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The name DKW comes from “Dampf-Kraft-Wagen” which translates to “steam-powered vehicle.” It carries this name because of the first vehicle its Danish designer, J.S. Rasmussen, built, was a light steam car. Like many other manufacturers, DKW was also famous for motorcycles – in the 1930s they were the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer. In 1931, DKW […]

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

By Bob May III To truly appreciate the character of this 1969 Daihatsu Trimobile you have to understand the character of its ownership lineage.  I came to own the vehicle from my father who was a physician in the small town of Cartersville, GA, located about 50 miles north of Atlanta.  He was the last

  Otto Daus was one of those rare individuals that not only decided he could build his own car, he actually did it.  Otto actually started out by building and flying his own airplane.  From 1929 to 1947 Otto was the Chief Designer for the company Vidal und Sohn, which made industrial 3-wheel trucks called

In 1997 Citroën and Peugeot came out with an electric car based on the compact 106 Series cars.  The car was powered by an electric DC motor and 20 6V NiCad batteries that were water-cooled.  Performance was adequate, with 0-30 mph in eight seconds, and 55 mph top speed.  The range was 40 – 60

The Citroën CX was introduced in 1974 and voted “European Car of the Year” in 1975. It is considered by some enthusiasts to be the last “real” Citroën as it was designed before Peugeot took control of the company in 1974.  The CX was a huge success in Europe although, unlike its competitors, it did not

Citroën’s easily adaptable 2CV seemed to be a good starting point for French engineer Marc Voisin to create a true four-wheel drive offering. While the earlier 2CV Sahara had an engine in the front and an engine in the rear to create four-wheel drive, the Voisin 2CVs have just one engine with an additional transaxle

By the late 1960s, Citroën, General Motors, AMC and others viewed NSU’s new rotary, or Wankel, engine, as the wave of the automotive future. Compact but powerful, it allowed automakers much more flexibility in packaging elements of their new designs. Citroën believed strongly enough in rotaries to partner with NSU, creating the Comotor engine manufacturing

The peoples’ car of France, originally developed before WWII, the 2CV did not go into production until 1950 because of the war.  The press laughed at the car, claiming it would not sell but by the time production started there was a 6-year waiting list.  Well-designed and cheap, it filled the needs of post-war rural