Autor: Krzysztof Wilk

1935 – Auburn 851 Speedster

Autor Krzysztof Wilk
EngineDisplacementPowerAccelerationTop Speed
Straight 8
side-valve		4.6 L115 bhp161 km/h
100 mph
Straight 8
side-valve
Supercharged		4.6 L150 bhp~15.0s161 km/h
100 mph

The brand behind this vehicle was actually the Eckhart Carriage Company – that was its real name – and it was a firm that produced quite decent carriages. It had existed long before the automobile era, as early as 1874. It was this very company that, in 1900, created a separate brand in its home town of Auburn, Indiana. It began with a single-cylinder automobile, then came a 6-cylinder model, and eventually a shutdown of production due to lack of funds.

And they did not deserve that fate, because the cars were solid and fairly inexpensive to buy. The real problem was distribution. A small company had neither the money for proper advertising, nor much of a dealer network. They were bought out by a gentleman named Wrigley (and yes – the on who did the chewing gum), but even he was not able to solve problems. Only Cord had the power to do that.

Errett Lobban Cord went to school and all that, but at some point he decided it was boring as fuck and said ‚screw this shit’. He preferred spending his time in the garage and at the track when racing. He also found work in a car dealership and turned out to be damn good at it. From his sales commission, he built up such a respectable sum that he was able to leave the company and move over to the struggling Auburn. He took control of the brand in 1924 and guided it safely through the Great Depression, but by the 1930s the debts had begun to pile up to completely unmanageable levels.

The plan was, essentially, to offer the cars at lower price – but instead of simply taking the deal while it was there, people started coming up with their own conspiracy theories. ‚There must be something wrong with the car,’ they figured, if it had a V12 yet at lower tier cost of some lower tier eight-cylinder machine of a lower tier. Well, this time they were wrong – mistaken. Incorrect. The 12-160, despite not selling well, was actually a good car. It was the car to take. Besides, under Cord, nothing but beautiful automobiles were ever built – powered exclusively by either eight- or twelve-cylinder engines.

They did not break their legs straight away. When Cord introduced his plan, he first had to get rid of the 1,000-plus cars they already had sitting around with no idea what to do with them. The new boss gave them a light refresh, and sent them out on special offer. The radio featured his cars. They wrote about them in the newspapers. It gave the company such a kick that even Cord did not expect it. And he made so much money that he went from being the frontman of the band to owning the whole circus. By around 1930, he controlled close to 150 businesses, for which he created the parent company: the Cord Corporation.

And it worked! It fucking worked. Cord’s era brought new models powered by straight-eight engines. They were fairly lively, and generally regarded as affordable. Sales were growing at an exponential rate, and the company was strengthening itself with talented people from both the technical and design departments.

That was when the first Speedster model came to be. It served more as a showpiece, and nobody really saw it as a product for the masses. But it could stand outside the showroom doors and tempt people into buying the brand’s cheaper models. Then the crisis came along and flipped the whole table.

The situation looked like this: America was already at the start of the era ruled by the big trio – the Ford, the GM, and that third one – and Cord Corporation never regained its former scale. They tried… they really did. Great V12s appeared in the style of Packard, Pierce-Arrow, or Cadillac. Auburn’s V12 competed quite literally with the best in the country, and yet it was the cheapest of them all. The premium segment was reinforced by smaller models with either eight- or twelve-cylinder engines, but the cost of maintaining such powerplants in the middle class was a miscalculation on Cord’s part. Customers gradually grew accustomed to the products of Ford or Chrysler, and stopped believing in smaller brands. Cord never fully recovered its potential. They were but a shadow of their former greatness.

Great hopes for survival were placed in the 851. The 851 was for the rich only. At one point, it was the most expensive car on the American continent. Its beautiful body was designed by Gordon Buehrig specifically for that model.

There were several body styles, but the most desired was the Speedster. An absolute bomb – complete with a grand, lavish interior. The Ferrari of its time – a magnificent machine. No wonder it became the beloved means of transport among both showbusiness stars and gangster bosses. It was an evolved form of the earlier cars, drawing from previous models, but advanced enough that it really has to be taken outside the context of its predecessors.

At first it still carried the 8-851 designation, but the first part, indicating the number of cylinders, was quickly dropped. The cars were equipped with a differential offering two settings, adjustable by a lever from the cabin, allowing the driver to choose between a more aggressive or a more comfortable driving mode. The model used a worm-gear steering system and suspension based on semi-elliptic leaf springs with hydraulic dampers.

