Vehicle Description
Late in the 1930s, Germany's powerful propaganda machine took on
the world of motor racing, throwing untold resources toward utter
domination of the sport. Government-backed Grand Prix teams from
Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union operated with virtually unlimited
budgets, and the cars they produced were marvels of technical
sophistication, overwhelming the competition in the process. In
sports car racing, BMW briefly achieved similar status,
particularly in the 2-liter classes, where their light and nimble
328 was the only car to have if you wanted a chance at winning.
They even beat the Italians on sacred ground, winning the 1940
Mille Miglia in a streamlined 328 built especially for the event.
But after the war, German motorsport was an altogether different
scene. The cars that dominated the pre-war events were locked away,
destroyed, or broken up for parts. The legendary Nurburgring
Nordschliefe became overgrown, and the surface torn up by tank
tracks. But racers are nothing if not persistent, and clubs soon
regrouped, cleaned up circuits, and began trading food and
cigarettes for spark plugs, spare parts, and fuel. For the German
motor industry, sports cars were the last things on their minds.
Material shortages and rationing meant it was all they could do to
rebuild factories and get German citizens back on wheels. Despite
the devastation and austerity, racers still wanted cars, and three
German friends planned to meet that demand. Ernst Loof, Georg
Meier, and Lorenz Dietrich met while serving in Paris during the
war. In cafes, they daydreamed about building sports cars and
swapped stories of their racing exploits before the hostilities.
All three men had connections with BMW via car racing, motorcycle
racing, and sales, so it was natural that they chose to base their
new Veritas race cars around proven BMW components. Occupying
forces stipulated that new German vehicles could not exceed one
liter in capacity, so they utilized existing 326 and 328 engines as
a workaround. Customers supplied their own 2-liter 328 drivetrains,
along with some cash, and in a few weeks collected their new
BMW-Veritas, complete with a modified, rebuilt engine and sleek
aerodynamic coachwork. Veritas' first customer was legendary racing
driver Karl Kling, who promptly won his first event in 1947, and
secured the 2-liter sports car championship that same year. Soon
the grids were filled with Veritas racers, and buyers pushed for
road-going versions. Dietrich was happy to oblige, and in 1949
offered a series of production road cars with BMW running gear,
lightweight tubular chassis, and coupe, cabriolet, or sports
roadster coachwork by the well-known firm Hermann Spohn
Karosseriebau. The standard Spohn bodies were distinctly
attractive, and the cars offered superb performance. Unfortunately,
the funding to secure long-term production proved elusive, and
Veritas folded in the early 1950s. Despite their brief existence,
the firm left an indelible mark on German motoring history,
restoring the nation's illustrious sporting past and paving the way
for Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Porsche to carry the torch into the
future. The combination of Veritas and Spohn created some of the
most distinct German sports cars of the period. Hermann Spohn
Karosseriebau may be lesser known among traditional German
coachbuilders, but their flamboyant designs are particularly
memorable. Much of their earlier work focused on Maybach chassis,
while later projects (through the 1950s) centered on customizing
American cars belonging to US Servicemen stationed in Germany.
Inspired by Harley Earl's Motorama dream cars, Spohn interpreted
American trends in a particularly extravagant manner, employing
giant fins, vents, and layers of chrome trim. While most of Spohn's
production work with Veritas is relatively subdued, our featured
car is one extraordinary exception. Chassis number 5089 started
life as a standard Veritas SP90 cabriolet, purchased new by an
unknown individual. Very early in its life, the car returned to
Spohn, where it received extensive modifications to the customer's
wishes. They created an outlandish machine combining elements of
the original design with over-the-top fins and jet-age styling cues
inspired by the GM Le Sabre show car. Period press reports suggest
turquoise as the original color, and photos show it with
Cadillac-style sombrero hub caps, wide-whites, chrome rear wheel
spats, and the distinct front end treatment with the
near-horizontal faux grille and faired-in headlamps. According to
subsequent owner R.J. Mrofka, the car belonged to a friend of his
brother's, an American serviceman, who brought it to the states in
the early 1950s. Mrofka purchased the Veritas from that man in
1965. Unfamiliar with the hemi-head BMW inline-six, Mrofka was
unable to get the car running, so he quickly sold it to his friend
Lee Hartung of Glenview, Illinois. Copies of the title and bill of
sale related to that transaction are in the history file. A serial
collector, Hartung spent his life in the scrap & recycling business
and built an enormous collection of antiques, motorcycles,
bicycles, and automobiles over the years. He parked the Veritas in
his "museum," which was chock full of thousands of pieces, all
carefully curated and grouped despite the overwhelming volume.
Hartung sometimes shared his collection with car clubs, friends,
and the occasional gawker. But he never sold anything, and nearly
every piece he owned, including this Veritas, had a special place
in his heart. After Mr. Hartung passed away, his collection was
dispersed in 2011. The Veritas was a star attraction of the estate
sale, as it remained in incredible "barn-find" condition. Despite
being covered in a layer of dust from 46 years of being tucked in
Hartung's barn, the car was remarkably complete and intact, wearing
cream-colored paint with hints of the original turquoise showing
through in places. The Veritas Spohn then joined a prestigious
collection of unrestored vehicles where it was meticulously
preserved it returned to running condition without sacrificing the
once-in-a-lifetime patina. After its carefully tended resurrection,
the Spohn Veritas debuted at the 2013 Amelia Island Concours
d'Elegance, in a tongue-in-cheek class of oddballs, one-offs, and
unusual concepts called "What were they thinking?" Since then, it
has made occasional appearances while being maintained in running
order and on display in the owner's collection. Now available for
the first time since leaving the Hartung Collection, the Spohn
BMW-Veritas SP90 remains essentially as it was found, with a
marvelous patina and brimming with character. It would make an
eye-catching centerpiece to any collection of rare and unusual
motorcars, and a worthy contender for preservation-class honors in
concours events. It is a wonderful example of a coachbuilder
experimenting with the boundaries of style, resulting in a
fascinating and delightful caricature of the flamboyant 1950s Jet
Age. Offers welcome and trades considered For additional details
please view this listing directly on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/6657-1950-bmw-veritas-sp90-spohn-roadster/
