Veritas (automobile)

Veritas was a famous West German post World War II sports and race car company, located at Hausen am Andelsbach, near Sigmaringen, Baden-Württemberg, later at Meßkirch and Muggensturm and moved finally to the Nürburgring.

The company was founded by Ernst Loof, Georg Meier and Lorenz Dietrich who initially re-built and tuned pre-war BMW 328 cars using components supplied by a customer, turning them into BMW-Veritas cars.[1] The first car was used in 1947 by its owner Karl Kling to win at Hockenheim and subsequently become the 1947 German 2-litre champion. After only a few cars were made, following an objection from BMW, the cars became simply known as Veritas.

The first Veritas to be made for normal road use was made in 1949 with the launch of the Komet coupé which was little more than a racing Veritas RS made street legal.[1] It was followed by the more civilised 2+2 Saturn coupé and Scorpion cabriolet.

The company moved to larger premises in Muggensturm in 1949[1] but were badly under capitalised. New cars were designed using a 1998 cc engine designed Eric Zipprich and built by Heinkel[1]. Over 200 orders were received for the new car but there was not enough money available to buy the components and production came to a halt in 1950 and the company continued in operation until 1952 by making new bodies for Panhard cars.