The DKW F91 was known by a variety of names and was built by Auto Union in Germany from 1953-59. Auto Union had been formed from four merging companies and would eventually morph into Audi. The body of this Sonderklasse rides on an earlier Meisterklasse chassis, probably the result of an accident, and in the U.S. it’s titled as a 1951 model. Located in Portsmouth, Virginia, this project car is for those collectors who want something that no one else has. It’s available here on craigslist for $7,900. Thanks, Chuck Foster, for finding this unusual set of wheels for us!
Auto Union GmbH had the habit of using different names for the same cars. The DKW F91 was also known as the DKW 3=6 as part of some advertising campaigns. It was a front-wheel-drive vehicle that looked like an overgrown VW Beetle, using a 2-stroke, 2-cylinder engine for propulsion. The sub-name ‘Sonderklasse’ differentiated the car from the previous ‘Meisterklasse’ and shared physical proportions. That would come in handy with the seller’s 1954 Sonderklasse which at some part had its body transferred to the chassis of a 1951 Meisterklasse. The only thing that needed adjusting in the transformation was the placement of the gear shift lever.
Complete with “suicide doors”, the seller’s car is thought to have been used by a German diplomat at one time. Its original color is said to be green, but it was painted white over black later. We’re told there is some rust in the doors and rocker panels, but the floors are solid (the photos portray more problems than that). For those body panels that will need replacing, the seller believes they can be easily duplicated as OEM is no longer an option.
The 896-cc engine does not run nor has the seller tried to revive it. It’s a water-cooled motor but has no water pump, operated by thermo- siphoning. You mix the oil and gas together and it will smoke a bit when rolling down the road. The interior furnishings are most interesting as the seats almost look like living room furniture and, hopefully, they can be saved. The odometer reads under 95,000 miles but considering that the entire car will need to be restored, that probably doesn’t matter now. The seller provides a host of additional photos.
This would be a challenging project to whoever takes it on. You would need to be skilled with a torch and with shaping metal. Guaranteed you would never see two of them at the show-n-shine, or the cars-n-coffee.
I remember a lady used to bring her kids to the swimming pool in Sunburst 50+ years ago. She drove a much newer DKW. I remember the ping-pop that was typical of 2-strokes forever. The starter would lock up. So a bunch of husky boys would push the car in reverse. The lady would pop the clutch and the bendix would release. Then she would either be able to start it on her own or the same guys would push her down the street and she would ‘bump’ it and away she would go.
One day she and the car and the kids disappeared. It’s funny how you get used to seeing them all the time. You never really get to know them but when they are no longer around you can’t help but wonder what happened to them…
Sometimes the stories that members post about the cars they remember are amazing.
Pretty much why I’m here. Geomechs has forgotten more than I know,,,
That is a very interesting vehicle for sure! Not to be confused with my Mercedes W126 Sonderklasse.
Seems like a silly price for a car that will need everything and still isn’t very valuable when done.
These engines didn’t do well sitting, once you get corrosion in the crank roller bearings it rather quickly fails, and rebuilt cranks cost a small fortune.
If the rollers didn’t fail the crank seals did. Either case involves opening the case and rebuilding the bottom end.
I sure enjoy Russ’ posts, however, “a Sonderklasse body on a Meisterklasse frame”,,,no foolin’,,,a what now? Remember who you’re talking to. :)
These foreign oddballs may as well have come from the moon as far as us Yanks were concerned. It’s as if we were forbidden to see what the rest of the world had to offer. Talk about propaganda. A “3=6”,,,certainly not the 6 cylinders WE had, a certain Hudson comes to mind. Their “3=6” designation boasted their 3 cylind,,,( chuckling),okay,, their 3 cylinder was,,( out right chortle) claimed to be as powerful as a 6 cylinder. I don’t know where to start with that one.
Okay, enough of picking on the poor Europeans, who did a darn good job considering how decimated their economies were. I really like the car, the motor would make a good boat anchor, and a rift of plausible engines could be used, and what a hoot it would be to be seen in this. Present day Audi owners would be amazed, THIS was the humble beginnings of one of the nicest cars made today. If you look at restored examples, they really were a nice car.
their ‘claim’ 3=6 is based on the 2 stroke concept that every stroke is a power stroke… … unlike the 4 stroke engines which have a waste(d) stroke in between power strokes
One of these was Jim Clark’s first racing car.
DKW Known in Germany as Der Kleine Wunder. The little wonder.
It is “Das Kleine Wunder”, not “Der Kleine Wunder” ….
DKW is also said to stand for “Dampf Kraft Wagen” (Steam Powered Vehicle), as that is what some of their earlier vehicles were …
… not to mention: “Des Knaben’s Wunsch” (the boy’s wish)…
More on DKW at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DKW
correction: Das Kleine wunder
Auto Union was formed from these four marques: Horch, Wanderer, Audi & DKW. In the 1960s, The NSU factory was acquired & Audi was re-born.
In the early 70’s there was one that used to cruise Valley Blvd. in Alhambra. It had expansion chambers like 2 stroke bike–loud as hell, you could hear it coming for blocks down the street! Sounded kinda like a Kawasaki Triple with pipes.
Also known as the Deuthce KInder Wagen (German kiddie car)
Without these DKWs, who knows if Saab could have ever figured out how to make a car.
In the pre-war years, DKW was the number one import in Scandinavian countries, in both the car and motorcycle markets. 2-stroke engines had an almost fanatical following due to its simplicity and reliability in below zero temperatures; no oil to congeal and front-wheel drive, which is a big advantage on icy roads. One of the home grown motorsports activities in the far north was ice racing in which a rear wheel drive car didn´t have a chance against a DKW. Also, DKW had various trim levels, from spartan to middle class comfort, hence the Reichsklasse (lowest rank) Meisterklasse (in the middle) and Sonderklasse (the high end version). They even had a fully metal bodied convertible with leather interior, a great looking vehicle, even though hopelessly underpowered. The car offered for sale here is so far gone, as to be a basket case. To restore it will require herculean effort, deep pockets and the patience of Job.
Gerard,
I have to agree, It’s a later body from a 3 cylinder car, on the older and cheaper 2 cylinder chassis. Because of this situation, and it’s overall condition, it will cost 3 to 4 times what it’s worth to rebuild [not restore]. Sadly, it’s a parts car at best.
Now I now what happened to the old fabric when my grandmother had her couch re-upholstered.
I would buy this car for the upholstery alone!
Cool car, but a laughable price. $790 perhaps. Good for parts but it’s already an agglomeration.
This thing is just to cool. It would be attractive at about $2.5-$3.5 thousand. It screams for a tube chassis, blown hemi and a lenco.
I still see some of these cars running in perfect condition, in the hands of collectors, here in Brazil… the sound and smell of the smoke from the 3 cylinders of the 2 stroke engine is delicious.
DKW was manufactured in Brazil for many years. It was the DKW Vemag. They made a station wagon too.
affectionately called “Vemaguet”