Hansa Trumpf-Aß History
Catalog record
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History
Introduced at the Berlin Motor Show in 1925, the Hansa-Lloyd 18/100 Trumpf-Aß ('Ace of Trumps') was developed by Italian engineer Pellegretti, recruited from Isotta-Fraschini. Its inline eight-cylinder engine displaced 4.6 litres, used an aluminium alloy block and an overhead camshaft, and produced 100 PS (74 kW) on a 3,550 mm wheelbase — by any measure a world-class luxury car.
During its production life the engine grew progressively: by 1927–28 it was enlarged to 5,220 cc and the model was redesignated 20/100, with the wheelbase stretching to 3,750 mm by 1929. The final cars, sold into 1931 under the evocative name 'Hansa Imperator', used a bored-out 5.8-litre engine. Despite the engineering quality, the Trumpf-Aß was built in very small numbers; its development costs contributed to the financial pressures that led Robert Allmers to lose control of the company to Carl Borgward in 1929.
Generations
18/100 (first series) · Trumpf-Aß 18/100
Original 4.6-litre straight-eight, 100 PS, 3,550 mm wheelbase; Pellegretti-engineered OHC aluminium-block motor.
20/100 (enlarged) · Trumpf-Aß 20/100
Engine enlarged to 5,220 cc (sources vary on the exact changeover, 1927 or 1928); wheelbase extended to 3,640–3,750 mm. Top of Hansa-Lloyd's passenger-car range.
Hansa Imperator · Imperator
Final evolution with a bored-out 5.8-litre engine; sold under the Hansa Imperator name into 1931 as the Borgward takeover wound down independent production.
Body styles
- Saloon
- Open tourer
- Limousine
Related models
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