You’ll Rocket Over The Highways, I Can Just See It ;-)

If it never needs repairs, why do they have complete spare part service

Image found on Casa de Ricardo

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The Goggomobil T 700

The Glas Isar is a small two door four seater car produced by Hans Glas GmbH at their Dingolfing plant. The car was first presented as the Goggomobil T600 in September 1957 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, with volume production starting in August 1958.

Initially Glas described it simply as a “big Goggomobil”, but in Autumn 1959 it was rebranded as the Glas Isar. At the same time a kombi (estate car) version joined the range. A minor facelift occurred in August 1960 and the Isar continued in production till the end of Summer 1965.

Origins

The car that appeared at the 1957 Frankfurt Motor Show was a prototype which in the event differed significantly from the car that entered production the next year, in that it used front wheel drive. In most other respects, notably regarding the two cylinder boxer engine and the overall shape of the car, only minor stylistic changes differentiated the cars that went into production in 1958 from the 1957 prototypes.

The front wheel drive prototype was unstable, however, because of the way the engine was set far ahead of the front axle, and high above the front-wheel drive power train, in what was a relatively light weight car. Setting the engine further back in relation to the front wheels would have involved a level of re-engineering for which neither time nor money were available. The decision was therefore taken to switch to a rear wheel drive configuration. The late decision led to issues with the gear box, however, which could not be redesigned at this stage and was simply switched round to allow for the fact that the drive shaft pointed in the opposite direction to that previously envisaged. For the driver, this gave rise to a back to front gear change, with first and third speed gear level positions nearer the driver and second and fourth positions facing the front of the car.

The late switch to rear wheel drive threatened to reduce luggage space while freeing up space under the bonnet/hood above the low profile boxer engines, and the manufacturer took the opportunity to reposition the spare wheel to a location under the bonnet/hoot in a cradle above the engine.

Goggomobil T 700

By the time volume production commenced in August 1958, the T600 had been joined by the more powerful T700. In this car the 688 cc boxer motor developed a maximum power output of 22 kW (30 PS) at 4,900 rpm, which provided for a top speed of 110 km/h (69 mph) and reduced by a third the acceleration time to 100 kmh (62 mph).

Text fro wikipedia

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The 1961 DKW Junior (Das Kleine Widunder)

Found on heinkelscooter

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1951 Hoffmann

In the period immediately after the Second World War, many talented people wanted to "have a go" at producing their own vehicle. One such was a certain M. Hoffmann from Munich who, from 1949 to 1951 came up with this extraordinary vehicle.

Its enormous width derives from its most interesting mechanical feature: its rear-wheel steering. A large triangular frame structure supporting the entire motor (ex Goliath Pionier) is pivoted at its forward end on a massive kingpin. A complex system of levers provides the steering, which moves the entire cradle from side to side in a wide arc.

The result is a lethal cocktail of automotive engineering "don’t’s"- extreme front track width combined with an ultra-short wheelbase giving major straight line instability, and rear-wheel steering which can easily bring loss of control at any except very slow speeds, to which any fork-truck driver can attest.

The central position of the steering kingpin in the car means there is little room for the driver and passenger up front, and the original bench seat has been substituted for two smaller separate ones, allowing slightly better access to the cramped cabin over the wide sills.

Perhaps this interesting and eccentric vehicle can be used to illustrate the reason why in this modern day one has a myriad of rules to contend with when building a vehicle.

Images and text from microcarmuseum.com

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1956 Lloyd LS-400S Kombi

Carl F. W. Borgward was an exceptional entrepreneur – the kind that easily survived the turmoil and upheaval of the second world war. Successful, headstrong, imaginative but ending up in a legendary bankruptcy in 1961, he had built virtually anything that might have four wheels and run on roads. His company made both cars and trucks, and in addition to the names Borgward and Goliath, Lloyd had the largest variety of post-war models of any German manufacturer.

