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Auto Union SP1000
If you think you’re looking at a 1957 Thunderbird, think again. This is the Auto Union SP1000. It is a blunt German copy of the famous American design they introduced two years later, in 1959. Auto Union was an independent German economy car manufacturer until Volkswagen bought it and it became the basis for the Audi brand.
But, back in the late 50’s, Auto Union had several successful models, including the sporty SP1000 coupe. Despite looking like the Thunderbird, the SP1000 was nothing like it under the sheet metal. It had a two-stroke, 1000 cc straight three-cylinder engine with 55 HP and equally modest performance. In 1961, the company introduced the convertible version, but left the mechanics unchanged.
The SP1000 stayed in production until 1965, selling mostly on the European market. Production numbers were relatively low at 6,640, which car aficionados nicknamed it the “baby Thunderbird.”