Aerodynamics and fuel efficiency are all the rage in a world that is always seeking to reduce it’s carbon footprint. Who would have thought that one of the most aerodynamic cars ever built came out of Germany nearly one-hundred years ago? The Schlörwagen, also dubbed a ‘wing on wheels’ made modern day aerodynamic, hybrid cars seem like boulders. Built in 1939 by German engineer Karl Schlör, inspired by the shape of an airplane, he redesigned the standard car exterior by placing the windows flush with the outer shell for a smoother airflow, he also extended the body over the front wheels, allowing the car to cut through the air like butter.

 

 

Fitted with a 38 horsepower engine, the car was able to reach a top-speed of 84 mp/h, using just eight litres of fuel to cover a distance of 62 miles. So why exactly didn’t this aerodynamic wonder find any wider appeal? In maximising it’s aerodynamics, the  Schlörwagen would forgo a lot of other practicalities, like the fact that the car stands so tall that a strong wind was able to send it careening to the side. To honour the car’s 75th anniversary a 1:5 model of the car was built and put through a wind-tunnel to see how it performed. Click the video to see the test