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Rumpler Tropfenwagen


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Edmund Rumpler had worked in the automotive industry until WW1 when he focused his attention to aircraft, this mix of experience led him back to car design when after the war he was not allowed to continue with the aircraft industry. he instead designed this revolutionary streamlined car, the Tropfenwagen (tear drop car) introducing it in 1921. From the top, it resembled a fish, the pictures of wind tunnel tests seem to ignore that. It was the hit of the Berlin show but of course so being so far out there as well as being quite expensive, it never gained much popularity. It was sold in small numbers for 4 years. It was tested in Volkswagens windtunnel (bottom picture) where it showed drag coefficient of just .28, right up there with the best of the modern designs. 

 

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  • 1 month later...

I would have to dig back through 35mm slides to check and that would be a long search but I seem to remember one in the Harrah's museum before it was mostly sold off. I have the auction booklets somewhere but those would be almost as hard to dig out as the slide.

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On 4/15/2022 at 4:20 AM, GregLaR said:

I wonder if any remain?

It appears there are at least two...

 

One in the Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin.

Rumpler_Tropfenwagen.jpg.bd5cb0ba356c149b5498a858f3658668.jpg

 

One in the Deutsches Museum Verkehrszentrum. This one appears to be the one from the wind tunnel if the license plate is any indication.

MHV_Rumpler_Tropfenwagen_01.jpg.91316ed5c80cc8cec874e07b7a6d5b9b.jpg

 

Edited by Lahti35 (see edit history)
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