1955 Wulff T900 Superschnell 1.0

The Wulff T900 "Superschnell" Transporter is a high-speed truck produced by Wulff in 1955, totalling only one unit.



Background
Wulff had spent the majority of the 1940's rebuilding after World War II, but as the 50's came around, a much larger focus was put on expanding existing factories as well as the headquarters. Wulff, being headquartered in Siegen, Germany, did not have access to its own testing track. The closest existing option was the Nürburgring, roughly two hours away by car. Therefore, the decision was made that while an in-house testing course was being planned and built for Wulff, the Nürburgring would serve as the main testing track. As a result, a high-speed, highway-focused truck which could carry a car to-and-from the Nürburgring within the day was commissioned.



Production and service at Wulff
Soon after the commissioning of a high-speed truck, engineers at Wulff began work on what would become the T900. An all-new chassis had to be constructed, resulting in a custom steel-frame being built to fit the body. The cabin was placed far forward to offset the weight of the bed and eventual car on top, making for a very unusual, forward-leaning appearance. The body was hand-constructed from steel. Caved-in flat pieces were molded between the wheelarches, giving carrying space to four spare wheels. Double wishbones were used for the front suspension, but the rear used stiff leaf springs, to allow for cars of varying weight to be carried. Only one car was to be carried on it, meaning overall size could be kept relatively small for a truck - it was just 6.5 meters long, much shorter than any full-size truck available. This also meant it fit better on rural roads, and could transport vehicles to difficult locations much more easily.

The engine was an in-house designed 3.8 liter straight-6 engine, producing 197 horsepower. This engine was coupled to a 4-speed manual transmission, geared to reach a speed of approx. 160 km/h unloaded. Loaded with a car, the T900 could reach around 140 km/h.

The T900 project was completed in early 1955, and was quickly nicknamed the "Superschnell", due to its hugely improved speed over that of the previous heavy-duty full-size trucks, which only averaged 70-80 km/h. Travel time to and from destinations were essentially cut in half, and the project was touted as a success. Even though Wulff had built its own test track by the early 1960's, the "Superschnell" continued to see use as a transport vehicle for Wulff for many years following.

Retiring and subsequent years


The Superschnell together with a '73 Wulff T484.

Come the mid-1970's, Wulff had had its own test track for several years, and more efficient means of transport had become available. The Superschnell was quietly retired in 1975. After sitting some years in storage, it was in the 1980's put on display at Wulff's museum and headquarters in Siegen, Germany. It has routinely been brought out to events and displayed publicly, and remains a popular attraction due to its unusual appearance and significance to the company.

- - - - - - - - - - -


Remember - it's best to tie down whatever car you are carrying with nodes, or else you will risk it falling off the side in corners. The Superschnell also has a low-range transmission, should you need it.

This was a lot of fun to make, I hope you enjoy the truck!