Monterey, CA — In 1999 Audi celebrated its Centennial Anniversary at the vintage race at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, CA. The was a chance to see the Audi brand in all of its glory including a glimpse at the then in development Audi R8 LMP (and when has the car not been in development.)
At this time the car had not yet achieved its first win at the storied 24 hours of Le Mans — but between seeing this car and a number of the vintage Audi cars that were there, it was the start of our father’s day trip this year.
It was also the first time that Joe (at left) acted as a journalist, making pictures and writing stories for the local Audi club in their newsletter and online.
There real story at the historic event was the old old Audi race cars that were brought in to help tell the Audi story. These were cars that dated back to the mid to late 1930s. There were three cars, a 1937 Type C Streamliner, a 1938 Type D Grand Prix car, and a 1939 Type C/D Mountain Climbing car.
To my mind the sexiest of the three was the Streamliner, which Audi recreated since none of the originals survived World War II. This is the car in which the famous Bernd Rosemeyer was killed during a test drive in 1938 at a speed in excess of 250 mph. The sleek silver bullet certainly looks as if it is able to go that fast while merely sitting on the floor of the display tent (at right).
The 1938 Type D Gran Prix car was also interesting since it was one of the first to have its engine in the rear of the car. This car also displayed classic racing lines and the model that Audi brought to the show at Laguna Seca was an immaculate display of polished metal. Audi also had a version of this car that they rolled out onto the track. It never went fast but it was a treat see the old car wind through the Laguna Seca track. It was also a treat to the Class C/D car running with the R8.
We wonder if the tradition of Le Mans, as it has grown in our minds will be as large in real life. Only time will tell. Stay tuned.