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1948 Veritas RS

Spyder

These highly successful German sport/racing cars were based on rebuilt pre-war BMW 328s. The company was formed by three soldiers who, during the occupation of Paris, met and planned their ideal sports car for the post-war era. Because the occupying forces would not allow the manufacture of proper engines, Veritas began acquiring old 328s and rebuilding them as the foundation of their own new automobiles. Their small factory was located in Hausern, Bavaria. Here they built slab-sided 2-seat roadsters intended for racing, like the one on display. Although the racing history of this example is unknown, similar cars participated in the Mille Miglia in period.

Veritas was a small German company formed after the end of World War II by 3 BMW employees who built racing and sports cars based on pre-war BMWs. They built about 75 cars before closing in 1952. The most successful Veritas was the Veritas-BMW Rennsport Spyder. Approximately 22 were built using chassis and the 2-liter 'Hemi' 6-cylinder engines of the late 30s BMW 328.

The West German automobile company, Veritas, was located in the village of Hausen am Andelsbach, near Sigmaringen, Baden-Württemberg. Their operations were later moved to MeBkirch and Muggensturm and moved finally to the Nürburgring. The company was founded by Ernst Loof, Georg Meier, and Lorenz Dietrich. The early years were spent re-building and tuning pre-war BMW 328 cars using materials provided by a customer. The result of the work was known as BMW-Veritas cars. The first example was used by its owner, Karl Kling, in 1947, resulting in a victory at Hockenheim. After just a few examples were made - and following objections from BMW - the cars became simply known as Veritas. Many of the early Veritas vehicles used the original 328 chassis with new aerodynamic, lightweight aluminum bodies.

In the post-War era, there were few companies able, prepared, and capable of building race-cars. This opportunity was understood by many, but the task was successfully undertaken by only a few. The shortage of supplies after the war meant that many sports cars were built using recycled components. In Germany, the BMW 328 was an excellent source. Ernst Loof was an ex-BMW engineer and was one of the individuals who had helped in building von Hanstein's winning 1940 Mille Miglia Coupe.

Kling's victory at Hockenheim in 1947 solidified the company's abilities in building and tuning vehicles. But as the supply of pre-War 328 BMW components was becoming scarce, Loof was tasked with creating an engine. With the help of Heinkel Flugzeugwerke, a new engine design was created. It was cast completely in aluminum rather than cast iron. It was given a seven-main bearing design, a square bore and stroke, three downdraught carburetors, and hemi-combustion chambers. The engines were completely hand built - both an expensive and time-consuming process. A total of 50 engines were constructed before production was halted in the early 1950s.

The first road-going Veritas cars were produced in the late 1940s and were essentially the racing Veritas RS turned street-legal. A more civilized 2+2 Saturn coupe and Scorpion cabriolet soon followed.

Having outgrown its prior location, the company moved to a larger facility in Muggensturm in 1949. Unfortunately, even having received over 200 orders for new cars, the company was undercapitalized. Production came to a halt in 1950. The company continued in operation until 1952 by making new bodies for Panhard cars.

A Veritas was converted into a Formula 1 racer known as the Meteor in 1951. It was run under the F2 regulations with mixed results.

Veritas produced around 20 - 25 examples of the Rennsport model with 15 examples surviving in modern times.

by Dan Vaughan