Auto Union Auto Union 1000 Sp History

Presented at the IAA Frankfurt show in September 1957 and entering production in 1958, the Auto Union 1000 Sp ('Sp' for Spezial, not Sport) was a low-slung two-seater built by Stuttgart coachbuilder Baur on the 1000 platform. Its tail-finned styling drew press comparisons to the Ford Thunderbird — the 'baby Thunderbird' (schmalspur Thunderbird) nickname stuck — giving Auto Union an image-building halo car at a time when the marque needed credibility.

Power came from the 981 cc two-stroke three-cylinder engine tuned to 55 PS, giving a claimed top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph). The coupe (5,004 built) was joined from September 1961 by an open roadster, of which only 1,640 were produced through April 1965. The Sp's production run overlapped both the Auto Union 1000 and the DKW F102, keeping a sporty Auto Union on the market until almost the end of the DKW era.