DKW Auto Union 1000

- Dad, is it an Audi? - asked the boy when he passed the DKW in the picture. No! - came brusquely from the father. But the boy had seen the four rings in the grill he...

Member of the Union

The 4 rings in the DKW symbolize the same as in today's Audis. Each ring represents one of the brands that entered into the collaboration. The four are Audi, DKW, Horsch and Wanderer. For Audi, Horsch and Wanderer, the merger really meant "the hook on the door". The brand that was allowed to live on after the merger was actually DKW - eventually changing its name to Audi. The successor to the DKW Auto Union 1000 received the type designation F102. The first Audi received the designation F103 as a continuation of the DKW series.

The DKW was not a bad car

Those of us who have lived for a while find it easy to see the 2-stroke engines as inferior engines. They are simple, light, rev-friendly and relatively quiet. They were cheap to produce, but unfortunately often not as durable as the 4-strokes. DKW argued that 3 = 6. A 3-cylinder 2-stroke was equivalent to a 6-cylinder 4-stroke. A four-stroke needs two cycles to fire all 6 cylinders, while the two-stroke fires its 3 on each cycle - and then both engines have done the same job. It should probably also be added that DKW made the world's best 2-stroke engines for ordinary cars. Also, the cars were solid and beautiful.

Model history

The model was produced in several variants from 1958 to 1963. There were "1000" and "1000 S" for "Super". Both had a 981 ccm 2-stroke engine with front-wheel drive and a 4-speed gearbox with steering gear. The standard cars got 44 HP, while the Super got 50 HP. Other special features of the Super variant were the panoramic windscreen and vertical speedometer of the same type that Mercedes-Benz had at the time. Several body variants were also available. The most common version today seems to be a 2-door Coupé without a center pillar. They were offered in two trim levels – standard og Deluxe. In addition to the Coupé, you could get the DKW as a 2- and 4-door sedan, a 3-door station wagon and in a very special sporty version.

DKW with 4 doors I have never seen. They can be found in photos, including from Brazil where 4-door sedans are said to have been produced as continuation model under the car brand DKW Vemag. The most beautiful edition is undoubtedly the DKW Auto Union 1000 SP "Spezial", which received a completely different bodywork from the other cars in a wonderful 50s style that resembled a small American.