Different variants of the 851: Coupe, Brougham and the Phaeton

The setup was powered by a 4.6-liter inline eight-cylinder flathead side-valve, and in SC form it came with forced induction from a Schweitzer-Cummins supercharger. 150 horsepower after supercharger. More than enough for spirited driving.

Every single example was 100 mph capable, and that was always verified before it was even allowed to leave the factory. Each one had to do 100 mph – no excuses – or it went back for further work. Very few could say that. These cars were capable of running at top speed for twelve hours straight. Ab Jenkins carried out this test exactly in a standard SC Speedster with no modifications. The man broke 70 records with that car.

There was also a variant called 852, but in truth it was basically the same car with only minor changes. I honestly do not know why they decided to introduce a new name for it. Both were magnificent, but they shared one problem: the way the brand was being managed. Cord turned the marque into a test rat for different marketing methods. On top of that, it also suffered from internal competition from the Cord 810.

The Speedster was wonderful, but it couldn’t carry the sales of the rest of the brand’s lineup. Auburn could not make the numbers work, and as a result the company was placed into liquidation in 1937. This model is extremely rare and expensive as fuck. The market is full of the 851-look replicas.

Krzysztof Wilk
All sources: it was a text retrieved from my lost webpage – sources will need to be filled later

1935 – Auburn 851 Speedster

Autor Krzysztof Wilk
EngineDisplacementPowerAccelerationTop Speed
Straight 8
side-valve		4.6 L115 bhp161 km/h
100 mph
Straight 8
side-valve
Supercharged		4.6 L150 bhp~15.0s161 km/h
100 mph

Marką tego pojazdu tak naprawdę była Eckhart Carriage Company – tak się właśnie nazywała – a była to firma produkująca bardzo luksusowe furmanki. Istniała ona na długo przed erą samochodu, bo już w 1874. Ta właśnie kompania w 1900 roku założyła osobny brand w swoim rodzimym mieście Auburn w stanie Indiana. Zaczęło się od jednocylindrowego automobilu, przyszedł czas na 6-cyl model, oraz na zamknięcie produkcji z powodu braku funduszy.

No i nie zasługiwali na taki los, bo auta były solidne i dość tanie w zakupie. Problem stał w dystrybucji. Mała firma nie miała ani piniondza na reklamę, ani sieci dealerów tak naprawdę. Zostali wykupieni przez jegomościa nazwiskiem Wrigley (i tak – to ten od gumy do żucia), ale nawet on nie był w stanie rozwiązać problemu. Dopiero Cord miał moc, by tego dokonać.

Erret Lobban Cord uczęszczał na nauki, ale w którymś momencie stwierdził, że nudne to w chuj i on to pierdoli. Wolał czas spędzać w garażu i na torze podczas wyścigów. Znalazł również zatrudnienie w salonie samochodowym i był w te klocki diablo dobry. Z procentu od sprzedaży zebrał tak pokaźną sumkę, że mógł odejść z firmy i przejść do upadającego Auburna. Przejął stery marki w 1924 roku i przeprowadził ją bezpiecznie przez wielki kryzys, ale w latach ’30-tych długi zaczęły narastać do rozmiarów rzędu: nie do ogarnięcia.

Plan był z grubsza taki, żeby dać auta taniej – ale ludzie zamiast brać, skoro dają, to zaczeli tworzyć własne teorie spiskowe. „A że to z tym autem musi coś być nie tak”, skoro ma V12 a kosztuje tyle co jakieś osiem cylindrów i to z tej dolnej półki. No tym razem byli w błędzie, a model 12-160 – mimo, że się nie sprzedał – to był dobrym autem. Z resztą za Corda powstawały wyłącznie piękne automobile, zasilane 8- lub 12-cylindrowymi motorami.

Nie od razu spadli z rowerka. Gdy Cord wprowadzał swój plan, to musiał opchnąć ponad 1000, które już mieli, a nie wiadomo było co z nimi zrobić. Nowy kierownik przypudrował im noski i puścił po promocji. Radio o jego autach mówiło. Pisały o nich gazety. To dało im takiego kopa, że sami się nie spodziewali. A Cord zrobił taki pieniądz, że z frontmana zespołu stał się właścicielem całego tego cyrku. Generalnie koło roku 1930 miał w posiadaniu blisko 150 biznesów, dla których utworzył spółkę-matkę Cord Corporation.

I ten plan działał. Era panowania Corda przyniosła nowe modele z rzędową ósemką. Raczej dynamiczne, i raczej uchodziły za tanie. Sprzedaż rosła w tempie wykładniczym, a firma wzmacniała się o utalentowanych pracowników działów technicznych i designu.

