Historic Car Brands
Veritas
Veritas was a West German post World War II sports and race car company, founded in 1947 by Ernst Loof, Georg Meier and Lorenz Dietrich.
R M Sotheby photo
Loof had raced on two wheels and four, and had been a designer for BMW in the pre-WWII era, playing a key role in the development of the 328. Lorenz Dietrich was a former motorcycle racer and BMW president, and Georg Meier was famous for becoming the first foreign winner of the Isle of Man TT races, as well as being the first motorcycle racer to lap a grand prix course at more than 160km/h.
The new company was originally located in the village of Hausen am Andelsbach, near Sigmaringen, Baden-Württemberg. It later moved to Meßkirch and Muggensturm, and finally to the Nürburgring.
Veritas initially re-built and tuned pre-war BMW 328 cars, using components supplied by the customer, turning them into BMW-Veritas cars.
After only a few cars were made, following an objection from BMW, the cars became known as just ‘Veritas’.
Lothar Spurzem photo
The trio’s deep knowledge of the BMW 328 saw it used as the basis for their own car, with the 328’s six-cylinder engine nestled in a lightweight tubular frame, under a light alloy body designed by Kurt Frick.
The combination proved to be highly effective for BMW-Veritas’s first customer, Karl Kling. In 1947, he proved his mettle in the Veritas, taking it to victory in its first race at Hockenheim, on the way to claiming the German two-litre Championship.
Veritas got around the post-War ban on German racing cars by selling them to foreign racing teams, including the French Meteor organisation.
1949 Veritas RS2000/135hp – Chiemseeman
The next step was the Veritas RS of 1949. This two-seater sports car again used the 328 as its basis, with power boosted to between 125 and 135bhp. Twenty-two RS models were built, competing in five World Championship Grand Prix races between 1952 and 1953.
The first Veritas cars for road use were also made in 1949, with the launch of the Komet coupé that was little more than a Veritas RS sports racing car made street legal. It was followed by the more civilised 2+2 Saturn coupé and Scorpion cabriolet, both being styled by Ben Bowden.
R M Sotheby photo
These cars had independent front suspension, using upper and lower control arms, longitudinal torsion bars and telescopic dampers. The rear suspension was by De Dion tube, with triangular links, longitudinal torsion bars and telescopic dampers. They had 12-volt electrics and five-speed gearboxes of the company’s own design.
The company moved to larger premises in Muggensturm in 1949, but was greatly under-capitalised. Supply of th BMW 328 engines had dried up, so future cars were designed around a 1998cc engine penned by Eric Zipprich and built by Heinkel.
More than 200 orders were received for the new cars, but there was not enough money to buy the components, so production came to a halt in 1950.
The original company continued in operation until 1952, by making new bodies for Panhard cars, but Ernst Loof had moved to the Nürburgring in 1950, where he rented the old Auto Union workshops.
His new company, Automobilwerke Ernst Loof GmbH, started a new range of Veritas cars, with the Heinkel-manufactured engine and saloon or cabriolet coachwork by Spohn.
1953 Veritas Nurburgring – Zoomviewer
However, money quickly ran out and the final cars were fitted with Ford or Opel engines. The number of cars made at the Nürburgring is estimated to be between six and 20, before the company closed down in 1952.
Although the road car program had stuttered, Veritas racing cars continued to be successful. In 1951 the post-War ban on German racing cars came to an end and the Veritas Meteor became the first German Formula 1 car.
R M Sotheby photo
Ignominiously, Ernst Loof holds the record for the shortest Formula 1 racing career, when in 1953 he entered a Veritas in the German Grand Prix and had leapt only two metres beyond the start line when the fuel pump gave up and his F1 career ended!
Veritas assets were acquired, ironically, by BMW in 1953 and Loof returned to the company, working in the styling and body engineering department. Three years later he passed away from a brain tumour.
Veritas Meteor cockpit – Lothar Spurzem
Between 1948 and 1953, a total of 13 German championship titles were won with Veritas racing and sports cars, with 71 class victories at circuit and mountain races in Germany, plus numerous class victories across the continent.
The three founders of Veritas had played a crucial role in kick-starting Germany’s post-war racing efforts.
Veritas Meteor Formula2 – Lothar Spurzem
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