Starting with the LP 300 in 1950- a year after the company was set up – Lloyd became established very quickly. The LP 300, which was affectionately known as the "Leukoplastbomber" (band-aid bomber), came with a plywood body covered with imitation leather. The wheels were large, the car itself sufficiently fast, and it had enough room for four persons. It was therefore much better than some rather too intimate cars, like the Isetta or Heinkel Kabine. From 1951 forwards, the LP 300 was also available as a convertible, coupe, estate and minivan.

In 1954 the lower part of the bodyshell was supplied in metal and in 1955 the whole body followed suit. The "S" in 400S stands for "steel" body.

By 1955 the Lloyd motor had reached a very grown-up 600 cc 4-stroke. The 400 2-stroke was delivered until 1957.

Lloyd tried to keep up with the Joneses in the car industry. However, like other ambitious projects of the Borgward parent company, it accumulated a large amount of debt. After the bankruptcy in 1961,the Bremen plant was taken over by Siemens, among others.

Text fra MicroCarMuseum

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1949 Champion CH-2

In 1945, Hermann Holbein, a former development engineer for BMW, recovered his beloved BMW 327 sports car from the haystack where it had been interned and reluctantly gave it up to an American GI in trade for an Opel-Blitz army truck. He made a lucrative business out of picking up scrap metal and transporting various materials into a devastated country bent on cleaning up. He picked up a scrap BMW 328, rebuilt it, and Holbein made a name for himself as a successful racing driver for the next three years.

Racing did not pay the bills, however, and he resolved to fill the post-war need for a small car, which he would design and sell the production rights to. A chance meeting with an old acquaintance, engineer Albert Maier of the gear-making firm ZF, brought together their individual interest in building a small car. In fact, Maier had already built a very basic open roadster with the backing of the ZF Company. In January 1949, Holbein came to a licensing agreement with ZF to build the car, raising the money by selling his three racing cars and two trucks. It would be called the Champion, with a nod to Holbein’s racing successes.

Holbein and Maier saw the need for the development of the little car and worked out the design for a custom transaxle driving the rear wheels and incorporating inboard brakes. Meanwhile, the prototype used an Irus lawnmower gearbox. The new, stylish, aluminum body was found to be too expensive to make, so Holbein modeled a simpler body in clay, and his racing mechanic built it using a bent flat sheet and motorcycle fenders. Aluminum discs hid the tall wire wheels’ humble motorcycle origins. There was a single “Cyclops” headlight, and the 198-cubic centimeter Triumph motor, along with its cylindrical fuel tank, sat nakedly out in the open on the tail. It was called Champion CH-1, and it made its debut at the Reutlingen show in April 1949. Orders flooded in, but the vehicle was not yet ready.

Development continued, and companies that could supply parts had to be found. The Hörz Company in Ulm made large clocks for clock towers, and they agreed to make the transaxles. The new ZF transaxle was incorporated into the two upgraded CH-2 prototypes, along with a new Triumph 248-cubic centimeter motor used as a stationary engine in farm applications, which was now under a louvered cover. Bosch in Stuttgart supplied the generators, Continental in Hannover supplied the tires, Schleicher in Munich supplied the hubs, and Hella in Lippstadt supplied the lamps. Former aircraft builder Böbel had a press, and they agreed to do the body shells.

Production of the CH-2 got underway, and the press was enthusiastic about the new, small roadster. The first cars made it clear that the transaxle was not up to the job. The Hörz people refused responsibility, but ZF stepped in to help. In addition, teething problems with breaking in the front and rear suspension elements caused Holbein to take the drastic action of recalling all cars sold to date and refurbishing and upgrading the chassis to the latest specifications. The public’s faith in the new car was not shaken.

The CH-2 became the CH-250 in March 1950, with a new twin-piston motor, a split windshield, bumpers, and smaller wheels. This model would lead to the charming Champion 400 coupe and eventually to the Maico 500 sedan. Perhaps two of these CH-2 cars exist worldwide. The bare metal bodywork of this exceptionally rare car was completely remade by a master metalworker, and it was restored by the museum’s in-house staff; it runs and drives just as well as it looks.

