Driving the car is quite an experience. The controls are well within reach, and deliciously simple. The 6 cilinder 2,2 litre engine starts at the proverbial quarter of a turn, and sounds refined as a small displacement straight six befits. It was designed by Porsche, and sports an engine block and crankcase in aluminum, whereas the cilinder head is in cast iron! The engine which develops 40 horsepower at 3500 rpm is quite docile, and combined with the nicely progressive clutch, driving off and maintaining boulevard speeds is very easy indeed. German cars reached even in those days already a high degree of mechanical maturity, which never fails to impress me. In the parade prior to the 24 hour race and driving on the crowded roads to and near the Le Mans circuit, the car proved to be completely untemperamental without a trace of overheating or engine stalling. The Audi proved to be completely up to the job.

Takes getting used to...   

This cannot quite be said about Your servant, as I moved the gearlever handle initially far to cautuously and slowly between the gears, resulting in the gears not being selectable at all, and in having to stop the car and restart all over . There was nothing wrong with the Audi, as Philippe Casse, who accompanied me on my first drive, flicked the gearlever swiftly through the gears, showing me how effortlessly the car can be put through its paces.

After a while, I got the hang of it and it was indeed a joy to push the big lever back and forth between second and third (top) gear, pleasantly low geared to give the engine enough revs and the car plenty of urge on narrow country roads and village streets. Indeed, despite its relatively small engine displacement, the Audi accelerated impressively from these low speeds, accompanied by the deep sound of the straight six echoing against the houses. This is what touring in those days was all about, and this has actually hardly changed.

On the "Landstrasse"  

Cruising at moderate speeds with the top down is what this Audi Front has been made for, along a winding Landstrasse with well laid out curves. No need to change gears at all, and at these speeds the steering effort is not worth talking about. Just enjoy the view over the long, louvred bonnet, the roadholding of this long wheelbased car with fully independent suspension was nothing short of astonishing for its age. This is how I could drive the car again in Erps Kwerps, and the Audi proved to be in its element. When coming close to standstill, the steering gets decidedly heavy, and the turning circle of this front wheel drive car is very wide to say the least. Taking narrow city corners takes therefore some anticipation and planning. But the beautifully docile engine lets one concentrate on taking this unique car through dense traffic, and touring in this car remains a delicate pleasure.

One also remembers the finish and the quality of workmanship of this Audi, being magnificently restored in the '80s and kept in the D’Ieteren Museum, and we will soon tell You about other driving experiences of cars from the D’Ieteren « stable », like the Wanderer Stromlinie Spezial, which has been rebuilt by the German restorer Werner Zinke. And a visit to Werner’s restauration workshop is a story in itself, so keep looking at these pages the coming weeks !

Hans Knol ten Bensel