Komißbrot - The dwarf cyclops from Hanover

Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Uwe Janoske on the premiere of a milestone in automotive history

On 10 December 1924, the Hanomag 2/10 was presented at the motor show in Berlin. It is considered a milestone in automotive history. Why?

Janoske: The Hanomag was the first production vehicle to have a mid-engine, which was later used in racing cars in the 1930s. The Hanomag was also characterised by its pontoon body, i.e. a continuous line without attached wings or running boards, which was also seen for the first time in a production vehicle and was not used again until the 1940s in the USA. This meant that the Hanomag played a pioneering role in automobile development at a very early stage.

In 1925, it was only the second car to be developed entirely in Germany using assembly line production and was also a huge success. "Two kilos of sheet metal, one kilo of paint - the Hanomag is finished". However, after three years and almost 16,000 vehicles, production was discontinued. Why?

Janoske: Even back then, the Hanomag had to contend with competition. The Opel "Laubfrosch", which went into series production in 1924, and the Dixi 3/15 (later BMW 3/15) were closer to a "real" vehicle in terms of design, as the Hanomag was quite spartanly equipped. A single-cylinder engine, which led to bouncing vibrations when idling, and only one door, which was necessary for reasons of rigidity, were certainly not today's standard. Production was therefore discontinued in 1928 after 15775 units had been built.

The model was quickly given the name Komißbrot. What made people think of it?

Janoske: The Komißbrot was a simple bread that looked like a box. Due to the continuous line of the vehicle without attached mudguards, it was reminiscent of a box, so the name Komißbrot was used for the Hanomag.

The Komißbrot was not at all easy to start and required sensitivity. Why was that?

Janoske: The Hanomag is powered by a 502 cm³ single-cylinder engine. It is started by a chain and not by a crank as is usually the case. This means that there can be a strong kickback at the start, which the driver can feel.

When idling, it felt like you were on a trampoline. For what reason?

Janoske : Due to the vibrations of the single-cylinder engine, these were transmitted directly to the vehicle and caused the leaf springs to vibrate. This caused the vehicle to "bounce".

Its body shape without protruding mudguards and running boards made it a pioneer of the pontoon shape. What does that mean?

Janoske: Pontoon shape means that the body is smooth all the way round and has no attached wings. With the same external dimensions of the vehicle, more space was available in the already not very spacious interior.

The Hanomag 2/10 had only one headlight and only one door. Was that even allowed?

Janoske: One headlight was officially permitted until 1931.

The solid wooden spoke wheels, which had to be kept damp, could become a problem. What happened if you didn't do that?

Janoske: The wood became brittle if it wasn't watered. That's why the storage wheels had to be watered on hot days to prevent damage and breakages caused by brittle and therefore less elastic spokes.

Hanomag in Hanover was still active until the 70s of the 20th century. What did they produce?

Janoske : Hannoversche Maschinenbau AG, also known as Hanomag, was a major manufacturer of passenger cars before the Second World War. Afterwards, commercial vehicles were manufactured under the Hanomag and Hanomag-Hentschel brands until they were finally integrated into the Mercedes-Benz Group in the 1970s.

Uwe Blass

Prof Dr Uwe Janoske heads the Chair of Fluid Mechanics in the school of mechanical engineering and safety engineering at the University of Wuppertal.