1955 AWZ P70 Review - English Translation

Der Deutsche Strassen Verkehr fur verkehr und wirtschaft, Vol 8 August 1955
Original copy here: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/06/1955-review-awz-p70.html

German road traffic for traffic and economy

The passenger car program of our vehicle industry has so far been based on developments from the period before the war. Vehicle selection was limited to the IFA F8, IFA F9 and EMW, which is still building sport-cabriolets and sport-coupes. The F8 in particular was often criticized because it has been remained almost unchanged for decades (see “Der Deutsche Straßenverkehr "4/54 p. 113, under the title" F8 modernization").

These criticisms of our vehicle industry have been successful. VEB kraftfahrzeugwerk Audi, Zwickau (Saxony) is now bringing out its new type, the P70 Zwickau, which represents a really modern small car. The designation P70 means that it is a passenger car with an engine of 700ccm displacement. A type K70 "Tourist" (‘Kombi’ station wagon with 700ccm engine displacement) is planned for the future.

The P70 is an elegant, shapely, spacious pontoon wagon. The most revolutionary innovation is the body, which is made of plastic. This thermoset construction technique offers considerable advantages. For instance, this material minimizes body noise, is heat-insulating and corrosion-resistant. Due to its elasticity, it has high impact strength. There is no damage in the event of a load which would dent sheet steel. In the event of severe damage, the molded part can be simply replaced with a new one. Minor damage can be repaired by cutting out the damaged part and a new plastic sheet is fitted in.

The painting is carried out like a steel body. The use of a pontoon body style results in good interior space. For example, the front seats have an elbow width of 1300 mm, while in the F8 it is only 1000mm.

The car is equipped with a maintenance-free, individual wheel suspension at the front and a floating axle at the rear. The front and rear suspension is provided by transverse springs. These have been further developed and re-dimensioned, becoming considerably better as a result. The wheelbase has been shortened to 2380 mm, which means that the transverse torsional vibrations have been reduced and better road holding achieved. Despite this shortened wheelbase, the seating between the axles is excellent, as the twin-cylinder two-stroke engine is placed transversely in front of the axle. All parts of the engine are easily accessible. The two-cylinder motor has three transfer ports with reverse scavenging and flat-topped pistons. The bore is 76 mm, as is also the stroke and generates 22 HP. The compression ratio is 1:7. The 10 percent increase in engine output compared to the F8 also enables the gear ratios to be changed, which increases both the engine’s service life and reduces the amount of gas consumed. The speed of the engine is now only 3925 rpm at 80 km/h. In the case of the F 8, the motor turns at 4120 rpm at this speed.

The engine is water-cooled. The vehicle has battery ignition, and the alternator and starter are 12 Volt.

The transmission has 3 gears and reverse gear with freewheel. The multi-disc clutch runs in an oil bath. Wheel size is 5.00 x 16. The handbrake acts on the rear wheels, while the footbrake is designed as a mechanical duplex four-wheel brake. The track width is 1190mm at the front, 1500mm at the rear, and the height is 1430mm. With a permissible load of 320 kg, the total weight is 1120 kg. The turning circle diameter is about 10m. Top speed of the P70 is 90 km/h. The standard fuel consumption as specified by the factory is 7 litres per 100 km.

The large, undivided, curved windshield and a rear window that extends around the entire rear side of the cabin exemplify modern constructional trends.

A defrosting device on the windshield and heater are standard. In the dashboard there is space for a radio set.

The spare wheel is in a separate lockable compartment under the trunk. Tire changes are therefore quick and easy, without having to unpack and put away the luggage.

The plastic Duroplast body is a tried and tested, fully developed product and has been extensively tested over years in the laboratory and in practical driving tests, withstanding the toughest of stresses. It was exposed to all weather conditions and buried in the earth for a long time. In all these tests it was apparent that these conditions did not damage the plastic "Duroplast” in any way. The test vehicles covered more than 100,000 km under all road weather conditions.

Finally, a critical remark: The interior could be improved if, not only our vehicle industry, but also the accessories industry endeavors to develop modern accessories for the new vehicles.

In conclusion, it can be stated that the Audi works in Zwickau have brought out a modern vehicle with the P70, which has quickly made many friends in the GDR. Sales successes will certainly also be achieved on the world market.

We hope to be able to send our readers a detailed review of the P 70 later.

