Auto Union Type C to join Riga’s 825th anniversary celebrations

As part of the celebrations marking Riga’s 825th birthday on August 15, the Riga Motor Museum, in cooperation with the Riga Municipality, will give residents and visitors a unique opportunity to see the legendary Auto Union Type C racing car both during a parade through the Latvian capital and at an exhibition at the Freedom Monument.

“At the culmination of Riga’s 825th birthday celebrations, the city is expecting an extensive and diverse festive programme. It is therefore a real pleasure that the programme will be complemented by such a special event, which offers an opportunity to learn more about the history of automotive engineering and motorsport while experiencing something that is rarely seen on Riga’s streets. The Auto Union Type C parade through the city and the opportunity to see this legendary car at the Freedom Monument will certainly appeal to motorsports enthusiasts and families alike, as well as to Riga residents and visitors.

It is important for Riga to attract events that can also interest foreign visitors, enrich the city’s tourism offering and showcase Riga as a vibrant, diverse and internationally appealing destination where, alongside culture and history, there is also a place for sports, technology and engineering achievements,” emphasizes Riga Mayor Viesturs Kleinbergs.

The event programme will include a ceremonial presentation of the car to the media. To mark the 60th anniversary of the Biķernieki Complex Sports Base, the Auto Union Type C will also make a parade lap of the track. This will be followed by a special drive from the Riga Motor Museum to the Freedom Monument from 10:30 to 11:30.

The Auto Union Type C will be driven through the streets of Riga by legendary Audi factory racing driver Dindo Capello, a three-time winner of the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.

The planned parade route is: Riga Motor Museum – S. Eizenšteina Street – Šmerļa Street – Brīvības Gatve – G. Zemgala Gatve – Ieriķu Street – Zemitāna Bridge – A. Čaka Street – Tallinas Street – Brīvības Street – Freedom Monument.

The car will be on display at the Freedom Monument from 12:00 to 18:00. Visitors will have the opportunity not only to see and photograph the legendary racing car, but also to meet its driver in person.

The event organizers note that the parade and exhibition times may be changed due to adverse weather conditions or other technical reasons.

The Auto Union Type C, powered by a 6-litre, 520-horsepower V16 engine and capable of reaching a top speed of 340 km/h, is one of the most remarkable achievements of pre-war automotive engineering. Designed by Ferdinand Porsche, the car represented the pinnacle of technological development and engineering in the 1930s, as demonstrated by its convincing victories in the leading motor races of the era.

“The Auto Union V16 parade through Riga will be a truly unique event for visitors to the Riga Festival and fans of motorsport history alike. This special vehicle has been brought to Latvia from Germany, and the opportunity not only to see it but also to hear and watch it in motion is exceptionally rare. The sound of the Auto Union V16’s impressive engine was last heard in Riga in 1997, so its return to the city’s streets after almost 30 years will be a historic moment.

The exhibition at the Freedom Monument, meanwhile, will allow this rare piece of engineering and motorsport heritage to be seen by a particularly wide audience in the very heart of Riga,” says Agris Šmits, director of the Riga Motor Museum.

The Auto Union Type C will arrive in Riga from Audi Tradition, Audi’s historic vehicle department, which exhibits vehicles from the brand’s heritage collection and stages special demonstration drives at major events around the world.

The Auto Union Type C is a contemporary of the Auto Union Type C/D displayed at the Riga Motor Museum. That car came to Riga thanks to Viktor Kulbergs, who saved it from being cut up for scrap metal during the occupation. Since 1997, the Auto Union has been one of the museum’s most impressive exhibits, attracting countless car enthusiasts from Latvia and around the world.

“We at Moller Auto are delighted to be part of this special event and, together with our partners, to give the city an opportunity to experience a vivid encounter between Audi’s motorsport heritage and its present-day performance on the occasion of Riga’s 825th anniversary. The Auto Union Type C symbolizes the courage and engineering excellence that defined the beginnings of Audi motorsport, while the new Audi RS models accompanying it on Riga’s streets demonstrate how this spirit of performance continues to live on in Audi cars today.

“From Auto Union to today’s RS models and Audi’s participation in Formula 1, this story spans almost 90 years. Yet its foundation has always been the same: a passion for motorsport and the pursuit of excellence,” says Izīda Gerkena, Head of the Baltic Region at Moller Mobility Group.