Audi Tradition at the Mille Miglia for the First Time

This year, Audi Tradition will be participating for the first time in the world-renowned Mille Miglia from 19 to 22 May 2005 with one of the most handsome roadsters of the 1930s, the Wanderer W 25 K. This timelessly attractive small car will be making its debut at the 23rd Mille Miglia event, the world’s fastest classic car rally, whose 1000-mile route starts at Brescia, proceeds to Rome and then returns to Brescia.

The Wanderer W 25 K is a six-cylinder roadster dating from 1936 and is one of the tried-and-tested gems in Audi Tradition’s historical collection. Fitted as standard with a 85 bhp supercharged engine, the W 25 K was also sold during the 1930s without a supercharger. With a reduced engine output of 55 bhp and a maximum speed of 110 km/h, the W 25 K model featured primarily in reliability runs. The Audi Tradition Wanderer W 25 K will be configured in this way when it takes up its position on the grid in Brescia together to 375 competitor vehicles from 35 different countries.

The world-famous race for historic cars was inaugurated in 1977 and is a reliability rally. After a tour of Brescia, the route continues to Desenzano, Bussolengo and Verona, and then via Ostiglia to Ferrara. The second stage proceeds from Ferrara to Ravenna, through the Republic of San Marino, via Urbino, continuing to Foligno and Spoleto and into Rome, the “Eternal City”. The drivers then face an arduous third and final stage: the 800-kilometre return route from Rome to Brescia must be completed in a day, with a stop in Siena at the Piazza del Campo, then passing through Florence and over the winding roads of the Futa Pass and the Raticosa Pass to the next city, an integral chapter in the history of the Mille Miglia: Bologna. After Modena, Carpi and a stop in Cremona, Brescia comes into view and a strenuous route rich in experiences, the beauty of nature and Italian flair comes to an end. To take part in the Mille Miglia, this legendary race, is everything, even for the Wanderer W 25 K.

The Wanderer W 25 K was launched in 1936 by the Auto Union at the International Automobile Exhibition in Berlin, and had a six-cylinder supercharged engine with an output of 85 bhp and a top speed of 145 km/h. This sports roadster consolidated the Auto Union’s sporty image in the segment for production cars. DKW, Audi and Horch had already brought models with attractive roadster bodywork onto the market. Besides the Wanderer W 25 K roadster, the same model was also sold as a two-seater cabriolet, and had larger doors with wind-down windows and a weatherproof folding roof. Between 1936 and 1938, the Auto Union built a total of 259 Wanderer W 25 K models in the roadster and cabriolet versions. Success in motorsport might not have been forthcoming for the W 25 K, but leisure-time drivers appreciated what the car had to offer: the Wanderer soon become a favourite among those who appreciated its technology and timeless design and who still do, even today.

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.