Car-Editors.news: 17.11.2023

Streamlined and perfect shape

The Audi Museum in Ingolstadt is dedicating the special exhibition "Windschnittig" (streamlined) to aerodynamics in automotive engineering until June next year. The topic has once again become more of a focus in vehicle development due to increasing electromobility. The museum takes a look back and shows the beginnings of aerodynamic concepts in automotive engineering up to 1945. From December 1, the August-Horch-Museum in Zwickau will join in with the section "Form completed" and will continue to span the arc up to the present day.

Edmund Rumpler, Paul Jaray and Baron Reinhard von Koenig-Fachsenfeld began adapting body shapes to the airflow shortly after 1900. Wing and teardrop shapes are still important sources of ideas today. The streamline is a concept from fluid mechanics. Between the two world wars in particular, this special shape fascinated aerodynamics researchers. The aim was and still is today to reduce the aerodynamic drag of vehicles, reduce fuel consumption and make cars more suitable for long distances.Even back then, motorsport was the ideal testing ground. The racing department of Auto Union AG, for example, began developing a full streamliner based on the Auto Union Type C at the beginning of 1937. The body design was largely based on the work of Josef Mickl, the aerodynamicist at the Porsche design office. The streamlined car had its first outing at the AVUS race in 1937, and record speeds of over 400 km/h were achieved in numerous record-breaking runs.In addition to research and development, the exhibition in Ingolstadt presents the driving personalities and the fundamental aerodynamic concepts of the period up to 1945. Over a dozen rare and in some cases unique vehicles are on display. One of them is the Audi Type C Jaray. Until now, experts had assumed that this car was built by Paul Jaray on an Audi Type K at the time. During the preparations for the special show, the exhibition team's research proved that the basis of this vehicle must have been an Audi Type C. Almost two dozen large exhibits and other models are on display in Zwickau. The "Form completed" exhibition will then move to the Audi Museum in July next year as a follow-up event. (aum)