The Auto Union 1000 SP appeared in 1958. It was a sleek two-seats sports car based on the Auto Union 1000, and produced by the Stuttgart coachbuilding company Baur. In 1961, the Coupé version was joined by a Cabriolet version. The stylish modern looks in combination with the fins where the inspiration for the nickname “Schmalspur Thunderbird”. The 981 ccm two-stroke 3-cilinder engine produced 55 bhp, and this little sportscar could reach a topspeed of 140 km/h which was quite an achievement in the sixties. These pretty 1000 SP sports versions were build in limited numbers : about 5000 Coupés and only 1640 Cabrioletes were produced, and only a small number of these is still in existence.