AWZ P70 Owners manual: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2018/04/1959-awz-p70-zwickau-drivers-manual.html
AWZ P70 Special tools: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2022/01/special-tools-for-prewar-f8-and-awz-p70.html

1955 AWZ P70 Review - German

AWZ P70 sedan tested in DDR Den Deutsche Strassen Verkehr (an East German motoring magazine) Vol 8 August 1955. I have translated into English here: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2021/02/1955-awz-p70-review-english-translation.html

AWZ P70 Owners manual: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2018/04/1959-awz-p70-zwickau-drivers-manual.html
AWZ P70 Special tools: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2022/01/special-tools-for-prewar-f8-and-awz-p70.html

1955 AWZ P70 Prospekt

Click link for a contemporary promotional film from Finland. Finland and Scandinavia were major export markets for IFA and DKW. DKW had enjoyed a solid reputation in the Scandinavian countries due to their car's ability to start in extremely cold conditions and the traction that front wheel drive provided in the snow. It's worth noting that the dealership in film is also agent for DKW sales.
https://elavamuisti.fi/aikajana/muoviauto-p70-zwickau

Some screenshots:

Auto-Ala Dealership

Come and look at your new car

Never mind the snow, this car start's no problem.

And we have full service facilities

Made of the newest, lightweight material - Duraplast!  The panels are so flexible you can drive over them without damage.

And any damage that is done can be easily repaired.

Cracks and damage can be plastered over.

Economical on fuel

Just cents to fill up

AWZ - the modern car for today!

1955 AWZ P70 - The F8 in a New Guise

Missing page here



Indeed, the AWZ P70 was an IFA F8 with a modern pontoon-body made out of synthetic Dynaplast panels.

1954 Review of IFA Kombiwagens

Taking into account the numerous requests of our readers, we continue today with the publication of the discussion of the technical details of the motor vehicles produced in the German Democratic Republic, which started with the motorcycles. However, before we introduce the passenger cars, let us look at the even more popular commercial vehicles, which start with the so-called station wagons and lead to delivery vans and trucks.

The "IFA-F9 Kombinationwagon"
Characteristics:

This elegant and functional vehicle with front-wheel drive, which can be used to transport people as well as goods, was shown to the public for the first time in 1953 as part of the motor vehicle show at the Leipzig Trade Fair. Equipped with the powerful and easy-to-maintain water-cooled three-cylinder engine of the well-known "IFA F9" sedan as the drive source, the IFA F9 combination sedan with six side windows, is produced in two versions, one made of sheet metal and wood and one with an all-steel body. Both versions seat four passengers, offering its owner the advantage that he can transport smaller, not especially bulky goods with it on weekdays as an express transport and can use it on Sundays or on vacation for driving into the country, for rest and relaxation, whereby the advantage arises that, in addition to four people, he can also take plenty of luggage with him.

A spacious sedan on the outside, the station wagon has four comfortable seats inside and a completely horizontal loading area behind them. Folding the rear seats forward gives a load floor of 1600 mm long, 1150 mm wide and 870 mm high. Both versions have two doors with wind-up windows that give access to the front seats. The combination structure mentioned above is made of sheet metal up to and including the front seats, and behind it rises a hardwood structure clad with plywood panels. The door in the rear wall of the body, which enables easy and quick loading and unloading, is designed in two parts in this version. The upper part with a window is folded up while the lower part made entirely of wood is folded down. The all-steel version, on the other hand, has a one-piece rear door that opens to the outside on the right. The higher demands placed on the vehicle in combination operation have also been taken into account in terms of the chassis. The rear springs have been strengthened in both versions, and oversized 5.50-16" tires are used instead of the 5.00-16" tires usual for the normal sedan.

The IFA F-8 box delivery truck

Before we go into more detail about this model, it should be mentioned that a station wagon based on the chassis of the IFA F8 with front-wheel drive and a 690 cc two-stroke two-cylinder engine will also be supplied, which will be sold in the HO branches for DM 9,400. We will go into more detail about their technical details in one of our next issues.

Characteristics:
The IFA-F8 box delivery van with a combined sheet metal and wooden box body combines the demand for the greatest possible economy for the fast transport of goods of all kinds. The sensible design, tried and tested a thousand times over, with front-wheel drive and the undemanding two-stroke two-cylinder engine, makes this vehicle, with its load capacity of 0.5 tonnes, including the driver and front passenger, just as valuable as a car because it is fast, reliable and economical.