Text and images from RMauctions

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When You Couldn’t Afford A Horch

The hierarchy of the Auto Union empire was already clear in the early thirty’s: DKW for the lower middle class, Wanderer for the middle class, Audi for upper middle class and Horch for the rich.

 
Wanderer W22 C

Workers and officials could perhaps aspire for a DKW, or perhaps more preferably a used one. Hitler promised as someone might remember, a new KDF – Wagen to everyone, including the workers, but it was just promises. Life in Germany in the twenty’s – and thirty’s was harder than in many other countries.

Wanderer was not a new mark in the new empire, but a factory dating back to 1885. The first car arrived in 1912 and was nicknamed "Puppchen". It was a popular small car which was also sold here in Norway . The first company was named after the founders: Winkel Hofer & Jaenicke AG in Chemnitz, and dealt among other things with bicycle production, as so many upcoming car factories.

Over investments in new models and new factory pressed the firm’s liquidity and made the bank take over the control after the depression in 1929. In Germany crises came on a conveyor belt already in the twenties so Audi, Horch and DKW had already suffered the same fate. The result was that DKW, in 1928, took over the Audi with the banks blessing without the bank giving them all the control. In 1932 Wanderer joined as the final mark in the Auto Union and the four rings in the brand , which still exist on the Audi, was a fact.

From an article in “Motor Veteran” No 5 – 2007
Text and photo: Gunnar Hege Haug

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Goggomobil Transporter aka Goggomobil TL

The Goggomobil Transporter, or Goggomobil TL, was introduced at the 1956 IFMA show. The Transporter was built largely at the request of the German Federal Postal Service, which procured more than 2,000 Transporters between October 1957 and November 1965.

The Transporter had sliding front doors. It was available as an enclosed van with double back doors or as a pickup with a tailgate to the open bed. Transporter pickups were often used by municipal services as snow plows or street sweepers.

3,667 Transporter vans and pickups were produced.

Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The BMW 700

The BMW 700 was a small rear-engined car produced by BMW in various models from August 1959 to November 1965. It was the first BMW automobile with a monocoque structure. The 700 was a sales success at a time when BMW was close to financial ruin. The 700 was also successful in its class in motorsport, both in its stock form and as the basis of a racing special called the 700RS.

More than 188,000 were sold before production ended in November 1965. Upon discontinuing the 700, BMW left the economy car market and did not return until 2002 with the Mini.

Concept, design, and engineering
Wolfgang Denzel, the distributor of BMW cars in Austria, commissioned Giovanni Michelotti to prepare concept sketches based on a lengthened BMW 600 chassis. In January 1958, Denzel was awarded a development contract for the 700. Denzel presented a prototype to BMW’s management in July 1958. The concept, a 2-door coupe with a slanted roof, was generally well received, but objections were raised about the limited passenger space. BMW decided to produce two versions, the coupe, and a 2-door sedan with a taller, longer roof.

The engineer responsible for the chassis and suspension was Willy Black, who had designed and engineered the 600. The drivetrain and suspension were similar to those of the 600, with a rear mounted flat-twin engine powering the rear wheels, leading arm suspension at the front, and semi trailing arm suspension at the rear. The 700 used a steel monocoque structure, and was the first BMW automobile to do so.

The engine was an enlarged version of that used in the R67 motorcycle and the 600. With a bore of 78 millimetres (3.1 in) and 73 millimetres (2.9 in) of stroke, the engine displaced 697 cubic centimetres (42.5 cu in). The engine originally used a single Solex 34PCI carburetor and had a compression ratio of 7.5:1, resulting in a power output of 30 horsepower (22 kW).