Wtedy właśnie powstał pierwszy model Speedster. Pełnił bardziej rolę pokazową i nie upatrywano w nim produktu dla mas. Ale mógł stać przed drzwiami salonów, by zachęcać ludzi do zakupu tańszych modeli marki. No ale przyszedł kryzys i pozamiatał z planszy.

Sytuacja wyglądała następująco: Ameryką zaczyna już rządzić wielkie trio: Ford, GM i ten trzeci – i Cord Corporation już swej wielkości nie odzyskał. Próbowali… Naprawdę próbowali. Powstały wielkie V12 w stylu Packarda, Pierce-Arrow, czy Cadillaca. V12 rywalizowało dosłownie z najlepszymi w kraju, a było najtańsze ze wszystkich. Segment premium zasiliły mniejsze modele z 8-mio, bądź 12-cylindrowymi jednostkami, ale koszta utrzymania takich motorów w klasie średniej były przeszacowaniem ze strony Corda. Klient powoli zaczął się przyzwyczajać do produktów Forda, czy Chryslera, i przestał wierzyć w mniejsze marki. Cord już nigdy nie odzyskał pełni potencjału.

W modelu 851 pokładano wielkie nadzieje na przetrwanie. 851 był tylko dla bogoli. Swego czasu najdroższe auto na amerykańskim kontynencie. Piękne nadwozie zostało zaprojektowane przez Gordona Buehriga specjalnie do tego modelu.

Jego rodzajów było kilka, ale najbardziej uznanym był Speedster. Totalna petarda – jeszcze z okazałym, wystawnym wnętrzem. Ferrari tamtych czasów – przewspaniała maszyna. Nic dziwnego, że była najbardziej przez gwiazdy estrady, jak i gangsterskich bossów, pożądanym środkiem transportu. Była to forma rozwojowa poprzednich czerpiąca z wcześniejszych modeli, ale na tyle zaawansowana, że musimy ją oceniać już poza kontekstem poprzedników.

Początkowo jeszcze nosiła kod 8-851, ale pierwszy człon oznaczający ilość cylindrów szybko porzucono. Auta wyposażano w mechanizm różnicowy o dwóch ustawieniach, które można było regulować z kabiny za pomocą wajchy – i wybierać między agresywnym, bądź komfortowym trybem jazdy. Model miał układ kierowniczy z przekładnią ślimakową i zawieszenie w postaci semi-eliptycznych piór z hydraulicznym amortyzatorem.

851 w różnych wariantach: Coupe, Brougham i Phaeton

Układ zasilany był 8-cylindrowym dolnozaworowym silnikiem rzędowym o pojemności 4.6-litr i w wariancie SC z doładowaniem z kompresora Schweitzer Cummins. 150 koni – mówi to panu coś, panie Ferdku? W zupełności starcza do dynamicznej jazdy.

Wszystkie egzemplarze były zdolne do prędkości co najmniej 161 km/h, co zawsze sprawdzano zanim ostatecznie opuszczały fabrykę. Każdy jeden miał robić 100mph bez wymówek, albo wracał do poprawek. Mało kto mógł się tym pochwalić. Te auta potrafiły przez 12 godzin jechać ponad 100 mph. Ab Jenkins dokonał takiego testu zwykłym SC Speedsterem bez przeróbek. Chłop 70 rekordów w ogóle tym autem pobił.

Było również coś takiego jak model 852, ale to właściwie to samo auto po niewielkich zmianach. Nie wiem na dobrą sprawę dlaczego zdecydowano się na nowe nazewnictwo. Oba były wspaniałe, ale miały jeden problem: sposób zarządzania marką. Cord zrobił z brandu królika doświadczalnego dla sprawdzania różnych metod marketingu. Do tego cierpiał od wewnętrznej rywalizacji ze strony modelu Cord 810.

Speedster był cudowny, ale nie był w stanie pociągnąć sprzedaży reszty pojazdów w katalogu marki. Auburn nie potrafił zwrócić się w kosztach, i przez to został zgłoszony w stan likwidacji z rokiem 1937. Ten model jest bardzo rzadki i w kurwę drogi. Na rynku istnieje masa replik inspirowanych wyglądem 851.

