Framo was founded by DKW founder Jorge Rasmussen, and his business partners, Paul Figura and Richard Blau, as the Frankenberg Metalworks factory in 1923. The factory, originally a disused military barracks, turned originally manufactured seats, leatherworks and auxillary fittings for DKW's early motorcycles. As demand for motorcycles increased, so did their range of products. They were soon manufacturing steel tube frames and even simple carburetors for use in DKW's stationary engines.
Rasmussen's opportunistic mind sought out market opportunities wherever he could and in 1924 the factory began assembling simple tricycle rickshaws powered by a single-cylinder, air-cooled 150cc DKW stationary motor. Many of the parts were taken directly from DKW's Lomos and Golem scooters, which were by this stage obsolete. Light commercial vehicles such as these found a huge market in Germany, which despite its reputation for technical advancement, was in many ways still a rural economy. Grocers, bakers and farmers were still using horse carts and push carts to distribute their wares, so even the simplest motorised delivery vehicle found a ready market - if the price was right.
These delivery triporters were originally sold under the DKW brand-name, but Rasmussen soon introduced a new acronym - DGW or "the working car", but this name never really caught on.
Framo TV300
In 1926 the company developed a completely new and much more substantial commercial vehicle - the TV300. The TV300 had a pressed steel chassis onto which a wooden cabin and carrying tray were attached. A 300cc DKW stationary motor was mounted atop the single front wheel. Steering was by tiller and the vehicle had a two speed gearbox. The body could be customized for particular uses byt the factory. The TV300 was sold interchangeably under a variety of brand names - DKW, DGW and Framo. By 1928 the Frankenburg plant had built 1000 TV300 triportes and was employing some 700 people.
Framo LT300
By 1930 Rasmussen had abandoned the DKW and DGW brand names in favour of Framo. That year, the transporter was substantially modernised, receiving a a proper drivers cabin, three speed gearbox and the primitive tiller steering was replaced with a steering wheel, which turned the front wheel through the action of articulated levers. The new model was designated the LT300.
Framo LTH300
1933 the transporter was further modernised, receiving a more powerful engine, three speed gearbox with reverse and a fully enclosed cab. The LTH 300 'Liechertransportwagen mit haube' (light transport truck with cab).
Above is an early model LTH. Tricycle delivery vehicles were immensely popular in Germany at this time as a three-wheeled vehicle with engines under 400cc capacity did not pay road tax and did not require a drivers license to operate. Although there were a dozen triporter manufacturers in Germany, the market was dominated by Vidal and Sohn's Tempo and Carl Borgward's Goliath which had the industrial capactity to pump out tens of thousands of tricycles per year. Framo was a much smaller concern but it managed to hold third position in the market.
Such was the shortage of cheap personal transport in Germany that Framo - and others - even offered a passenger car version of their triporter.
Framo LTG500
A 1939 prospectus for Framo dreirads. "As strong as an ox... in a class of its own." http://tempohanseat.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/1939-framo-prospect.html
And meanwhile, over at Auto Union....trouble
Jorge Rasmussen's group of companies had weathered the economic storm of the early years of the depression by buying out struggling businesses. By 1930 he had built a diverse industrial empire that embraced everything from steel mills, leather tanneries, electrical products, refrigerators, motorcycles, commercial tricycles, automobiles and even aircraft. So sprawling was his empire that his bankers, the State Bank of Saxony viewed this expansion with some alarm. Nevertheless, they recognised in Rasmussen a motivated and capable executive. In 1929, August Horch's Audiwerkes was teetering on the verge of bankruptcy. Audi sales had collapsed during the later 1920s as their cars were too expensive to find a sufficient market. Horch himself had often been accused of being too focused on engineering and not on the sales and marketing, being a firm believer that success on the racing circuit would ensure sales. Such was his focus at the Horch and Co Automobilewerkes that in 1909 he was sacked by the board from his own company. He went on to found Audi as a competitor and rival to his namesake, but after several years of success, Audi too fell into the same rut as Horch - building too expensive cars for a market that no longer existed. August Horch had slowly stepped away from the executive management of Audi in order to take up a government post on the Saxon transport commission, leaving Audi to drift without direction. In 1930 Audi had annual sales of less than 100 vehicles.