More on the BMW 700 on Wikipedia

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Lloyd – German Mini Cars

 
Lloyd LP 300

Norddeutsche Automobil und Motoren GmbH was a German brand created in 1908 and was owned by the Norddeutsche Lloyd shipping company. The factory was in Bremen. Many of the products of the company and its successors were badged with the Lloyd marque.

Lloyd as a marque name only entered mass-production of cars and light trucks in 1950 with the company becoming Lloyd Motoren Werke GmbH – still in Bremen. The very first cars (the Lloyd 300) were wood and fabric bodied with steel construction taking over gradually between 1953 and 1954 (Lloyd 400).

Lloyd LP 400 S 1954

Lloyd LP 400 S 1955

The Lloyd 250 was called "Prüfungsangst-Lloyd" ("Lloyd for exam nerves") as they appealed to owners of older driving licenses who could drive it without having to pass a new driving test for cars with a cubic capacity of over 250 cc, a test which was introduced in a legal reform of the mid-1950s. With a power of only 11 hp (DIN), the Lloyd’s designers saw a need for saving weight, and thus offered the LP 250 without a back seat, bumpers, hub caps or trims. However, most buyers ordered the LP 250 V with these features as optional extras

Lloyd LP 600

Lloyd Alexander

Overall, the vehicles matched the need for small and cheap cars which were a characteristic of post-war Germany, and they provided a comparatively high standard in comfort and reliability. They rose to third place in the annual licensing statistics for several years in the 1950s, behind only Volkswagen and Opel. In spite of this success, there was little prestige to be gained by driving a Lloyd. In the vernacular, the Lloyd 300 was called "Leukoplastbomber" due to the owners’ habit of repairing nicks in the fabric of the body with sticking plaster called LEUKOPLAST. A contemporary derisive verse went "Wer den Tod nicht scheut, fährt Lloyd" ("He who is not afraid of death, drives a Lloyd").

Lloyd Alexander TS

Lloyd Arabella de Luxe

Pietro Frua designed a coupé on the basis of the Lloyd Alexander; it was presented at the Turin Motor Show in November 1958.

The parent company failed in 1961 but cars were still made up to 1963. By this time, the LP 900 was named "Borgward Arabella" instead of "Lloyd Arabella".

Text and images from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The Champion 400

Champion Automobilwerke GmbH was a German producer of small cars, initially manufacturing in Paderborn. The cars were produced and sold by a succession of businesses between 1952 and 1958. At the outset the cars were impressively simple and inexpensive, but as they became slightly less simple they also lost much of their price advantage. As larger manufacturers moved centre stage in the German auto-market, the producers of the Champion failed to achieve the volumes necessary to justify the investment needed to develop and produce the cars: the brief story of the marque is of a succession of financial crises and failures.

History
The car originally developed by ZF of Friedrichshafen was a two-seater with a single-cylinder 200 cc rear-mounted two-stroke lawnmower engine supported by a supercharger. Power was delivered to the wheels via a three-speed gear box: despite the low weight of the car, there was also a reverse gear. The first prototype was actually built further to the south at Herrlingen near Ulm in 1948. The car was based around a central steel frame and employed a rear-mounted engine, being clearly inspired by the Volkswagen lay-out, but smaller and simpler having regard to the availability of production facilities and materials in the late 1940s.

In 1949 a former BMW engineer then known for his work on early post-war racing cars and named Hermann Holbein acquired the production rights for the car. One year later, Holbein introduced the Champion, which would be assembled at the newly created Champion Automobilwerke plant in Paderborn until 1952. In 1952 production was taken over by the Ludwigshafen based "Rheinische Automobilfabrik Hennhöfer & Co" company. When this business went into liquidation a Dane named Henning Thorndahl took charge of assembling the vehicles until October 1954 when the last car was produced.

In 1955 production was taken over by Maico, a firm then as subsequently better known for its motorcycles.

Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Mercedes Benz 190 SL

The touring sports cars of the sl class, the 190 SL, from 1955 to 1963.