Krzysztof Wilk
Żródła: to odzyskany tekst z utraconej witryny – źródła są do uzupełnienia

1990 – Alpina B12 E31 Coupe

Autor Krzysztof Wilk
EngineDisplacementPowerAccelerationTop Speed
V125.0-5.7 L350-416 bhp5.8-6.4s280-300 km/h
174-186 mph

One of the fastest cars to wear an Alpina badge was the B12 – and in fact, there were two different cars carrying the same name. There was the Alpina B12 based on the four-door BMW 7 Series sedan, and there was the Alpina B12 Coupe built on the 8 Series. The B12 Coupe was a proper upper-class GT. Fast, comfortable… with a touch of luxury. It was created to satisfy customers for whom an ordinary BMW simply wasn’t enough. By turning to Alpina, they could feel a certain sense of exclusivity, while still retaining the advanced engineering of these German machines and their remarkable driving characteristics – AND they could even feel an improvement over the standard 8 Series.

The 8 Series was introduced in 1990 as the successor to the BMW E24 6 Series. It was not a pure sports car, but rather a large GT powered by either a V8 or a V12. The 850i served as the basis for the Alpina B12 5.0, but when BMW Motorsport unveiled its 850CSi, it turned out to be so good that Alpina chose that very car as the foundation for building the B12 5.7 Coupe.

The Alpina Coupe was available exclusively as a V12, and it had an incredibly difficult task ahead of it, as very serious competition was waiting both on a domestic market and abroad. It had to exist in the world where there was the Porsche 928 – and from 1992 onward, also in GTS form, with a larger V8 smoothly delivering at least 350 cheerful horses. 5.5 seconds to 100 km/h was still slower than I take my whiskey, but already dangerously close to the Testarossa of that era (the 512 TR did it in 5.0 seconds). And Porsche, after all, was a 2+2 GT – not a supercar. So in terms of performance, the rivalry was fierce.

And when it comes to prestige… there was also something like the Mercedes 600 SEC roaming the German autobahns. This was the coupe variant of the S-Klasse – of the third generation, coded W140 (C140 for the Coupe) – and by that point it already had a 6.0-liter V12 making 400 horsepower (or nearly 400, depending on the facelift). So the driver of something like that really had no right to complain about mid-range acceleration. And when it comes to ride comfort and equipment, I only have two words to say: S-Class. Thank you for your time. Any questions?

Main rivals to Alpina – Porsche 928 GTS from that period, the Mercedes SEC and a Jaguar XJR-S

You could say that Gran Turismo is a very tightly defined niche, but even on that shelf there is plenty of room for reshuffling. The competition was highly varied: the performance-focused Porsche, the luxurious Mercedes, and the well-balanced Jaguar. Each of them was a natural rival to BMW, and Alpina had to be better than ALL OF THEM. That is why it introduced its own alternative to the 8 Series – more exclusive, and loaded enough to provide the driver with sensations unmatched by any competition.

Alpina made changes to the car’s aesthetics, but also carried out mechanical modifications to underline its dominance in performance. The architecture of the E31 8 Series was a very good base to work with. The BMW 850i was an exceptionally well-thought-out car (and I will likely show it myself before long), which meant Alpina already had a lot to gain from the very start.

It certainly looked the part, because BMW had given it sleek, aerodynamic lines, though naturally it did not go without Alpina touches both outside and inside the car. The E31 was fitted with some clever suspension with Bilstein dampers and Eibach springs. So at that point it had both the comfort and the driving dynamics, because the E31 delivered the ideal balance – while also leaving its rivals behind in that regard.

It had to be powered somehow, too – and what sat at the base was BMW’s 5.0-liter V12. It had an aluminum-alloy block and made somewhere in the region of 300 horsepower. Alpina made their changes first raising the output to 350 horsepower, and later increasing displacement to 5.7 liters (410 hp).

It was essentially a ‚double straight-six,’ as it had two distributors, a set of ignition leads for each bank of six cylinders, and a twin air-filter setup of the kind you would normally associate with that layout. The crankcase had been designed specifically with a V12 in mind, but the block itself, the crankshaft, the connecting rods, and all the manifolds remained unchanged. The pistons were thrown out and replaced with ones of higher compression, enlarged intake valves were fitted – they lifted higher and with more aggressive timing – and Bosch ECU control was added as well. Aside from the manifolds, the entire stainless-steel exhaust system was completely new.

The gearbox remained the same 4-speed automatic as in the 5.0-liter BMW, but Alpina reworked its programming so it could fully exploit the car’s new capabilities. Later on (for the 5.7), there was a 6-speed manual Getrag, as well as ShiftTronic with an electronically controlled clutch. This is the only Alpina ever offered with such system.

Inside, there were bespoke made-to-order elements, special color options, and unique upholstery – beyond everything you could already get in the most expensive BMW E31s. Alpina drivers had their own seats and different interior trim than in a standard BMW. From the outside, the car differed only in the details.