The Bank of Saxony approached Rasmussen with a offer - buy out the ailing Audi. Audi was in terrible financial shape but the Bank of Saxony was willing to renegotiate and restructure its debts as well as extend to Rasmussen additional credit. For Rasmussen and DKW, this was a significant undertaking but Rasmussen could see the benefit. DKW had just begun building its first range of budget cars. He had ambitions to become a major automobile manufacturer in Germany and had recently purchased the designs and plant of the defunct US company Rickenbacker. With access to Audi's automobile plant, design studio and experience, success was guaranteed.
Unfortunately, almost none of those ambitions would come to fruition. Rasmussen had the Audi team revise their product range, removing uneconomical models and streamlining production to save costs. Audi sales did not improve. At great expense, the Rickenbacker four and six cylinder engine plant was re-established at Audi, but found no buyers. He even rebadged a re-engined Big DKW 1000 model as an Audi and it failed. Both Audi and Rickenbacker were unsaveable. As motorcycle sales flattened out in 1930 and 1931, in desperation Rasmussen instructed his design team to create a cheap budget car in time for the 1931 Berlin Motor Show - six weeks away. Pulling out all the stops they presented the DKW F1 (Front), a handsome, lightweigh, plywood-bodied roadster powered by a 500cc twin-cylinder water-cooled two-stroke motor, driving the front wheels. The car was a sensation and the salvation of the company.
The DKW F1 debuts at the 1931 Berlin Auto Show. When released it was the cheapest conventional car on the German market and was many German families first experience of motoring. Despite its simplicity and budget price the car had several radically new features, not least being its front-wheel drive - the first in any production vehicle. It spawned a long lineage of front-wheel drive cars leading all the way to our modern Audi and Volkswagen cars.
DKW and Rasmussen was not out of the woods yet. The Audi misadventure had cost the company dearly and continued restructuring and cost cutting would be necessary to bring the group back onto a sound footing. He was not therefore impressed when the Bank of Saxony presented him with another problem - Horch. As with Audi, Horch specialised in large and expensive cars and had been badly hit by the economic downturn. An examination of their books revealed they were in even worse financial shape than Audi had been, so Rasmussen and his board felt obliged to turn the Bank down. The Bank however was insistent. The failure of a major automaker in Saxony could only have a negative knock on effect to other automakers. Additionally, it would be difficult for the Bank to continue extending credit to the Rasmussen Group in such an environment. Rasmussen and his team examined the problem in detail and returned with a proposal - the establishment of a conglomerate of the three companies, consolidating their common operations - such as design studios, finance division, marketing and executive, followed by a rationalisation of each company's production program so that the companies did not waste resources competing against each other. Rasmussen warned that such as rationalisation would need to be brutal if Horch was to have any chance of survival. There was one problem however, after the Audi buyout, Rasmussen Group did not have the capital to fund this initiative. The Bank supported the initiative and in order to fund the merger pulled Wanderer into the negotiations. Wanderer were a middle class automobile and motorcycle company who was at this time extremely solvent. Wanderer and the State Bank funded a capitalisation and Auto Union AG was formed in 1932. Rasmussen secured priority for his DKW company to retain the motorcycle and budget car market. Wanderer was forced to sell its motorcycle division to the Czech Jawa company. Rasmussen Group transferred DKW to Auto Union, but retained all ownership of all non-automobile and motorcycle businesses, such as Framo, DKW Kuhler (refrigerators) and DKW-Erla (aircraft).
With DKW the largest manufacturer in the group and contributing more than half of the group's profits, Rasmussen felt that the managing directorship should be his by right. The Bank had after all come to him to organise this scheme, however, he was soon to find himself on the outside. Firstly, Wanderer had been bought into the merger because she was well capitalised. Keen to protect their interests, the directors of Wanderer ensure that they would dominate the board. There was also concern at the State Bank about Rasmussen's mercurial approach to management. To a great degree he operated by instinct - which had mostly proved successful. To the Bank however, the Auto Union was a huge financial gamble that could, if it went bad, bring down the State Bank. They preferred to have someone more 'reliable' in charge. The State Bank of Saxony's candidate for the managing directorship was Dr Richard Bruhn, supported by Wanderer's director of sales, Baron Klaus Von Ouertzen. Bruhn and Rasmussen instantly clashed and Rasmussen found himself sidelined. In an effort to avoid the tensions around the boardroom, Rasmussen attempted to exert his influence in the design studio, but here had ran up against Horch's fierce chief designer, William Werner. Rasmussen then set off to Czechoslovakia where began negotiating the licensed production of DKW's new F2 model with Jawa director, Frantisek Janecek. The two engineering entrepreneurs got on well and contracts were inked in July 1933. Auto Union were horrified to discover that Rasmussen had retained the sole authority to conclude licensed production contracts on behalf of DKW and attempted to annul the deal. They were unsuccessful so in December 1933 he was summarily sacked. Rasmussen was not prepared to go quietly and his campaign against Auto-Union in the press and in the corridors of power resulted in him recieving a substantial settlement of 1.3 million Reich Marks. https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2021/02/jawa-700.html
Although he never stopped hoping for an opportunity to buy back his beloved DKW, Rasmussen was determined to continue building passenger vehicles and, if he couldn't do at DKW, he would do it at Framo. which remained within the Rasmussen Group under the managing directorship of Jorge's son, Hans. Interestingly, despite the personal animosity between Rasmussen and his rivals on the Auto Union board, the commercial relationship between DKW and Framo remained cordial and productive. Framo continued to purchase DKW stationary engines for their vehicles and Framo continued to make seats, fittings and carburetors for DKW.
