Wolfgang Denzel was an engineer and an Austrian industrialist. He was an inventor, innovator, and a business maverick. He was also a highly competitive sportsman winning numerous motorcycle events before and after WWII. In addition, Denzel was a winning Alpine sports car racer and yachtsman.

In 1948 Denzel began building sports cars in his workshop in Vienna. Denzel was absolutely fanatical about the construction of the car that bore his name. Quality, functionality, and beauty dominated every aspect of the build. The resulting sports car was therefore an intriguing automotive object. On the one hand the cars were beautifully proportioned, elegant little jewel boxes with handsomely trimmed interiors; on the other they were lightweight, nimble racing weapons which recorded more than 65 podium finishes at the most competitive European events of the 1940s and 50s.

One of the true milestones of the marque was Wolfgang Denzel’s victory at the rugged multi-stage 1949 Österreichische Alpenfahrt (Austrian Alpine Rally) which was the highlight of the Austrian racing season. This victory was especially significant as Denzel won the Alpine Cup while trouncing rival Porsche. By 1954 a Denzel was competing in North America at Sebring. Racing legend Dan Gurney later piloted a Denzel 1500 to an impressive class win at Pomona in January 1957, convincing North American spectators that these machines were not only Alpine rally winners but also serious road racing competitors.

Our aim with this work was to write the definitive English language treatise on the history of the Denzel sports car. A secondary goal was to clarify common misconceptions about these wonderful machines.

In this book we, as Denzel owners and enthusiasts, celebrate the superbly hand-crafted machines of Wolfgang Denzel. His cars were, and remain, truly special with the majority having been built with Denzel chassis, engines, and aluminum bodies. These automobiles are quite beautiful and are highly intriguing from an aesthetic, engineering, and historical standpoint.

- Authors James S. Perrin and Mark R. Brinker