Depending on the version, the car could accelerate from 0 to 60 in 5.5 to 6.4 seconds and reach as much as 174-186 mph. Even the 5.0-liter V12 variant was one of the fastest GT cars of its time. The B12 was something magnificent. It combined colossal, supercar-worthy power – but delivered it in a smooth manner – with the refinement of a luxury limousine.

The suspension modifications ensured excellent handling, while the might of the V12 delivered effortless acceleration and exciting sound sensations coming from the exhaust. The regular BMW 8 Series was already a magnificent GT, but the B12 stood above all of them in terms of technology and class equipment. The car remained stable at any speed, inspired confidence in the corners, and braked hard. All of that had to amplify the sense of certainty behind the wheel.

It was a strong entry into the fast GT market. The press fell in love with the car immediately. It hardly had any flaws, while the list of advantages seemed endless. It was a serious contender in this segment right from the start, because it combined Alpina’s craftsmanship with BMW’s underlying architecture.

Machine was prime and price for it was prime – but there was never a shortage of buyers for this car. Even its rivals had to give the Germans their due. People began to recognize the strength of this market segment, and before long, new large coupes would appear, all competing in performance, refinement, and exclusivity. In a way, Alpina opened everyone’s eyes to the true value of this corner of the industry.

The Alpina B12 E31 Coupe is now a true icon of the 1990s, and one of the better – yet also rarer – classics of the era. It stands as a symbol of Alpina’s peak achievements and of their collaboration with BMW. The finest blend of comfort and luxury with performance and emotion – sharpened with a touch of exclusivity. In seven years, fewer than 200 examples of both versions of this model were built. Today, it is a real prize for collectors, available only for very serious money.

Krzysztof Wilk
All sources: it was a text retrieved from my lost webpage – sources will need to be filled later

1990 – Alpina B12 E31 Coupe

Autor Krzysztof Wilk
EngineDisplacementPowerAccelerationTop Speed
V125.0-5.7 L350-416 bhp5.8-6.4s280-300 km/h
174-186 mph

Jednym z najszybszych aut ze znaczkiem Alpiny było B12 – i tak naprawdę istnieją dwa auta o tej samej nazwie. Alpina B12 w czterodrzwiowym sedanie na bazie BMW Serii 7, oraz Alpina B12 Coupe z Serią 8 u podstaw. B12 Coupe to typowe GT z górnej półki. Szybkie, wygodne… z odrobiną luksusu. Powstała po to aby zadowolić klientów, dla których zwykłe BMW to za mało. Zwracając się w stronę Alpiny, mogli oni czuć się w pewien sposób ekskluzywnie, wciąż zachowując zaawansowaną inżynierię tych niemieckich pojazdów i niebanalne właściwości jezdne – a nawet mogli czuć poprawę względem zwykłej Serii 8.

Serię 8 zaprezentowano w 1990 roku jako następcę BMW Serii 6 E24. To nie było auto czysto sportowe, ale właśnie duże GT z V8 bądź V12. 850i stanowiło bazę dla Alpiny B12 5.0, ale kiedy BMW Motorsport przedstawiło swoje 850CSi to było tak dobre, że wtedy Alpina właśnie na nim dokonywała zmian budując B12 5.7 Coupe.

Coupe Alpiny dosępne było wyłącznie jako V12 i miało niesamowicie trudne zadanie, bo czekała na nie solidna konkurencja zarówno z kraju, jak i zagranicy. Na rynku obecne było Porsche 928 – od 1992 roku jeszcze w wersji GTS z większym V8 jedwabiście zapodającym 350 wesołych koników co najmniej. 5.5 sekundy do setki, to wciąż wolniej jak Kwaśniewski, ale już niebezpiecznie blisko Testarossy tamtych czasów (512TR robiło 5.0s). A przecież Porsche to GT 2+2 a nie supersamochód. Dlatego pod względem osiągów rywalizacja była zaciekła.

A jeśli chodzi o prestiż… Po niemieckich autobahnach jeździło również coś takiego jak Mercedes 600 SEC. To była S-Klasa w wersji Coupe – 3 generacja o kodzie W140 (C140 dla Coupe) i to tam już było 6 litrowe V12 o mocy 400 koni (bądź prawie 400 – w zależności od wersji liftu). No to kierowca takiego czegoś nie miał prawa narzekać na elastyczność swego pojazdu. A przechodząc do komfortu jazdy i wyposażenia, no to mam dwa słowa do powiedzenia: S Klasa. Dziękuję za uwagę. Jakieś pytania?