No matter how good it looked and how great the promotion photos were, the 190 never became more than a bleak shadow of the 300. It was what we in Norway call a “gubbracer”, an old sod’s sports car – Ted

And by the way, if there is something that really pisses me of it is professional photographers that can’t manage to get the horizon straight – Ted 😉

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Gutbrod Superior

Gutbrod was a German car manufacturer. The firm was founded by Wilhelm Gutbrod in 1926. It originally built motorcycles, and from 1933 to 1935, Standard Superior cars were built with rear-mounted engines.

An updated version of the Gutbrod Superior introduced in 1953 benefited from developments towards fuel injection undertaken by Mercedes-Benz dating initially from 1935: this Gutbrod was the first car in the world to be offered with fuel injection, some three years before fuel injection appeared in a production engine offered by Mercedes themselves.

The small Gutbrod Superior model was produced from 1950 to 1954 using the company’s own, front-mounted twin-cylinder two-stroke engines initially of 593cc. In April 1953 the engine size was increased to 663 cc for more expensive ‘Luxus 700’ versions of the car, while the standard model continued to be offered with the original smaller engine. Claimed power output was 20 hp (15 kW) for the base version, while for the larger engine 26 hp (19 kW) or 30 hp (22 kW) was claimed according to whether fuel feed came via a carburettor or a form of fuel injection. Press reports commended the speed and secure handling of the cars but indicated that the sporty handling came in return for sacrificing some comfort. It was also noted that normal conversation became impossible at speeds above about 80 km/h (50 mph) due to the noise.

7726 cars were produced before the factory was forced to close. The car was developed at the company’s small factory at Plochingen am Neckar by Technical Director Dr. Hans Scherenberg during the time of Walter Gutbrod who had taken over the firm in 1948 on the death of his father, Wilhelm Gutbrod (26 February 1890 – 9 August 1948). Scherenberg arrived at Gutbrod from Mercedes where the victorious war-time allies had enforced a pause in engine fuel-injection development, and in 1952 he would return to that firm.

A Gutbrod injection engine can still be seen in the Deutsches Museum in Munich.

It was a small two seater car, the overall length was 3.5 m (11 ft), width 1.4 m (4.6 ft) and the total weight 650 kg (1,433 lb), max speed 90 km/h (56 mph). The car was offered as standard version for a price of DM 3990, and as Superior Luxus for DM 4380. Recently, a restoration project of an injection model was sold in Geneva for CHF 3000.

In 1956, Norwegian Troll cars were equipped with Gutbrod engines.

Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Volkswagen Karmann Ghia

The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia is a 2+2 coupe and convertible marketed from 1955 to 1974 by Volkswagen – combining the chassis and mechanicals of the Type 1 (Beetle), styling by Luigi Segre of the Italian carrozzeria Ghia, and hand-built bodywork by German coach-builder Karmann.

The Karmann Ghia was internally designated the Type 14. Volkswagen later introduced a variant in 1961, the Type 34 – featuring angular bodywork and based on the newly introduced Type 3 platform.

Production doubled soon after its introduction, becoming the car most-imported into the U.S. American industrial designer Walter Dorwin Teague selected the Type 14 for his list of the world’s most beautifully designed products.

Over 445,000 Karmann Ghias were produced in Germany over the car’s production life – not including the Type 34 variant. Karmann Brazil produced 41,600 cars locally for South America between 1962 and 1975.

History
The Type 14 debuted at the October 1953 Paris Auto Show as a styling concept created for Ghia by Luigi Segre.

In the early 1950s, Volkswagen was producing its economy car, the Type 1 (Beetle). With an increase in post-war standards of living, executives at Volkswagen proposed adding a halo car to its model range, contracting with German coachbuilder Karmann for its manufacture. Karmann in turn contracted the Italian firm Ghia, who adapted styling themes previously explored for Chrysler and Studebaker to a Beetle floorpan widened by 12 in (300 mm).

