Dampf-Kraft Wagen (German: steam-powered vehicle) or DKW is an historic car and motorcycle brand. In 1916, the Danish engineer Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen founded a factory in Saxony, Germany, to produce steam fittings. In the same year, he attempted to produce a steam-driven car, called the DKW. Although unsuccessful, he made a two-stroke toy engine in 1919, called Des Knaben Wunsch — "the boy's wish". He also put slightly modified version of this engine into a motorcycle and called this Das Kleine Wunder — "the small wonder". This was the real beginning of the DKW brand: by the 1930s, DKW was the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer. In 1932, DKW merged with Audi, Horch and Wanderer to form the Auto Union, and all brands continued until World War II. After the war, Auto Union changed ownership a couple of times, first passed into the hands of Daimler-Benz in 1957, and was finally purchased by the Volkswagen Group in 1964.
In 1939, they made a prototype with the first three-cylinder engine. This prototype was to be put into production only after the war, first as an IFA F9 (later to become Wartburg) in Zschopau, East Germany, and shortly afterwards in DKW-form from Düsseldorf as the 3=6 or F91.
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DKW Club of America - Dedicated to the encouragement of studying, finding, owning, restoring, driving and enjoying DKW cars and motorcycles.
Meta Description: [ DKW and Auto Union Car and Motorcycle Club of America ]
DKWs in Brazil - Pictures, history and technical information..
Howick DKW - History, technical information and restoration stories.
Meta Description: [ A project intent on *PRESERVING THE CLASSICS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS* ]
The French DKWeb - DKW history, pictures, ads, clubs and links.
Yahoo Groups: Auto Union DKW Group - A mailing list for owners and fans.
Meta Description: [ Auto_Union_DKW_Group: Auto Union - DKW ]
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