More on the new Autocult releases

Like Mark, I was excited to see the new Mercury D-528 concept announced in Autocult's Avenue 43 line. I had to order them both:

Autocult also announced two other models in their regular line:

1933 Wanderer W22 “2000km durch Deutschland”

As in 1933 the long-distance race ‘2,000 km through Germany’ was advertised and organized for the first time, this event was intended as a counterpart to other large, well-known events such as the Mille Miglia. The premiere of the race met expectations and the second edition was planned for 1934.

In 1933, Wanderer, part of the freshly merged Auto Union (1932) based in Chemnitz, Saxony, felt addressed to create vehicles specially built for the long-distance race. These models were based on the commercially available W 22 model, which was presented in 1933. 

For the first edition of the long-distance race, the responsible gentlemen in the management at Wanderer apparently wanted to present themselves as an innovative and future-oriented plant and had three production chassis fitted with an new sheet metal body.

For the realization of the body, the series chassis was handed over to the workshop of Karosserie Hornig.

At that time, designer Erich Lüsebrink was the driving force behind the design. Especially for the long distance races, it was decided to fit the Wanderer with coupe car bodies, which were designed as semi-streamliner. This differed for the production model manly in a long, semi-circular sloping rear section. In one of these sports cars, a gentlemen named Bernd Rosemeyer, who was only known to insiders at the time, completed his first competition on four wheels.

None of the cars have survived, but AUDI Tradition decided to rebuild a vehicle based on historical plans and photos (2014-2022).

1928 Škoda Hispano-Suiza 25/100 PS

The easiest way to enter a car class that has not been served by a manufacturer yet is a license production of a mature and, ideally, still sellable model. This was also what Škoda thought in the first half of the 1920s. The search of a luxury saloon led the Czechoslovaks to Hispano-Suiza in Spain.

Since 1919, their portfolio had included the H 6 B model – a five-and-a-half-meter-long saloon with a 6-cylinder four stroke engine and a continuous output of 100 hp. At the time, the vehicle was considered innovative and had a reputation for very good quality.

The two factories came to an agreement and from 1924 Škoda was granted license to produce the H 6 B.

On 25 June 1925, the first order for a Škoda Hispano-Suiza 25/100 hp was received in Mladá Boleslav. The mail receiving office at the plat must have been astonished, because the sender was none other that the chancellery of the President of the Republic!

On 10 May 1926, the delivery note of the car was finally filled out for delivery to the State Chancellery. At the time, this procedure must have been carried out with pride. Equipped with the registration number “N-1”, the Škoda Hispano-Suiza 25/100 hp became the official car for the first president – who had been in office since 1918 – the then 76-year-old Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk.

In addition to the presidential car, …”around 100” saloon were produced until 1929 – this is the official number that Škoda gives as the production figure today. Other sources say “ … at least 50”.