In contrast to the Beetle’s machine welded-body with bolt-on fenders, the Karmann Ghia’s body panels were butt-welded, hand-shaped and smoothed with English pewter in a time-consuming process commensurate with higher-end manufacturers – and resulting in the Karmann Ghia’s higher price.

The design and prototype were well-received by Volkswagen executives, and in August 1955 the first Type 14 was manufactured in Osnabrück, Germany. Public reaction to the Type 14 exceeded expectations, with over 10,000 sold in the first year.

The Type 14 was marketed as a practical and stylish 2+2 rather than as a true sports car. As they shared engines, the Type 14’s engine displacement grew concurrently with the Type 1 (Beetle), ultimately arriving at a displacement of 1584 cc, producing 60 hp (45 kW).

In August 1957, Volkswagen introduced a convertible version of the Karmann Ghia. Exterior changes in 1961 included wider and finned front grilles, taller and more rounded rear taillights and headlights relocated to a higher position – with previous models and their lower headlight placement called lowlights. The Italian designer Sergio Sartorelli, designer of Type 34, oversaw the various restylings of Type 14.

The 1967 Type 14 Karmann Ghia convertible gained notoriety on American television as being the car driven by CONTROL Agent 86 Maxwell Smart in the opening credits of the third and fourth seasons of Get Smart. Like the Sunbeam Tiger before it, (which remained the car driven by Smart in the episodes themseleves), the character would be seen in the opening credits screeching to a halt outside of his headquarters. The Karmann Ghia was replaced in the final season credits of the show however, by the Opel GT. In the 2008 film of the same name, a Karmann Ghia once again made an appearance driven by Smart, along with its two sister cars, though the car in the film was a model from 1970. The Karmann Ghia is also the subject of a secret pass phrase in the 2011 movie Cars 2.

In 1970, larger taillights integrated the reversing lights and larger wrap-around turn signals. Still larger and wider taillights increased side visibility and at the same time large square-section bumpers replaced the smooth round originals. For the USA model only, 1973 modifications mandated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) included energy-absorbing bumpers. A carpeted package shelf replaced the rear seat.

In late 1974 the car was superseded by the Golf ("Rabbit" in USA)-based Volkswagen Scirocco.

Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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NSU Prinz 30

The first post war NSU car appeared in 1957 accompanied by the advertising slogan "Fahre Prinz und Du bist Koenig" ("Drive a Prince and you’re a king") The first generation Prinz was available with a saloon body featuring an upright roof line and seating for four people. The doors opened wide enough to permit reasonable access even to the rear seats, although leg room was severely restricted if attempting to accommodate four full sized adults. In addition to a luggage compartment accessed via a hatch at the front of the car and shared with the spare wheel and fuel filler, there was a narrow but deep full width space behind the rear seat sufficient to accommodate a holiday suitcase.

The noisy two-cylinder 600 cc 20 PS (15 kW; 20 hp) engine was located at the back where it drove the rear wheels, initially via a "crash" gearbox. Later versions gained a four-speed all-synchromesh gearbox. Contemporaries were impressed by the brevity of the maintenance schedule, with the engine, gear box and final drive operating as a single chamber and all lubricated by means of oil, added through a filler in the rocker box cover. There were just two grease nipples requiring attention, positioned on the steering kingpins. The engine was also commended in contemporary reports for its fuel economy and longevity. Although noisy, the engine offered impressive flexibility, recalling NSU’s strengths as a motorcycle manufacturer.

In 1959, a little coupé was added, the Sport Prinz.

Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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1958 BMW Isetta 600 Limo

The BMW factory since the 1930’s has catered mostly to the wealthy car buyers around the World. Yes they have had some lower line models like the 315, an affordable Sports Car, but not until the mid-50’s did they take on a whole new generation of Micro cars, called the Isetta 600, designed for it’s small package & to carry a small family from point A to point B while getting 60 MPG. Public response to the little Isetta was gratifying to BMW, but as its shortcomings were also pointed out at this time ("too small"), it was decided to go "up a class" and produce a larger car with room for four.

