Good Find Friday features interesting vehicles we’ve found for sale while conducting market analysis or appraisal research. They are not for sale by Wolf and Mare and we have no business relationship with the sellers. We just think they’re worth learning about and sharing with our readers!

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As readers of this blog know, I like weird cars. Oddballs, one-offs, prototypes, and cottage coachbuilt vehicles fascinate me and I truly yearn to own one before I kick the bucket. As the name “Wolf and Mare” suggests, I am also a passionate fan of both Volkswagen and Porsche cars. Today’s Good Find Friday feature, a 1954 WD Denzel 1300, checks a lot of boxes for me and its appearance on the public market is very exciting for enthusiasts who share my taste in cars.

Wolfgang Denzel was an Austrian engineer, driver, and automotive entrepreneur who became active in vehicle design and competition both before and after the Second World War. Based in Vienna, he began constructing his own sports cars in 1948, initially developing lightweight competition machines derived from surplus Volkswagen components, including Kübelwagen chassis and flat-four engines.

His earliest creations, referred to as “WD” achieved immediate competition success, including class victories in the 1949 Austrian Alpine Rally, which helped establish his reputation and encouraged further development of purpose-built sports cars. Over time, Denzel transitioned from modified Volkswagen platforms to proprietary chassis designs and increasingly sophisticated engineering, while also maintaining parallel business activities as an automobile dealer and later as an importer for major manufacturers.

Denzel automobiles were produced in limited numbers between 1948 and 1959 as lightweight, hand-built sports cars, typically configured as open roadsters with aluminum or steel bodies and Volkswagen-derived drivetrains that were progressively modified or replaced with in-house components. Later examples incorporated larger-displacement engines, including units sourced from Porsche, and featured bespoke tube-frame chassis construction.

The cars were developed with competition use in mind and recorded notable results in European rally events, including a class win and strong overall placing in the 1954 Alpine Rally, which brought international attention to the marque. Total production is generally estimated at roughly 300 vehicles, reflecting the small-scale, workshop-based nature of the enterprise. By the end of the 1950s, automobile manufacturing ceased as Denzel shifted focus to vehicle distribution and engineering work, including involvement in the development of the BMW 700.

Today’s Good Find Friday car is not a hidden gem, but it is a very rare car that could be easily overlooked among the supercars and well-known classics in the upcoming RM Sotheby’s Monaco auction, where it will be offered for sale.

This particular Denzel was originally sold to Portugal and registered in 1954 to a racing driver known for driving Ferraris, Porsche and Maseratis in competition. It was professionally driven in a number of races and rallies in Portugal over the years, achieving first place finishes in quite a few events. Apparently there is documented ownership for the vehicle up to 1999 and including the current consignor.

Finished in an olive green color with a green interior, the exterior of this Denzel appears to be in excellent condition. Panel gaps appear to be mostly even and the body is very straight with no obvious flaws. The overall shape reminds me very much of the Porsche 356/1 Roadster, down to the split windshield screen. Other exterior features include chrome bumpers with uprights, Volkswagen headlights, Porsche-style beehive tail lights, frenched license plate mount, a pair of very elegant chrome engine intake grills behind the cockpit, and beautifully pierced horn grills in the nose.

The interior of the car is features a 60/40 split passenger and driver seat that resembles a pair of outdoor lawn chairs. Both seats appear hinged to flip forward for access to a small luggage area behind the rear seat. The steering wheel screams early VW and a trio of large gauges are mounted on a vinyl-covered dash behind it. Instrumentation includes oil temperature, fuel level, tachometer and speedometer. The latter two have Wolfgang Denzler branding, and interestingly a large clock sits to the right of the tach.

An engine bay in the back hosts a VW 1300cc engine with recycling logo and “X” at the end of the serial number indicating a factory exchange powerplant. Dual-throat downdraft carburetors on an early Volkswagen engine added in period is very racey, so more specs on the engine build and its history would be a welcome addition to the catalog description. One thing is for sure, the cheesy aftermarket air cleaners need to GO. On a race car, I’d like to see a couple of shiny velocity stocks atop each carb.

The catalog listing includes some very cool vintage racing photos of the car, along with a driving shot that shows just how small this car is.

With so few Denzels produced and so many of them raced, these cars very rarely come to auction. The last car I remember seeing was a 1955 Denzel 1300 that sold for $347,000 at RM Sotheby’s The Sáragga Collection sale back in 2019. That particular Denzel was similar in that it was a Portugal delivery, but being a 1955 model-year car had some distinct differences including a complete rebody in 1957. Personally, I like today’s car better.

RM Sotheby’s has estimated the car to sell for between $208,000 and $255,000. That’s a conservative value compared to the sold comparable we have.

How many of you have been pronouncing this car’s name the same as the actor? No, it’s not pronounced “Denz-ELL” like the movie star, but rather as “DENt-sel”. It may seem insane that a car this small, primitive, and derivative of a Volkswagen can cost so much money, but it’s important to remember that it’s believed as few as 35 of these cars survive. Additionally, they have a fantastic race history with Denzels driven by famous racers including Dan Gurney and Richie Ginther.

If you’re a die-hard fan of Porsches or German automobiles who has already acquired the definitive cars in your collection, branching out to adjacent Porsche-related vehicles like Denzel, Glockler and Abarth can differentiate your collection and signal to others that you have a sophisticated approach to the hobby.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisal and auction services for sellers and buyers of collector European cars. We also provide importation services. Give us a call or drop us a line!