Rumpler - from aerodynamic miracle to burning droplet

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Rumpler - from aerodynamic miracle to burning droplet

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Created on June 30, 1985

Text:

Halwart Schrader

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

2

Archiv ADAC

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Deutsches Museum

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Archiv

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Rumpler Tropfenwagen (1921) - in the Volkswagen wind tunnel, measured at cw 0.28

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The Rumpler-Werke in Berlin-Johannistal in 1914, in front of the cockpit of the boss

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Edmund Rumpler in a sporty double-breasted suit with his wife and sister

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Rumpler Tropfenwagen (1921) - side and top view in plan

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Rumpler Tropfenwagen (1921) - as an open version

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Rumpler Tropfenwagen (1921) - vertical longitudinal section through coupling, gearbox and axle drive

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Rumpler drop wagon (1921) - see-through drawing reveals some technical details

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Rumpler Tropfenwagen (1924) - Production

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Rumpler Tropfenwagen (1922) - in the transport center of the Deutsches Museum

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Rumpler Tropfenwagen (1922) - in the transport center of the Deutsches Museum

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Rumpler Tropenwagen (1924) - front view drawn

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Rumpler Tropfenwagen (1923) - the driver sits in the center

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Rumpler Tropfenwagen (1921) - with engine located behind the passengers

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Rumpler Tropfenwagen (1921) - proudly presented as a "new one" at the ASC anniversary parade in 1925

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Rumpler (1926) - conventionally designed front-wheel drive car, only one prototype was built

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Die Rumpler-Werke im Jahr 1914 in Berlin-Johannistal, vor dem Cockpit der Chef

Edmund Rumpler im sportlichen Zweireiher mit Frau und Schwester

Rumpler Tropfenwagen (1921) - Seiten- und Aufsicht im Plan

Rumpler Tropfenwagen (1921) - als offene Variante

Rumpler Tropfenwagen (1921) - vertikaler Längsschnitt durch Kupplung, Getriebe und Achsantrieb

Rumpler Tropfenwagen (1921) - Durchsichtszeichnung enthüllt einige technische Details

Summary

When Edmund Rumpler's automobile factory was engulfed by flames, one of his critics was suspected of having set the fire. Or was the Berlin fire disaster of 1924 a successful advertising ploy? This article gets to the bottom of the matter and summarizes the life's work of the ingenious and yet forgotten Edmund Rumpler, including his aerodynamically sophisticated vehicles.

This article contains the following chapters

Own airline
The flying drop
Driver in the middle of the car
A flop and yet a sensation
Responsible: the patent office
No evidence at all
Rumpler
One last attempt

Estimated reading time: 11min

Preview (beginning of the article)

If you ever want the opportunity to see more than just one example of the legendary Rumpler drop car, the only way to do so is to watch the age-old movie Metropolis. Rumpler - who was that actually? Edmund Rumpler, born in 1872, was a versatile personality, a talented technician and designer who was equally at home in aviation, automotive engineering and refrigeration technology. One of his most famous designs was the Tropfenwagen manufactured in Berlin-Schönholz, first presented to the public in 1921. Most of them were later used in the cab trade... As early as 1921, the German automotive industry would have had an aerodynamically sophisticated body shape at its disposal that had a better drag coefficient than a 1985 Golf: at 0.28 cw - measured in the Wolfsburg wind tunnel in 1979 - the Rumpler car was clearly superior to the Wolfsburg car (0.34 cw). Nevertheless, Rumpler's dream car was not well received.

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Images of this article

Die Rumpler-Werke im Jahr 1914 in Berlin-Johannistal, vor dem Cockpit der Chef

Edmund Rumpler im sportlichen Zweireiher mit Frau und Schwester

Rumpler Tropfenwagen (1921) - Seiten- und Aufsicht im Plan

Rumpler Tropfenwagen (1921) - als offene Variante

Rumpler Tropfenwagen (1921) - vertikaler Längsschnitt durch Kupplung, Getriebe und Achsantrieb

Rumpler Tropfenwagen (1921) - Durchsichtszeichnung enthüllt einige technische Details

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