Framo Stromer
Framo's first passenger car was the Stromer, a highly aerodynamic streamlined three-wheeled budget vehicle. Built around a simple tube chassis, which doubled as the exhaust, the car was powered by a 200cc air-cooled DKW stationary engine, driving the front wheels through a three-speed gearbox with reverse. Although powered by a very small engine, the car was extremely light at only 300 kilograms unloaded, which allowed it a top speek of 60 KPH. The streamlined bodywork was constructed of wood covered with leatherette. Priced at 1460 RM, it was slightly cheaper than a contemporary DKW F2 sedan.
The Framo Stromer on display at the 1933 Berlin Auto Show. The car was sleek and sporty, but the retention of a very conventional looking bonnet and false radiator screen used up valuable space in what was a very small car.
"This is the new Framo 2 seater personal vehicle - the Stromer! The Stomer makes its way - whether the road is good or bad - in sunshine, rain and snow, up mountains and down valleys, is economical on fuel, undemanding maintenance and does not need garaging."
Being a three-wheeler with a small capacity engine meant that owners did not need a drivers license or pay road tax - an important selling point - but unfortunately the tiny two-seater did not sell well, with only 360 cars sold over three years. Even the car's exceptional performance in the 1933 endurance trials failed to boost sales.
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/05/framo-stomer-how-modern-car-is-made.html
In a 13-hour endurance trial on 2 June 1933 the Stomer covered some 8819 kilometres.
Stromers on the production line highlights Rasmussen's challenge at Framo - Framo was simply too small an operation for effective mass production. In 1933 the Army wrote to Framo and requisitioned its barracks at Frankenberg, giving the company two years to relocate. As a result Framo was able to move to newer, larger premises in Hainichen.
Framo Piccolo
Rasmussen's plans to get back into the passenger car market received a boost at the opening of the 1933 Berlin Auto Show, when the newly elected Chancellor, Adolf Hitler, called for an automotive revolution in Germany. The government would embark on an ambitious program of road building and the motoring industry was challenged to build a people's car or 'volkswagen' to get Germany moving. The volkswagen would be a car that every Germany worker could afford.
The heads of the major auto companies were aghast at this idea. Many companies had investigated budget vehicle designs, but abandoned the idea as there simply was no profit it. They treated Hitler's call as just another piece of political theatre and ignored it, hoping the whole idea would fade away. But for the smaller players like Framo, this was a great opportunity. Rasmussen and the Framo design team expanded the Framo Piccolo concept and added a fourth wheel. The car was built around a self-supporting plywood box, reinforced with a central metal spine screwed into the plywood floor, upon which the independently sprung axles were attached. A single cylinder, 200cc or 300 cc two-stroke, air-cooled DKW stationary motor was mounted in the rear, driving the right hand wheel via a chain. The petrol tank was mounted above the engine gravity feeding the carburettor. A kick starter was provided ahead of the rear wheel for emergencies. Fittings were minimal at best - the sole dashboard instrument was a the speedometer. There was a small amount of luggage space ahead of the passenger's feet. The driver and passenger sat on rather uncomfortable tube frame seats with canvas seat-backs. Two tiny jump seats were provided in the rear for children.
It was inevitable perhaps that the Framo Piccolo resembled contemporary DKWs, given their common origin. The original model featured a coal scuttle bonnet as there was no radiator. The plaque trumpets "no drivers license necessary!"
