Dr Ing. Carl Hahn retires 30 June 1957

Dr.-lng. Carl Hahn, managing director of AUTO UNION GmbH, whose name has been associated with the DKW two-stroke engine for more than 35 years and whose work has had a significant impact on the development of the two-stroke vehicle engine far beyond the limits of any company affiliation, will retire on June 30th 1957 for health reasons.

Since Dr. Hahn joined J. S. Rasmussen’s Zschopauer Motorenwerke on April 20, 1922 and became the first employee working for DKW and the two-stroke engine. From the beginning, he recognized the significant possibilities of the principle, that was still in its infancy at that time, and became its most spirited herald for more than three decades. His name, like no other, is associated with the unusual rise of the marque DKW.

With outstanding skill, unshakable faith and never-ending conviction, he helped to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, making DKW the world's largest motorcycle factory in 1927. The production of the DKW passenger car that began in the following years also developed in a similarly favourable manner.

The DKW sales organization provided Dr Hahn a constant source of good ideas. With the first-time dealer conventions, he established the close cooperation within the DKW sales organization and thus also created the basis for the emergence of the rapidly growing, large DKW family. Already in 1924, DKW introduced the instalment payment system as the first plant in the German automotive industry. Two years later, DKW set up the first factory school and thus created a facility that, like the instalment purchase, has now become common across the entire automotive industry.

After the Saxon motor vehicle factories were merged into AUTO UNION in 1931, Dr. Hahn played a key role in the successful expansion of the company as a board member. After the complete collapse in 1945, with the loss of all production facilities of AUTO UNION A.G., Dr Hahn was instrumental in the establishment of AUTO UNION G.m.b.H. The astonishing achievements of this new company, which today employs 10,000 people, is due in significant share to Dr. Hahn's great efforts.

We thank our Dr. Hahn and wish him, from the bottom of our heart, that after a life of DKW and the two-stroke engine, he may now find peace and quiet, which are ultimately just as indispensable for the completion of his successful life as his restless work in the past decades.

From the DKW Nachrichten Vol 45 1957 https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2019/06/1957-dkw-nachrichten-vol-45.html