Management by May 1956 had already committed to the introduction of the BMW 700, a totally new design, by 1959, so the 600 was seen as an easily produced interim model using already existing Isetta production equipment. The 1956 prototype did indeed look like a stretched Isetta, with its stock 2-tone front door and Isetta bumpers, but with the wheelbase lengthened by 165cm and R67 boxer motor driving full-width axles. August 1957 saw the proper introduction of the model, to universal acclaim. Stylish looks (Michelotti had been involved) with its new "knife edge" bumpers, fantastic room inside with rear seat access by a side door, and the motor no longer sat in the passenger compartment.

It was quiet, its wheel at each corner design gave a great ride, and there was sufficient power for hill-climbing. It was even available with a Saxomat automatic transmission. It was pricey, however, at 200 Marks more than a VW Beetle.

Text and images from “investmentmotorcars.net”

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BMW Dixi

One of Germany’s well-known car makers, BMW began building engines for airplanes.  Forbidden to continue making airplane engines after WWI, BMW turned to engines for motorcycles and heavy trucks.  In 1923 they built their first motorcycle andin 1928 they bought Dixi-Werke for about one million marks.  BMW discontinued two larger models but continued with the car you see here–known as the Austin Seven,Dixi-Austin, and Dixi 3/15.  The Dixi bridged the gap between motorcycle and full-size car.  It was simple and achieved acceptable performance and good economy because of its light weight.  It was offered as a sedan, two-seat cabriolet, four-seat convertible, and a delivery van.  Only 150 of the sporty two-seaters (designated the da3) were made.  The example you see here has a one-off, special body.

Specifications:
Manufacturer:  Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Country of Origin:  Germany
Drivetrain Configuration: Front engine, rear wheel drive
Engine:  750cc, 18 hp
Transmission:  3 speed manual
Top Speed:  50 miles per hour
Years of Production:  1928-32
Number Produced:  150
Original Cost:  2,200 Marks

Text from “Lane Motor Museum”

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The Fuldamobil

Fuldamobil is the name of a series of small cars produced by Elektromaschinenbau Fulda GmbH of Fulda, Germany, and Nordwestdeutscher Fahrzeugbau (NWF) of Wilhelmshaven between 1950 and 1969.Though numbers produced were relatively small, the cars attracted sufficient attention to see licensed construction on four continents including Europe. In its ultimate configuration it is said to have inspired the term "bubble car". Read all about it on “European Car History”

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DKW Junior

The DKW Junior was a small front wheel drive saloon manufactured by Auto Union AG. The car received a positive reaction when first exhibited, initially badged as the DKW 600, at the Frankfurt Motor Show in March 1957. The ‘Junior’ name was given to the (by now) DKW 750 in 1959 when the car went into volume production, but failed to survive an upgrade in January 1963, after which the car was known as the DKW F12. In addition to the saloon, a pretty ‘F12 Roadster’ (cabriolet version) was produced in limited numbers.

The car was known for its two stroke engine. A number of European auto-makers produced two-stroke powered cars in the 1950s, but by the time the DKW Junior came along, the market was beginning to resist two-stroke powered cars as the industry increasingly standardised on four stroke four cylinder units which accordingly were becoming cheaper to produce. Two stroke engined cars were perceived by some as rough and noisy by comparison.

The DKW line-up
In terms of its size and pricing, the DKW Junior slotted into the range just below the Auto Union 1000, which itself underwent an upgrade and a name change (from DKW to Auto Union) in 1957. The Junior was therefore from its introduction until August 1963 the only DKW branded car.

The body
The Auto Union 1000 had a form that closely followed that of a prototype first presented in 1938. In contrast, the smaller Junior had an uncompromisingly modern ponton, three-box design, filled out to the corners and featuring tail fins which were just beginning to appear on one or two of Europe’s more fashionable designs at this time.

