1959 Auto Union 1000 SP

A 1959 Auto Union 1000 SP, ‘373 XVR’ arrived in the UK from South Africa in 2021 accompanied by a generous history file that contained both its import paperwork and invoices for significant mechanical refurbishment.

The seller’s collection primarily comprises American cars, but he stumbled across this when he was looking for something else, and couldn’t resist its combination of its motorcycle-like engine and Thunderbird-inspired looks.

And he hasn’t been afraid to use it, roaming far and wide visiting classic car shows in complete reliability – and as you can imagine, the 1000 SP draws an awful lot of interest wherever it goes.

The Auto Union’s coachwork is very good indeed, and while no one at modern-day Audi would be happy with the shutlines, they’re nicely tight and consistent for a car of this period.

The flanks are free of ripples and wobbles too, and we struggled to find any dents or dinks either. The combination of red bodywork and a white rook magnify the car’s American-influenced lines, and the tailfins are a design flourish we doubt we’d ever tire of seeing; this is a car you will always look back at after parking it up.

It’s got bullet-shaped rear lights and front sidelights too and as for the chromework – and given the cars that influenced it there’s a lot of brightwork – this too is in a very good condition with little more than light pitting and tarnishing across all the fixtures and fittings plus one small dink on the offside front bumper.

The 15-inch steel wheels look terrific too, not only for their condition but for the fact their 12 perimeter holes are reflected in the outer chrome wheel trims. Both these and the domed chrome hubcaps are in good order. It even has its original locking fuel filler cap, a very rare thing these days!

The tyres are 165/80R15 Vredestein T-Trac 2; made in 2021, all have good tread.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

The badges are in good shape too, including the ‘four-ring’ Audi badge on the boot lid.

The aluminium “DKW-MIXER” petrol cap is both beautiful and quirky – and with petrol prices being what they are, anything that helps to ease the pain of filling up has got to be a good thing, eh?

Finally, the rear screen has a couple of stickers in it from its time in South Africa, which adds provenance and suggests long-term enthusiast ownership.

As for issues, our inspection revealed a chip to the offside of the windscreen, cracks to the finish at the top of the nearside A-pillar, and areas of touched-up paint near the front grille and both rear wings.

The rubber windscreen, rear screen, and door seals have perished, so you might like to start searching for replacements. While you’re at it you might like to see how easy it is to get a rear light lens because the offside one has moderate UV-damage. The nearside door mirror is also missing its glass, and the holes that have been drilled along both sills suggest there should be trims there too.

More urgent are the bubbles on the roof, tailgate, and along the flanks, which need investigating.

Almost certainly professionally retrimmed at some point in its not-so-distant-past, the seats are finished in white vinyl with black piping. Deliciously plump and comfortable, the door cards and rear quarter panels are trimmed in the same material – and to the same high standard.

The rest of the cabin maintains the coachwork’s American-influenced design with a huge steering wheel, column gearchange, and ornate controls and instruments.

The dashboard, which is free of the sun-damage you might expect given its previous life, also contains an Hitachi twin-spindle radio for extra period authenticity.

The luggage area, which is wide and deep and shallow, might be untrimmed but it is still very presentable. The false floor is hinged, giving you access to a full-size steel wheel fitted with what looks like a new Goodyear tyre. Lifting that out reveals a solid floor too.

The headlining is taut and undamaged, but it would benefit from being cleaned as there are a few light stains.

Areas like the steering column and hub show a light patina, as does the instrument binnacle but neither is significant enough to warrant refinishing. The driver’s armrest and door card have also lost a small amount of colour from use, and the rubber mats under the front seats show signs of age. The drivers seat also doesn't seem to lock into place so does slide forwards and backwards on its runners.

The carpet trim in the footwells has started to peel away, so if you were looking for a small job you could refasten them and the lower steering shroud is broken, so you might like to investigate what options are available; however, this is cosmetic and doesn’t affect either the steering or gearchange in any way. 

The seller had new sills made for it by “a good old-fashioned panel beater”, and he is delighted by how well they came out – and how reasonable the bill was; at £1,000 for the pair fitted and painted, running something for which pattern parts aren’t available might not be the financial burden you might think.

Significant engine work was carried out in South Africa in 2017, which if our currency conversion and the Bank of England are right would amount to around £2,700 in today’s money.

The invoices on file also show a new gearbox was fitted in the same year, with other systems, including the suspension, steering, and exhaust, receiving attention during the same period.

The gear selector mechanism received special attention from the seller’s preferred mechanic, and he tells us it now has a “very precise” gearchange. In fact, he says the Auto Union is a “delight to drive” and has been so reliable that he hasn’t been afraid to use it to attend the classic car shows he loves so much.

It might be quirky, but it isn’t fragile.

As you can see, it starts very well, and being a two-stroke, it revs with much greater enthusiasm than even the most highly tuned four-stroke. It makes all the right noises too, especially from the exhaust with a motorcycle-like crackle and pop that we imagine will be ridiculously addictive.

Unsurprisingly, the test drive went smoothly with our man reporting that it drives well.

The engine bay is very tidy, and with a coil per cylinder, it predates the set-up on modern cars by decades.

Other cleverness extends to the refueling, which is designed so that you can tip the two-stroke oil in, where it collects in a small cup courtesy of the “DKW-MIXER” petrol cap assembly. The petrol then mixes with the oil as you fill the tank, obviating the need to pre-mix as you would with something like a chainsaw.

And, for ease of calculation, the seller’s been using 250ml bottles, which he empties in and then tops up with 10 litres of petrol, thereby ensuring the correct 40:1 ratio – and because he’s such a nice bloke, he’s left some in the boot to get you started.

As you might expect given its South African roots, the underside looks good and solid, something the condition of the interior boot floor and front footwells hint at when viewed from above.

The Auto Union doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, due to it being MoT and Tax exempt. The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for being an import, and the V5 Registration Certificate shows just one former UK keeper since it arrived here from South Africa in July 2021.

The history file also includes a diagram to show you where the four forward gears are (you’d struggle without it because none of them are where you’d expect them to be…) as well as a labelled photograph of the dashboard because, well, yeah, that’s not as intuitive as you’d think, either.

There’s a written guide to starting it because, well, you know, this is an idiosyncratic car.

And if you win you’ll probably want to join the owners’ club, and finding their details will be a doddle as the file also contains a magazine from the DKW Owners Club GB.

As you might have guessed by now, the history file is neatly indexed and includes photographs of the car as well as its importation paperwork.

It’s clearly been treasured, with the paperwork receiving the same degree of care and attention as the car itself.

If you fancy a touch of 1950’s American style but don’t have the space in your garage for a Ford Thunderbird, this Auto Union 1000 SP has got your name written all over it.

And it’s an absolute hoot to drive; being a two-stroke it thrives on revs and its relatively modest power output means you can drive it flat-out almost everywhere.

They’re rare too, drawing a crowd wherever you go, with most folk curious to find out what it is.

As for what we think it will fetch, our best guess is somewhere between £10,000 and £15,000, at which price point we think it offers great value for the classic enthusiast who’s looking for something quirky and individual.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.