by Jorg Lindner / Thomas Erdmann
On July 9, 1954, a large-scale press reception was held at Auto-Union’s Düsseldorf plant during which journalists were presented the new models of the DKW special class by the then deputy chairman of the management board, Dr. Ing. Carl Hahn. This second series of the DKW F 91 had been revised and improved in many details, a measure that in automotive terminology today is now termed a 'facelift'.
One of the most striking changes was the new metal dashboard painted in the vehicle color. Unfortunately, the standard clock was removed in the second series. However, it was available as an extra for DM 25 and was installed in a glove compartment. The placing of the handbrake from the middle between the two front seats to a position under the dashboard did not win full favour but was retained in the successor models right up to the Auto Union 1000. The new tank, with a volume of 42 liters, was more likely to delight the customer, as this meant a significantly larger radius of action than the 32 liter tank used in the first series.
Also new was the step accelerator pedal, in which resistance became noticeable after about two thirds of the pedal travel. Up to this pressure point, the Special Class reached a speed of about 100 km / h. If you wanted to drive faster, you had to press the accelerator pedal past this pressure point, which resulted in a noticeable increase in fuel consumption. According to Auto Union, if the step gas pedal is used consistently, fuel savings of up to two liters per 100 km should be possible.
The list of changes compared to the old F 91 continued. The 54 model received a new, slightly oval two-spoke steering wheel, the new headlight flasher with anti-glare lever and a new steering column cover. Perforated disc rims, with a chrome-plated version available on request, replaced the previous solid disc rims, from autumn 1954 supplemented by simpler slotted disc rims for the normal sedan and the universal. Last but not least, the 54 model received a newly designed passenger seat, in which not only the backrest but also the entire seat could be folded forward. (Original Auto Union pitch - 'The easiest way to enter two-door cars!') However, this seat could no longer be moved lengthways while driving.
The starter button was now on the left of the dashboard, and the vehicles had a new alternator with 160 watts of power (previously 130 watts). All F 91 models were now additionally decorated with a beautifully curved lettering 'Special-Class' on the front right fender. The changes mentioned were also adopted for both convertibles and for the DKW Universal. The two-seater coupe with a Karmann body, of which a total of 25 had been built, was no longer in the program.
While the body version of the first version of the 3=6 F 91 sedan was still identical to the four-speed version of the old F 89 Master-Class, the new Special-Class sedans were now built with the same, flat roof structure including the three-part panoramic rear window of the coupe . However, the rear side windows were fixed and the equipment was far less luxurious than the coupe, so you could not always tell at first glance whether you were dealing with an expensive coupe or a cheaper limousine.
As with all F 91 sedans, the indicators were installed in the upper part of the B-pillar, while on the Coupe and also on the four-seater convertible, these were located in the lower area of the B-Post due to the retractable rear side windows.
The new sedan was offered in two versions because the production of the two-cylinder Master-Class had meanwhile been discontinued, so a new entry-level model had to be created. This role was taken over by the special sedan-normal class with an improved three-speed transmission, which was now fully synchronized. Better equipped, the sedan presented itself in a special extension with lock-synchronized four-speed Transmission (2nd-4th gear synchronized). The respective differences in equipment within the second series of the F 91 can best be seen from the table below.
The coupe was now supplied with two-tone paint as standard, the wooden roof frame was replaced by a steel one, and the name was officially renamed the luxury coupe - a small, but significant difference!
At that time, in contrast to today, despite the extensive improvements described, the prices for the vehicles were continuously reduced (see also the price table on the next page).
In October 1954, a radiator roller blind was added to the series. This was mounted behind the dummy cooler and could be operated from the inside of the car using a cable. Obviously, in the winter of 1953/54 there had been problems with the optimal radiator temperature for the three-cylinder, the owners of which had not been able to decide on the roller blinds that had previously been available as accessories (mounted directly on the radiator). Simultaneously with the introduction of the standard roller blind, the heating system was also revised. This could now be regulated directly from the dashboard using two levers. Up to this point, a corresponding actuation rod was attached under the dashboard, which could only be found with great difficulty when the car was in motion.
At the beginning of 1955 the exhaust system was changed from a 3-pot system to a 2-pot system. After various criticisms from customers, the folding passenger seat was redesigned in early summer 1955 so that it could also be moved during the journey. The F 91 was built in specification until the end of production in September 1955. Then the 3 = 6, type F 93, widened by 10 cm was released. The F 91 Universal continued to be built until June 1957, as the design of the successor (type F 94 U) was not yet completed.
With the DKW F 91 special class, Auto-Union had caught up with the competition after the difficult years of reconstruction. The outstanding sporting success of the new three-cylinder car, especially the victory of the European Championship by Walter Schlueter in 1954, did the rest to make the new Auto-Union model internationally known and popular. The first production facilities were established abroad, for example in Belgium.
However, what was missing from the Auto-Union program was an inexpensive small car under DM 5,000 to continue the DKW tradition of the pre-war years. Although such a small car was feverishly worked on in the first half of the 1950s (FX; STM plastic car), it never got beyond the prototype stage due to internal competition and some wrong decisions. In was in those years that Auto-Union lost a large part of its loyal DKW customers to the competition, who had launched corresponding models on the market in good time to take advantage of the small car boom of the 1950s.
This story by Audi Tradition historians Jorg Linder and Thomas Erdmann was published in German in the Auto Union Veteranen Club magazine volume 87 in December 1996 . The original story can be found here: https://auvc-archive.blogspot.com/2020/07/auvc-nachrichten-volume-87-december-1996.html
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