DKW Schnellaster

DKW Schnellaster
1954 DKW Schnellaster F 89 L minibus, with precursor layout to the contemporary minivan: front-wheel drive, transverse engine, flat floor, and multi-configurable seating
Overview
Manufacturer	DKW Auto Union
Production	1949–1962
Assembly	Ingolstadt, Germany
Body and chassis
Class	Light commercial vehicle
Body style	panel van, minibus, pickup
Layout	FWD layout
Powertrain
Engine	0.7 L I2 two-stroke 0.8 L I2 two-stroke 0.9 L I3 two-stroke
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,500 mm (98.4 in) – 3,000 mm (118.1 in) (pickup)
Length	3,930 mm (154.7 in) – 4,455 mm (175.4 in) (pickup)
Width	1,550 mm (61.0 in) – 1,670 mm (65.7 in)

The DKW Schnellaster, also known as the DKW F89 L, was a van produced by DKW from 1949 to 1962. Alongside the DKW F89 passenger car, it was the first vehicle to be manufactured by the new Auto Union conglomerate in Ingolstadt, following the re-establishment of the business in West Germany. The model name Schnellaster translates from German to English as Rapid Transporter.

The Schnellaster is of a one box or monospace configuration featuring front wheels set forward in the passenger cabin, a short sloping aerodynamic hood, front wheel drive, transverse engine, flat load floor throughout with flexible seating and cargo accommodations. These same features make the Schnellaster a precursor of the modern minivan, a body configuration subsequently popularized in notable examples such as the Renault Espace, or the Chrysler Voyager/Dodge Caravan and, mechanically, of the BMC Mini plus most modern cars.

The van included a trailing-arm rear suspension system incorporating springs in the cross bar assembly. The modern layout featured a prewar two-cylinder 700 cc two-stroke engine of the DKW F8 rated at 20 hp (22 hp after 1952). In 1955 the van received the DKW F9's three cylinder unit with 900 cc, producing 32 hp (24 kW).

The van's layout enabled a flat loading floor only 40 cm (16 in) off the ground. It was also fitted with a large single rear door fitted to hinges on the right-hand side.

The van was also produced in Vitoria, Spain, by Industrias del Motor S.A. (IMOSA) from 1954. In Spain, DKW became a common term for any van, and is still used today. The Spanish subsidiary also produced a modern successor with all new bodywork, introduced in 1963 and called the DKW F1000 L. This van started with the three-cylinder 981 cc two-stroke DKW engine, but later received a Mercedes-Benz Diesel engine and was finally renamed a Mercedes-Benz in 1975.