Rasmussen presents the Framo Piccolo to Adolf Hitler at the 1934 Berlin Auto Show. Note that to save costs the car had no left hand door, only a single door opening on the right. Hitler was not impressed, describing the car as "not half a grape." Nevertheless, the international press who saw the Piccolo thought that this must have been the embodiment of Hitler's Volkswagen. As The Daily News, Perth, Western Australia reported, '"Every German should have a car," declared the Chancellor (Herr Hitler) in opening the Berlin Motor Show, a feature of which was a four-seater Framo car costing 60 pounds.' 10 March 1934.
1934's Berlin Auto Show was to be a watershed event. Adolf Hitler toured the exhibits and spoke to the many heads of industry, but he was distracted by the display put on by the Czech Tatra company. Their cutting edge, rear-engined streamlined T77 limousine showcased what imaginative, modernist design could achieved. It only highlighted how far behind the German automotive industry was. It transformed his thinking and his expectations, and he spelt them out explicitly to the industry leadership. The new German car would be of modern steel construction, must seat four adults comfortably, have a top speed of 100 kilometres per hour, and would cost no more than a 1000RM. The German people would not make do with second-rate baby cars, three-wheelers, and motorcycle engined plywood and leather contraptions. For comparison, the Framo Piccolo was priced at 1295RM.
The Piccolo was still a viable vehicle and did sell in small numbers. Framo made improvements to the car, increasing the size of the engine, and even added a second door! The flat, coal scuttle bonnet was replaced by a false radiator grill taken from the contemporary DKW F2. 737 were sold before production ceased in 1935.
"At last, the long awaited people's car, the Framo Piccolo. 1275RM for a four-seater (seating two adults and two children). Each affordable!"
Framo Rebell
Taking the lessons from the Piccolo and Stromer, Framo expanded the concept into a full sized automobile. A modern Stromer-inspired body was mounted on a tube chassis and fitted with a larger 400cc air-cooled two-stroke motor driving the front wheels. The new Rebell was handsome, and sporty, yet low cost car. Unfortunately this promising project did not progress past prototype stage.
Design study of the Rebell. As with other Framo vehicles (and contemporary DKWs) the bodywork was plywood covered with leatherette for weather protection. The seats were cloth on metal frame.
What could have been? The handsome Framo Rebell prototype driven by Jorge Rasmussen's son, Hans, now CEO of the company. Despite its promise, Framo was simply too small a company to build multiple vehicle lines at the same time, and cancelled the project.
The Rebell outside Motor Kritik's office. Josef Ganz's Detra T11 (German built Tatra under license) is in the background.
Framo Volkswagen
After the debacle at the 1934 Berlin Auto Show, Rasmussen was determined not to make the same mistake again and threw the company's best and brightest into the new 'volkswagen' project. Jorge's son, Hans, and chief engineer Fritz Goritz worked on a completely new design. Mounted on a narrow track, ladder chassis (Goritz patent) and powered by a 500cc 18 horsepower DKW two-cylinder two-stroke engine with water cooling, the car featured a handsome, modern looking wood and steel body.
While his son and Goritz were working on the car, Jorge was working the political angle. He traveled to the United States with Ferdinand Porsche to study the US automotive industry and learn the lessons of mass production. Rasmussen was well aware that Porsche was working on his own 'volkswagen' project and had the Fuhrer's ear. He was also aware that Porsche's project was being held back by technical challenges with the rear engine layout. Rasmussen felt certain that if he could get his car presented first, he would be in with a chance.
The stakes were very high as Hitler's patience with the German automotive industry had finally run out - in spectacular fashion. In a fiery speech at the 1936 Berlin Auto Show Adolf Hitler raged against car industry for their inability deliver "the cheap car" and threatened to nationalise the entire industry. At any rate, in 1936 Hitler openly declared his support for the Porsche project. It seems that Hitler had greater rapport with fellow Bohemian Porsche, than with the Danish Rasmussen.
All plans and details of the Framo Volkswagen have since been lost. Only a handful of photographs of the single prototype remain.
Framo-Goritz Streamliner
Although the Framo volkswagen proved a failure Hans Rasmussen and Fritz Goritz continued experimenting on the design until 1938. Taking the narrow track chassis and fitting it with tandem seats and a torpedo shaped body to produce a totally space-age vehicle.
Hans and Jorge Rasmussen drive the Framo-Goritz streamliner chassis. Although space age in appearance it remained a budget car. The car's single cylinder, 200cc water cooled two-stroke engine is clearly visible in the photo.
