Zundapp Sport Coupe 1958 by Autocult
Project KF IV
Nuremberg in 1955: The company Zündapp, which came to fame for its motorcycle
construction, tried to gain a foothold in the local car market with the small
car ‘Janus’. But the small car segment was not the only new intended business
field. Also “sporty” customers, which have a much higher readiness to spend
their money, should be targeted.
In the spring of 1956, Zündapp contracted out the first design for the car
called ‘Project KF IV’. The Nuremberg-based company spared no expense for the design
and hired Pininfarina’s design office to create an appealing body. For this
purpose, Zündapp delivered the chassis fitted with an engine dummy to Turin. Finally
in the autumn of 1956 the commissioned design was finished. Company boss Hans
Friedrich Neumeyer drove to Italy to have a look at Zündapp’s newly designed future
sports car. The hand-finished aluminum skin weighed 450 kg, including seats and
equipment. This weight was supposed to be further reduced in series production.
In the end, a final weight of the finished car with the original car body of
775 to 800 kg was intended. Due to not having a own, suitable engine, Zündapp
draw on a 1.1 liter and 78 hp-strong sports engine of the English manufacturer Coventry-Climax.
The development of the sports car quickly became the absolute pet issue of the
owners family and lasted the whole year of 1957 and beyond. From the spring of
1957, the first practical test were completed – but not with the expensive Italian
aluminum skin, but with a so-called ‘running-in body’. The test drives revealed
numerous large and countless smaller deficiencies and their adjustment led to
serious delays of the originally established schedule. The start of the serious
production, which was planned for spring 1958, had to be postponed early. Time
ran out for the sports car and there was still plenty to improve. Financial
worries arose and were aggravated as the sales of motorcycles further declined.
In the summer of 1958 it was decided to cease ‘Project KF IV’ and just
to focus on the production of two-wheelers.
Description: | Zundapp Sport Coupe 1958 |
Catalogue#: | ATC06042 |
Product Type: | Resincast |
Scale: | 1:43 |
Event: | Road, Concept Cars |
Colour: | Silver |
Drivers: | - |
Sponsors: | - |
Dates: | 1958 |
Race/Position: | - |
Release Date: | November 2020 |
Weight: | 450 grams |
Comments: | Project KF IV. Limited edition of 333 pieces. |
About Autocult
A relatively new maker of very well finished resincast models, established in 2015. Very imaginative choice of subjects, often concentrating on the more eccentric episodes in motoring history! Production limited to 333 pieces of each subject, which often means that we get one delivery and that is it, so pre-orders strongly recommended!! Made in China for Germany.