Denzel (automobile)
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The Denzel automobile was an early, but largely unremembered, competitor to Porsche in Austria originating in 1947. Although some automobile historians have relegated this marque to the category of a builder of "specials", the Denzel was manufactured for approximately 7-8 years after 5 years of development with total output approaching 150 units during the 1950's according to this author's discussions with the descendants of the founder.
Denzel achieved worldwide publicity with their stunning win of the 1954 Alpine Rally. Denzel only manufactured open roadsters, similar in style to the first post-war Porsche prototype. Like the Porsche marque launched in the ashes of WW II, Denzel developed its own enhanced VW drivetrain components and on occasion, even used Porsche engines in some of its later models. Earliest models used handcrafted steel bodies but switched to aluminum bodies in the mid 1950s.