Several versions of the car were built and presented to the Government for evaluation, much to their annoyance. The automobile association demonstrated the car's impracticality by assigning their tallest SS test driver to drive the car in a 12 hour endurance test. Needless to say the driver's report was less than complimentary. In 1938 the Schell Plan put a stop to all further passenger car development at Framo.
Framo commercials
While Rasmussen was unsuccessfully pursing his passenger car dreams, Framo continued manufacturing commercial vehicles. In 1934 Framo released its first four wheeled commercial, the HT600. Powered by an 18 horsepower DKW two-cylinder, water-cooled, two-stroke engine, it was capable of carrying a payload of almost a ton. 1200 were built between 1934 and 1937.
A larger version, the HT1200 was also built, powered by a 1.2 litre Ford four-stroke engine. Although capable of carrying a larger payload, it was more expensive and consequently less popular. Only 250 were built.
Framo V500 & V501
In 1938 the Nazi's implemented a comprehensive rationalisation of the automotive industry. The Schell Plan, named after its author Colonel Adolf Schell, determined which company could produce what. Framo's tricycle and passenger car production was stopped and they were permitted only to produce their new V500 and V501 light truck. Powered by a 500cc DKW two-cylinder, two-stroke engine, in either air-cooled or water-cooled versions. Almost 6000 were built during the war years and served with the Wehrmacht in all theatres.
By the time the war turned against Germany Jorge Rasmussen was living in retirement on his estate in Sacrow. When the Eastern Front collapsed in 1945, he and his family fled west, eventually settling in Flensberg on the Danish border, where the remnants of the Nazi government had established its ghost government. After the war he retired to Denmark.
Framo's Hainichen factories escaped war damage but was dismantled by the Soviets. Nevertheless, the factory struggled back into existence building hand carts, wheel barrows and horse drawn wagons. In 1947 some trucks were built from pre-war and war-time stockpiles of spare parts.
In 1948 the new East German government nationalised the factory, which was renamed IFA-Framo. In 1949 the first new trucks began rolling off the production line. The new model, the V900 was externally similar to its predecessor, the V500/1, but featured the new 900cc three-cylinder, two-stroke motor designed for the 1939 DKW F9. This engine was also used in the new IFA F9 which was also unveiled at the Leipzig Motor Show the same year. The engines were built at the former BMW works at Eisenach. In addition, the East German motoring authority, VEB, transferred the manufacture of DKW's small stationary engine line to the Framowerke.
Between 1948 and 1957 Framo improved and enhanced the V900, such as improving fittings and increasing the horsepower of the engine. Production facilities at Hainichen were however limited so some production was transferred to a newly rebuilt factory at Chemnitz. Production of the V900 ceased in 1961 after some 29,000 had been built.
Barkas 1000B
1956 saw the release of a substantially redesigned variant of the Framo V900. Goritz' patent narrow track chassis was employed to allow a low floor platform, while the 900cc two-stroke engine was lowered and moved forward. The cab was also moved to a forward-control, cab-over engine position. The new van was named the Barkas (spark). The company was also changed from IFA Framo to VEB Barkas and a new company logo was established. http://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/barkas-prospect.html
In 1961 the old Framo V900 was retired and the Barkas received a new 1000cc two-stroke engine and was renamed the Barkas 1000B. The Barkas would remain in production until 1991 as East Germany's sole light commercial vehicle. The Eastern equivalent of the Volkswagen Transporter, the Barkas was a remarkably versatile vehicle that could carry extraordinary payloads - up to four tons, far more than its little engine would imply! It came in a wide variety of body styles - minibus, enclosed van, drop sided truck, tipping tray - the combinations were endless. In 1990, Volkswagen bought into VEB and began replacing the two-stroke engine with a 1.3 litre four-stroke engine. Sadly the attempt to modernise the Barkas, like that of the Trabant, ultimately failed and VEB Barkas closed its doors in 1991.
The late model Barkas with a four-cylinder, four-stroke Volkswagen engine.
Links
Information about Framo and Barkas in English is very scarce but they have dedicated followings in Eastern Europe in much the same way as the Volkswagen Transporter has elsewhere. Here are some links-
http://www.framo901.cz/historie.htm
http://163262.homepagemodules.de/t153f37-Framo.html
http://www.forum-auto.com/automobiles-mythiques-exception/section5/sujet364705-7980.htm
http://www.f-r-a-m-o.de/
http://barkas.de/
http://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/ifa-1965-export-report.html
http://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/my-first-car-framo-piccolo-on-wild-ride.html
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