Główni rywale Alpiny – Porsche 928 GTS z tamtych czasów, Mercedes SEC i Jaguar XJR-S

Można powiedzieć, że Gran Turismo to bardzo sztywno określona nisza, ale i na tej półce jest sporo miejsca do przetasowań. Konkurencja była bardzo różnorodna: nastawione na osiągi Porsche, luksusowy Mercedes oraz zrównoważony Jaguar. Każdy był naturalnym rywalem dla BMW, a Alpina musiała być lepsza od nich wszystkich. Dlatego wprowadziła do oferty ich alternatywę dla Serii 8 – bardziej ekskluzywną i dopakowaną na tyle, żeby zapewnić kierowcy wrażenia nieporównywalne do aut konkurencji.

Alpina dokonała zmian w estetyce pojazdu, ale i mechanicznych modyfikacji dla podkreślenia dominacji w osiągach. Architektura Serii 8 E31 to dobra baza do manipulacji. BMW 850i było bardzo przemyślanym autem (ja o nim zapewne niedługo też opowiem), dzięki czemu Alpina sporo zyskała już na starcie. Na pewno dobrze wyglądała, bo BMW miało smukłe aerodynamiczne linie, ale nie obyło się bez wstawek Alpiny tak na zewnątrz, jak i wewnątrz pojazdu. Do E31 dołożono kurwa sprytne zawieszenie z amortyzatorami Bilstein i sprężynami Eibach. To już wiemy, że ani o komfort, ani dynamikę jazdy nie ma co się obawiać, bo E31 stanowiło idealny balans – przy okazji dystansując rywali w tym temacie.

Coś musi go też napędzać – a jest to motor z 5-litrowym V12 BMW u podstaw. Miał blok ze stopów aluminium i moc w granicach 300 koni mechanicznych. Alpina przypudrowała nosek i temu misiu, podnosząc power do 350 koni, a potem litraż do 5.7L (410 hp).

To właściwie „podwójna szóstka”, bo ma dwa rozdzielacze, parę przewodów zapłonowych dla sześciu cylindrów i podwójny filtr powietrza z tego typu silników. Skrzynia korbowa była projektowana z myślą specjalnie o V12, ale sam blok, wał korbowy, korbowody i wszystkie kolektory – były niezmienione. Tłoki wyjebano i wstawiono takie o wyższym stopniu sprężania, dano powiększone zawory w dolocie – wyżej się podnosiły i miały agresywny timing – oraz sterownik ECU Boscha. Oprócz kolektora – układ wydechowy ze stali nierdzewnej cały był w ogóle nowy.

Skrzynia biegów pozostała tym samym 4-biegowym automatem co w 5-litrowym BMW, ale Alpina pozmieniała w niej oprogramowanie, żeby dała radę wykorzystać w pełni nowe możliwości pojazdu. Później (dla 5.7) wszedł nawet 6-biegowy manualny Getrag, jak i ShiftTronic z elektronicznym sprzęgłem. To jest jedyna Alpina kiedykolwiek oferowana z tym systemem.

We wnętrzu dostępne były elementy na życzenie, specjalne opcje kolorystyczne i unikalna tapicerka – już poza wszystkim co można dostać w najdroższych BMW E31. Kierowcy Alpiny mieli własne siedzenia i inne obicia wnętrza niż w BMW. Z zewnątrz auto różniło się tylko detalami.

Pojazd w zależności od wersji potrafił przyspieszać od 0 do 100 w 5.5s – 6.4s i osiągać do 280-300 km/h. Nawet wariant z 5-litrowym V12 był jednym z najszybszych GT swoich czasów. B12 było czymś wspaniałym. To połączenie kolosalnej mocy godnej supersamochodu – ale podanej w płynny sposób – z wyrafinowaniem luksusowej limuzyny.

Modyfikacje zawieszenia zapewniały doskonałe prowadzenie, a potęga V12 dostarczała bezwysiłkowe przyspieszenie i ekscytujące wrażenia dźwiękowe dochodzące od strony wydechu. Zwykłe BMW Serii 8 było wspaniałym GT, ale B12 to już nad każdym górowało technologią i klasowym wyposażeniem. Auto jest stabilne przy każdej prędkości, prowadzi się pewnie i mocno hamuje. To wszystko musi wzmagać pewność za kierownicą.

To było dobre wejście na rynek szybkich GT. Prasa od razu pokochała to auto. Właściwie nie miało żadnych wad a lista zalet się ciągnęła w nieskończoność. Mocny konkurent w tym segmencie już od początku, bo łączył w sobie rzemiosło Alpiny i architekturę BMW.