Translated from article in the 1954 June edition of Der Deutschen Strassenverkehr:
https://gdrfahrzeuge.blogspot.com/2023/06/der-deutsche-strassen-verkehr-heft-6.html

Contemporary brochure for the IFA F9 kombi:
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2019/04/1954-ifa-f9-universal-english-brochure.html
Contemporary brochure for the IFA F8 kombi:
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/05/1949-ifa-f8-kombi-van.html

1954 Das Magazin Volume Three - This year we drive better!

Das Magazin was an East German cultural and entertainment magazine. In March 1954, East German senior automotive technical engineer, Seigfried Rauch, wrote a brief update on the state of development of East Germany's auto industry. Big news was the 'arrival' of the new IWL Pitty on the market. Unfortunately, this claim was overstated and the Pitty wouldn't actually arrive in stores until 1955. Also news was the planned improvements to the IFA F9 with new variants and better features.



Full magazine can be found here: https://archive.org/details/das-magazin-1954-03/Das%20Magazin%20-%201954-03/

English translation:

"Each of us has a secret desire to drive to work in our own vehicle, to go on vacation or away for the weekend. If you don't have your own car, this wish can certainly be fulfilled today, and many will have put a small sum aside for it.

But everyone else will also be interested in what our state-owned vehicle industry has to offer this year.

Let's start with the bikes. There will no longer be just one or two standard models but an extensive range that starts with the stable utility bike in nice and cheerful colors and goes far beyond the light, sleek sports machine, equipped with a three-speed gearshift, rim brakes and stem handlebars. In 1954 we will finally be given the motorized bicycle. By the summer a small, light two-stroke engine will be on the market, which is undemanding, cheap and dimensioned in such a way that we don't run the risk of ruining the bike by going too fast.

The motorbikes start with the world-famous and justifiably popular RT 125, the fast and economical small two-stroke machine, which will appear this year in a significantly improved version and on a par with any international competition, as the RT 125/1: with a more powerful engine, improved suspension, swing saddle and drive chain enclosed in a completely dirt-proof cover. Despite its relatively small cylinder capacity, the RT 125/1 is also suitable for a pillion passenger and luggage.

If you drive faster and sportier, if you want to use the motorcycle mainly for two people or even with a sidecar, you will find the right machine in the AWO 250. The 1954 model has a number of improvements that have made this machine, which is also popular abroad, even more powerful, more reliable and more economical. The successful AWO racing machines were the inspiration for these innovations, so that the buyer of the new model is the direct beneficiary of the racing experience.

In the 350cc class, there are two models with fundamentally different engine and chassis designs -the BK 350 from Zschopau with a state-of-the-art two-cylinder two-stroke boxer engine that has been tried and tested in international performance tests, and the R 35, which has continued to be built with its basic features unchanged for years - single-cylinder four-stroke engine, foot-switched four-speed gearbox, a massive sheet steel frame and all-wheel suspension like all GDR models.

Before we move on to the "four-wheeled competition", we still have to talk about the big surprise of 1954: the motor scooter, the motorcycle with the comfort of the car. In an incredibly short development time, the "Pitty", the motor scooter, is in the GDR, which will hopefully go into series production very soon. On this outwardly successful and "inwardly" very confidence-inspiring youngest child of our nationally-owned vehicle industry, you can reach a maximum speed of 70 to 75 km per hour, protected from dirt, and comfortably seated. Fuel consumption is around 3 litres for 100 km.

However, the mirror of the efficiency of an automotive industry, the proof of the skill of technicians and workers, is the car. The F9 is this proof of the automotive industry of the GDR. Its performance, its superior road holding, its elegant form, which was admired again and again, and the numerous harmonious color schemes make many people want to own this car more and more. We know today, this is our car - one day we will drive it too! Because the F9 is being built in ever-increasing numbers, not only as a sedan, but also as an attractive, elegant cabriolet, as a sunroof sedan and as a station wagon, which allows all kinds of transport on weekdays and yet at the weekend is available for the whole family. The F9 will be manufactured with heating this year and radio installation is planned. The engine will be even more powerful, quieter and more economical. Although the F9 is still a desirable item in European and overseas countries, domestic needs will also be met.

Finally, a little consolation for those who have more urgent things to buy in 1954 than a vehicle. We have also thought of them - new, spacious and comfortable type H 6 B high-capacity buses equipped with powerful engines will be used for transport to work as well as for excursions and vacation trips.

And have a good journey!"

Problems with the IWL Pitty:
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/06/soviet-zone-scooter-debacle-der-speigel.html

Development of the IFA F9:
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-development-of-ifa-f9.html

State of our automotive industry:
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/12/basic-problems-of-motor-vehicle-and.html

1954 IFA F9 Ersatzteilelist