In 1950 DKW built 1,576 passenger cars, in 1951 they built 14,975, and in the first half of 1954 over 17,000 "special" and "master" classes went off the assembly line in Dusseldorf. These three numbers alone prove that the DKW has a large circle of friends, not least because of its high level of driving safety thanks to the front-wheel drive.
We cannot report any new sensations at DKW today, but the development went one step further here. You can sum it up in one sentence: further price reductions, numerous refinements and the shell mixer.
First of all, the "master class" type has expired. There are now only three-cylinder type "special class" passenger cars in three main versions: 1. solid and functional with three-speed gearbox for 5385 DM; 2. with a little more chrome, a bright steering wheel and four-speed gearbox for 5885 DM; and 3. the "luxury coupe", particularly elegant, two-tone and with four retractable side windows for 6385 DM.
The "special class" type has always had the large size rear window. In addition, there are of course also the Universal types and the convertibles as before.
The finishes are not irrelevant: the right front seat can be folded up so that despite only two doors, it is now very easy to get into the back. And the "special class" now has the "headlight flasher" in every version, which we have just spoken of again in the editorial, but without the automatic blinking function, so that you have to blink with a swift finger movement in order not to disturb others by flashing them too much with the headlight. In the test we wrote: “The fuel consumption is very dependent on the driving style (and the use of the freewheel), driving in the middle range it is quite cheap, using about 2/3 gas. You drive fast, spirited and economical up to this point, and only when you roar at full throttle is economy compromised. For some drivers this could bring considerable savings.
What can be achieved with the 900 cc three-cylinder has been demonstrated at many sporting events and we had measured the following for our test (MR 1/54): from 0 to 80 km/h and 119 km/h in 17.5 seconds in top gear!
By the way: How is it going at DKW with the oil injection? This question was answered by Dr. Hahn, when presenting the innovations. Clearly something like this: “We have been working on the injection system since 1927, but after many years we feel the system is complicated and expensive and does not match our simple two-stroke engine. In addition, we do not want to switch from our fresh oil lubrication (petroil lubrication), which ensures immediate fresh oil supply in all operating conditions, even during a cold start.”
But now again to the innovations in the "special class". The dashboard is now flat, glare-free and clear, and the handy two-spoke steering wheel gives a clear view with strong wheel lock and the flattened curve on the underside increases legroom. Finally, the tank is enlarged to 42 litres and contains a "mixer", but we still have to tell you about that.
Our well known friend, the former race supervisor of Shell, chief engineer Johannes Rossig, had the idea for the Shell-Mixer, which was developed in cooperation with Auto-Union. And what is the ‘mixer’ now? Pouring oil and petrol into an old bucket and stir with on a wooden stick as still happens abroad today! Later our petrol stations slowly but surely got a proper mixing bucket was a convenient and generally usable but expensive solution. And now comes the "Shell Mixer", which, after a really convincing demonstration, works quickly and safely, even in cold weather, and always produces a homogeneous mixture.
This mixer actually has only one "hook." It has to be installed under the fuel cap, as is now the case with all new DKW vehicles and one day probably also with some other four-wheeled and two-wheeled vehicles with two-stroke engines not possible.
The Shell Mixer goes back to an Auto-Union patent (680 202) from 1937, in which Johannes Rossig was named as the inventor. The idea was forgotten by the war. Then the experiments showed that large or small quantities, thick oil or very cold fuel did not always mix properly. Now, with the experiments according to the basic patent, an insert is built into the petrol tank which consists of different sieves, the lower one being fine, the middle medium fine and the upper one having to be rough. This path was promising was based on the assumption that the lower sieve would not let the oil through until after the gasoline had entered and forced the mixture to exit through the middle and upper sieves. In a systematic further development, the Shell Mixer, which now mixes practically under all conditions in summer and winter, was created, as best shown in our picture.
Now, regardless of how the petrol station is set up, petroil can be mixed quickly and safely in every country. E.g., 1 liter of normal oil in the tank pouring (in which the mixer is not visible from the outside) and then 25 liters of petrol is poured in after and everything is ready. Refueling doesn't take any longer than with the four-stroke engine (which itself takes a little time to check the oil level).
The DKW mixer is now installed in all new DKW cars and motorcycles. After a lead time of half a year at DKW, Deutsche Shell is making the principle of the mixer available to the entire vehicle industry for license-free use.
Joachim Fischer
This article from the July 1954 Motor Rundschau Vol 14 was republished in the Auto-Union Veteranen Club magazine Vol 118 October 2004. I have translated the article into English. The original can be found here: https://auvc-archive.blogspot.com/2020/04/auvc-nachrichten-vol-118-october-2004.html
No comments:
Post a Comment