DKW Junior
| DKW Junior DKW F11 / DKW F12 |
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|---|---|
1959 DKW Junior
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| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Auto Union AG |
| Production | 1959–1963 (Junior) 1963–1965 (F11 / F12) |
| Assembly |
Düsseldorf, West Germany Ingolstadt, West Germany |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2-door saloon 2-door cabriolet |
| Layout | Front-engine, front-wheel-drive |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 741 cc two-stroke I3 796 cc two-stroke I3 889 cc two-stroke I3 |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,175 mm (85.6 in) Junior 2,250 mm (89 in)F11/F12 |
| Length | 3,968 mm (156.2 in) |
| Curb weight | 700 kg (1,500 lb)- 770 kg (1,700 lb) (empty) |
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.
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 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.
The DKW Junior prototype exhibited in 1957 featured a two-cylinder 660 cc two-stroke engine reminiscent of the two-stroke engine last seen in the DKW F89 Meisterklasse phased out in 1953.
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Wikipedia