1938 Auto Union Type D

By the time the second world war had broken out, Auto Union had molded the Type D into one of the greatest racecars of all time.
In 1938, the revised formula for Grand Prix racing allowed engineers a choice in thier powerplants. Cars could run 3 litres with compressors, or 4.5 litres with traditional carburators. Either way, the cars now had to weigh at least 1,870 lbs (850kgs), whereas in 1937 cars could weigh no more than 1,650 lbs (750kgs)
The '38 Auto Union Team: from left to right, Tazio Nuvolari, Hans Stuck, Christian Kautz, Rudolf Hasse, and Herman-Paul Muller
With its twin compressor, three cam V-12 engine, the Type D produced 485 horsepower. This was almost as much the previous Type C V-16 made. Consider though that the Type C engine had nearly twice as large a capacity. The Type D was also a good deal smaller than the gigantic proportions of the Type C. Since the engine was now a good bit smaller, the Type D as a whole could be 10 inches shorter than the C. This allowed the cockpit to be moved closer to the middle of the car. The idea was that this would make the car a bit easier to handle than the Type C which had quite a reputation for being more than a handful for the drivers. However, the Type D proved at first to be just as frightening as the C, and Auto Union sat out the first GP of the '38 season at Reims sorting out these issues.

It took some time for the Auto Union team to solve the Type D's technical problems, but by September of that year the D was giving the Mercedes W163 a run for the money with wins at Monza and Donington Park by the genius Tazio Nuvolari.

It is important to remember the amazing the conditions these drivers worked under. Without any seatbelts, there was little to hang onto besides the enormous steering wheel. There also wasn't any sideways support, and drivers had to squat on small leather cushions as they worked through the corners. It seems impossible to believe that anyone could endure a 500 kilometer race during this time.