Cena była niemała – ale chętnych na to auto nie brakowało. Nawet rywale musieli oddać Niemcom, co należne. Dostrzeżono siłę w tym segmencie rynku i wkrótce pojawią się nowe modele dużych coupe prześcigających się osiągami, wyrafinowaniem i ekskluzywnością. Alpina w pewnym sensie otworzyła wszystkim oczy na rzeczywistą wartość tego rynku.

Alpina B12 E31 Coupe to już kultowe auto lat ’90-tych i jeden z lepszych – a zarazem rzadszych klasyków. Symbol szczytowych osiągnięć Alpiny i ich współpracy z BMW. Najlepsze połączenie komfortu i luksusu, z osiągami i emocjami – podrasowane szczyptą wyjątkowości. W 7 lat zbudowano niecałe 200 sztuk obu wersji tego modelu. Dziś jest kąskiem dla kolekcjonerów do dostania tylko za grube szekle.

Krzysztof Wilk
Żródła: to odzyskany tekst z utraconej witryny – źródła są do uzupełnienia

1964 – Trabant 601

Autor Krzysztof Wilk
EngineDisplacementPowerAccelerationTop Speed
Straight 2
two stroke		0.6 L26-29 bhp100 km/h
62 mph

The car carried the marketing name Trabant, but the actual brand behind it was Sachsenring – hence the ‚S’ logo on the hood – and the model itself was shaped by designers of Horch and Audi. The name ‚Trabant’ roughly translates to a ‚faithful companion.’ It’s also a term used for satellites – and not by accident did it end up on this car’s body.

At the very same time, the Soviets had just launched Sputnik into space, and the Eastern Bloc decided to mark the moment with a car of their own – one that, much like the Beetle on the other side of the Berlin Wall, was meant to motorize communist Germany.

In the 1930s, the automotive landscape of Germany looked quite different than now. The prominent names were Adler, Auto Union, BMW, Mercedes, and Opel. Audi and Volkswagen, as we know them, only really came into existence after the war.

All major centers of technological development were located deep within the country. This was a part of the war effort – intended to make potential Allied attacks on these facilities more difficult. Fighter aircrafts, V2 rockets, and research in chemistry and metallurgy were all centralized and carried out in regions like Thuringia.

Naturally, German factories became prime targets, and American air raids reduced many of them to rubble. Among the hardest hit were the Horch production lines. Most of the workers checked out under the pressure of ‚democracy’ being dropped straight onto their heads from the sky, while many others ended up in Soviet captivity after the bombed-out territories were handed over to them. And there were also those who fell victim to the war – unrelated to the bombings.

All in all – shituation was suboptimal. The Soviets came in, took the machinery, and shipped it off to Mother Russia to help build a strong communist economy. The result – from German perspective – was that the Horch factory was partially destroyed, while the Audi halls across the street avoided the bombing… but were left completely empty.

The Cold War broke out. Germany was divided into four zones of influence. The West went to the Americans, the British, and the French – the East fell under Soviet control.

Thuringia had been a major production hub before the war, but it relied heavily on supply chains – coal, for instance, but also metals and other materials. Now, the British and Americans had absolutely no intention of supplying Soviet-run factories with what they needed, and the quality of Soviet sheet metal was good for fuck all – not for building a car, that’s for sure.

The Soviets had very little room to maneuver with the limited amount of usable materials they had. So all those specialists who had once worked on Germany’s finest pre-war limousines were now tasked with designing a small ‚car for the masses’ – something that could be built essentially out of nothing. They had no machinery, no materials, not even the right personnel – and on top of that, everything had to go through Soviet hands.

The car was meant to be full-sized – unlike something like the BMW Isetta. It had to have four wheels, carry four passengers, and offer at least some luggage space.

For power, they used engines left over from before the war. Quite a few DKWs had survived, since they weren’t particularly useful to the military. Their frames were made of wood, and two-stroke engines left a trail of smoke behind them. So the obvious solution – given the shortage of materials and the abundance of these engines – was to use them in the new vehicle.

The first project was the P70.

I use the word ‚project’ and not ‚model’, because the P70 was more of a placeholder – a test platform for the new car. Continuing production based on DKW plans was impossible, and developing a car from scratch quickly – even more so. The P70 was essentially a prototype for testing, and one heavily based on DKW.

It used pre-war suspension, frame, and body built in a similar way out of wood. The engine was flipped and moved ahead of the front axle instead of sitting behind it, as in the DKW. The car was closely related to the DKW F8, but its body was made from a completely new material – a type of plastic.

