Wulff W-6

## Wulff W-6 Sportkreuzer

1956 Wulff W-6 Sportkreuzer in "Stahlgrau"

4-spd Manual

The Wulff W-6 (pronounced "weh-sechs"), commonly known as the W-6 (or simply W6) Sportkreuzer, is a sports luxury coupe produced by then-West German automaker Wulff between 1955 - 1960.

## History and development

Some time after World War II, European roadsters and sports cars began to become popular as enthusiast vehicles. Wulff saw the demand, which led to development of a personal luxury sports car in the early 1950's. The end result was the W-6, standing for "*Wulff - 6-Cylinder*".

      The W-6's body was made of fiberglass, a relatively new material in automotive technology at the time. It was both cheaper and more malleable than aluminium or steel, and it did not rot or otherwise corrode. While the material itself was expensive, there was no tooling needed for pressed steel panels, which mostly negated the high material costs.

## Production

Originally slated to begin production in 1953, the W-6 was delayed to sort out issues mostly regarding panels being poorly molded and aligned. This led to a a delay of approximately one year, with production beginning in late 1954 - as a 1955 model year. For the first year, the W-6 was only available in one color - Alpinweiß (Alpine White) with a red leather interior. Wulff initially experienced difficulty painting the fiberglass body, but more colors soon became available, both for the body and interior.

Initially priced at 16,380 Deutsche Mark, the W-6 was considered very expensive, even by the standards of luxury sports cars at the time. It equated to $3,900 USD, which is approx. $40,700 (2022). Due to the high price, as well as some unresolved issues in early models, sales figures were very slow to begin with. Wulff dealerships were initially reluctant to place orders for the W-6, though it did garner significant attention from customers, drawing flocks to see it. By 1956, the W-6 was updated with sleeker, partially inset headlights, a wraparound front bumper, as well as a 4-speed manual transmission becoming available along with several new colors and much superior build quality. Sales rose sharply between 1956 - 58, before declining and seeing its eventual discontinuation in 1960.

Overall, the W-6 was produced in extremely low numbers. Below is a table of production numbers between 1955 - 60.

 1956
 1957
 1958
 1959
 1960

All together, 813 W-6 Sportkreuzers were produced.

## Discontinuation

The W-6, intended to be exported to the U.S. in large quantities, never caught the attention it needed to sell such numbers. Its very high price and initially sub-par build quality marred it in the eyes of potential customers. The W-6 also caused a hit to Wulff's reputation, with some asking questions as to how a car with such poor quality control and underlying issues could be paraded as a flagship model. While these problems were sorted out by the end of the first model year, the initial reaction turned many potential buyers away. Furthermore, customers were not partial to the jutting front fenders which housed the headlights seen on the 1955 model. This was also relegated for the 1956 model, with sleeker, partially inset headlights.

The W-6 Sportkreuzer has since become a highly prized collector's car, and retains a strong enthusiast community. Due to its low production numbers, examples in good condition have become increasingly rare, and commands high prices for collectors. Especially the original 1955 model, with only 28 produced, has become one of the most sought-after Wulff cars.