 225 Special Cabriolet from 1937, of which just 25 models were built in its time.

For collectors of automotive rarities, the Audi Tradition team will also be offering a range of newly developed lifestyle articles and exclusive model cars from the traditional brands Audi, DKW, Horch, Wanderer, Auto Union and NSU. A 1:87 scale model of the Auto Union Type C racing car will be available as a limited edition.

Background
The four rings of the Audi badge symbolise the brands Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer, which were later combined under the umbrella of Auto Union. Auto Union and NSU, which merged in 1969, made many significant contributions towards the development of the car.

AUDI AG was formed from Audi NSU Auto Union AG in 1985. Together with the two traditional companies Auto Union GmbH and NSU GmbH, Audi Tradition nurtures and presents the deep and diverse history of Audi.

The Audi museum mobile at the Audi Forum Ingolstadt is open from Monday to Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.