All of this was because building a car out of metal simply wasn’t an option, and DKW had already been experimenting with innovative solutions before the war. They were doing crash tests and developed materials that, in some ways, were better suited than wood – or even steel.

Duroplast – a composite material made from cotton fibers pressed with resin – was easy to produce with the machinery they still had (the heavy equipment had already been shipped off to Russia). It was strong, lightweight, resistant to rust, and easy to paint. It also didn’t burn like modern electric cars. The body panels were glued onto the frame – nothing was bolted in place.

The P70, however, wasn’t suitable for stable production – it was too large and required too many materials. Its wooden frame was already outdated. The Germans simply couldn’t continue with this project.

The P50 plan, which was meant to replace it, was smaller and more optimized. Germans eventually concluded that the car’s structure should be made of steel, with composite panels mounted on top. The rigid rear axle was replaced with independent suspension. The old motorcycle-style gearbox with a chain drive was abandoned. In its place came a transverse drivetrain with a differential – something that remains standard to this day.

In the Trabant, though, you changed gears with some ridiculous little lever by the steering wheel. Its looks were updated over time, but technically, it was always the same car underneath. The front-wheel-drive layout was actually quite modern. On top of that, the weight distribution loaded the front end more heavily, which made it handle surprisingly well. The Trabant even had a rack-and-pinion steering system.

The first mass-produced examples saw the light of day in 1958. They may have arrived later than intended, turned out worse than expected – but at least they were twice as expensive as planned. Still, the car was gradually refined over the years. It eventually received a synchronized gearbox, and the displacement of the initially 0.5-liter engines grew to 0.6 liters, allowing it to reach 100 km/h.

The Trabant wasn’t popular just in the Eastern Bloc – it also found its way to places like the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark. It went up against the likes of NSU and DAF, and in Poland, against the Syrena and the Fiat 126p.

The 601 entered production in 1964 and looked much better than its predecessors. It featured a refreshed body and more space inside – both for passengers and for luggage. Over time, it received improved brakes and a revised rear suspension (switching from leaf springs to coils).

It was more modern, but in reality, it not much of a step forward over its predecessor. The engine kept snapping crankshafts just like in the earlier models. That was down to the poor quality of fuel in socialist countries. Those small two-strokes simply couldn’t cope – while in the West, everyone was already moving on to four-stroke engines.

The Trabant lasted 26 years without any major changes. The 601 was available in several body styles, but the sedan (Limousine) was the dominant one. There was also the 601 Universal station wagon, versions with a sort-of automatic box, and even ones with an extra 3 horsepower squeezed in – but for better engines, you had to wait until 1990. And even that wasn’t really worth it, because they used a 1.1-liter unit known from the VW Polo – and the model was discontinued just a year later.

There were plenty of ideas on the table. Bigger engines were considered, even Wankel units. A hatchback, years before the West really embraced that concept. But the Soviets – as usual – blocked any further development. They already had a ‚car for the people,’ so why change anything if goal was achieved? They preferred to allocate resources to more ‚luxurious’ vehicles… like the Wartburg.

That’s why the Trabant 602 never happened – nor did the 603 or 610. All of them were scrapped, and there was always some excuse. The 601 was only replaced in 1990 – after the fall of the Berlin Wall – by the Trabant 1.1. Under the hood, there was a 40-horsepower Volkswagen engine. Externally, not much changed – maybe a new grille, different bumpers. It did get better brakes than before…

… but it was still the same car – competing in the 1990s market with the likes of the VW Polo, which you didn’t have to wait 15 years for, unlike the Trabant. Used ones often cost as much as new ones – or even more – simply because they were available immediately. That’s why I’m only mentioning the 1.1 only briefly – it was produced for just two years, and there’s not much more to say about it. In total, nearly 4 million Trabants were sold worldwide.

Engineers from Audi and Horch created a car that was meant to be as simple as possible – yet still functional – and easy to build despite such severe shortages of materials. Because it saw so few meaningful changes over time, we look at the Trabant today as a backward relic of the past. But when it first entered production, it was a highly innovative – albeit simple – piece of engineering.

The early Corvette was the first car with a plastic body – the Trabant (or rather its ‚prototype,’ the P70) came second, right after Chevrolet. The car didn’t really excel at anything, but it earned a cult following. It was cheap, durable, and easy to maintain.

And honestly – not even all that ugly.

Krzysztof Wilk
All sources: it was a text retrieved from my lost webpage – sources will need to be filled later