DKW F2-1933

DKW started as a motorcycle manufacturer in 1919.  Their first motorcycles were called Das Kleiner Wunder (the little wonder); hence the name DKW.  The motorcycle business was very successful, and by 1930 DKW was the largest motorcycle maker in the world, a position they would hold until WWII.

In 1928 DKW began making cars with a two-stroke engine in the front, and rear wheel drive.  Since the company was very innovative, and had a strong engineering background, they decided in 1929 there was a need for a smaller, more basic car.  By that time several manufacturers had tried front wheel drive with little success.  DKW decided to improve their cars’ road handling, and believed front wheel drive would be required.  Their new small cars were called the F series for Front wheel drive.  The F series cars started production in 1931 with the F-1, and continued through the F-8 in 1942.  The cars were deemed a huge success, immediately outselling the larger rear wheel drive DKWs.

The 1933 F 2 you see here is a special-bodied model believed to have been bodied by the Ihle Brothers of Germany.  It has had only four owners, and the last owner had the car for 50 years.

 

 

Specifications:

Manufacturer:  Zschopauer Motorenwerke J. S. Rasmussen

Country of Origin:  Germany

Drivetrain Configuration:  Front wheel drive

Engine:  584cc, 2-stroke, water cooled, 18 hp

Transmission:  4 speed manual

Top Speed:  45 mph

Years of Production:  1932-35

Number Produced:  1 (this body style), 27,059 (F 2 model)

Original Cost:  Unknown