Despite its modern shape, the body sat on a separate chassis.

Chronology
The DKW Junior prototype exhibited in 1957 featured a two cylinder 660 cc two stroke engine engine reminiscent of the two stroke engine last seen in the DKW F89 Meisterklasse phased out in 1953.

A new plant was constructed at the company’s Ingolstadt location for production of the car (DKWs having been assembled since the war till now at Düsseldorf), and by the time the Junior went into production, the prototype’s engine had been replaced by a three cylinder two stroke unit of 741 cc for which an output of 34 bhp (25 kW) was claimed.

It is not clear whether the DKW Junior de Luxe, introduced in 1961, was intended to replace or to complement the original Junior which, in any case, was withdrawn in 1962. The Junior de Luxe had its cylinders bored out: total displacement was now 796 cc. Claimed power output was unchanged but the torque was marginally increased and the wheel size grew from 12 to 13 inches. Claimed maximum speed increased from 114 km/h (71 mph) to 116 km/h (72 mph).

In January 1963 the Junior De Luxe was replaced by the DKW F12. Outwardly there was little change, but the C pillar became more angular and the engine was enlarged to 889 cc which was reflected by a claimed increase in output to 40 bhp (29 kW). Apart from the engines, the big news from the F12 involved the brakes: the F12 was the first car in this class to be equipped with front disc brakes.

In August the Junior’s 796 cc engine reappeared in the DKW F11 which was in effect a reduced specification F12.

The DKW F12 roadster which appeared in 1964 extracted 45 bhp (33 kW) from its 889 cc three cylinder engine, and this more powerful unit became available in the F12 saloon for a few months from February 1965.

The end
Early in the summer of 1965 Volkswagen acquired the Auto Union business from Daimler Benz: production of the two stroke DKWs was almost immediately terminated. In the market place the DKWs had been facing an increasing struggle to compete with similarly sized more powerful four stroke engined offerings from Volkswagen and, more recently, Opel. By the end of 1965 the plant formerly controlled by Auto Union was building Audi badged cars, with four cylinder four stroke engines designed, before the change of ownership, in collaboration with Mercedes Benz.

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The First Opel Kadett – Our First Car

The first car we had when I was a kid was a 1936 Opel Kadett. After WWII ordinary people couldn’t buy new cars in Norway until 1961 and you were lucky if you could get hold of an old one. My dad took that old Opel apart, we had the engine and gearbox on our kitchen table for weeks while he cleaned it and replaced broken parts. Then he fixed the rust, put in a new wooden floor and we had the first working car on our street.

It used to overheat every now and then. If it did, my mum, my sister and I would take a stroll down the road, it was safer then, not that many cars. When old Adam ,as we called the car, had cooled down my dad came and picked us up and we carried on to where ever we were going – Ted

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
The first Opel car to carry the Kadett name was presented to the public in December 1936 by Opel’s Commercial-Technical director, Heinrich Nordhoff, who would in later decades become known for his leadership role in building up the Volkswagen company.

The new Kadett followed the innovative Opel Olympia in adopting a chassis-less monocoque construction, suggesting that like the Vauxhall 10 introduced in 1937 by Opel’s English sister-company, the Opel Kadett was designed for high volume low cost production. Competitive pricing led to commercial success, and Kadetts continued to be produced during the early months of the war: by the time production was interrupted in 1940 following intensification of hostilities, 107,608 of these Opel Kadetts had come off the assembly line at Opel’s Rüsselsheim plant, which had been the first major car plant in Germany to apply the assembly-line production techniques pioneered by Henry Ford.

After the war, Opel production facilities from Brandenburg an der Havel (trucks) were crated up and transported to the Soviet Union as part of a larger reparations package agreed upon by the victorious powers. From 1948 the prewar Kadett was manufactured as the Moskvitch 400/420: it continued to be produced on the edge of Moscow as a Moskvitch until 1956.

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