1940 DKW F9 Sportswagen

The development history of the DKW F9 has for a long time been only vaguely understood. Only relatively recently have archival documents begun to surface that cast a thin ray of light on the development of DKW's most important vehicle.
In December 2014 a special exhibition was held at Fahrzeugmuseum in Chemnitz called "the F9 - a Pan-German automobile." The exhibition detailed the early development of the DKW F9 and its successors in East and West Germany. The curators managed to put together a comprehensive display that included the 1944 DKW F9 built for William Werner, an early pre-production transversely mounted three-cylinder engine and gearbox, a very early IFA F9, an IFA F9 sportscar and - the showpiece of the exhibition - the sole IFA F9 roadster that had been discovered abandoned in a shed near Berlin several months before the show (below).
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2017/07/1950-ifa-f9-roadster-prototype.html

In preparing for the exhibition, a large amount of original documentation, including drawings, specifications, test reports and memoirs of participants were uncovered. So much material was acquired that it could not be reviewed and cataloged in time for the exhibition.

A 1940 DKW F8 (left) and the pre-production DKW F9 sit side by side. According to documetation, the F9 was assembled for director of engineering, William Werner, at the end of 1944. Werner did not get to use the car for very long as it was damaged in a bombing raid in Berlin in February 1945 and then shipped to Zwickau for repairs. It would be seized by the British for assessment shortly after the end of the war. Between the two cars is a very early triple-cylinder engine in transverse layout. DKW manufactured approximately 40 of these engine-gearbox units for the initial road trials in 1937 and 38. The motorcycle style clutch and gearbox proved to be incapable of dealing the torque of the 3=6 engine, with none lasting more than 500 kilometres before failing. This necessitated developing a longitudinal gearbox, based on the Auto-Union C Type race gearbox, completely changing the engine layout in the F9 series.

From the information gathered during the exhibition, Fahrzeugmuseum historian, Frieder Bach, and director, Dirk Schmerschnieder, were able to produce a book about the DKW F9 project and the resurrection of the IFA F9 in East Germany. The book is available from the Fahrzeugmuseum shop:
https://fahrzeugmuseum-chemnitz.de/?staff=f9-der-saechsische-konkurrent-des-volkswagens

The mysterious drawing

Among the documents the curators discovered as they worked through the papers was an enigmatic drawing from the Auto-Union AG Chemnitz design studio, labeled 'Sportswagen DKW F9.' The body design came from designer Günther Mickwausch, responsible for styling the F9 and Horch 930S. Arthur Kordewan drew the technical diagram. Although the drawing contained little other information, the context of the drawing was clear.

In the 1938 Auto-Union began testing a series of streamlined bodies in a series of long distance road races, such as the Liege-Rome and the Berlin-Rome endurance trials. Three DKW F8 chassis were fitted with streamlined aluminum bodies for the Berlin-Rome race of 1938. The three cars were initially fitted with the F8's standard 700cc two cylinder two-stroke engines, but they were also used as test-beds for various engine configurations, including the V4 two-stroke and the new three cylinder two-stroke. Two Audi 920s and two Wanderers were also fitted with the streamliner bodywork.

For the Liege-Rome-Liege endurance race of 1938 Auto-Union fielded three Wanderers with open topped aluminum roadster bodies. Despite their streamlined appearance, the non-supercharged Wanderer engines did not perform well and the Wanderer's failed to place. They would return in 1939 with supercharged engines and won in their class.

The DKW F9 Sportswagen drawing bears a close resemblance to the Wanderer roadsters. Notations on the diagram, such as a large fuel tank and twin spare wheels - which were requirements for the endurance trials - reveal that Auto-Union intended to field DKW F9 roadsters in the 1940 race program. Unfortunately, the war intervened and the cars were never built.

During his research into the development of the DKW F9, Frieder Bach recalled reference to a tender from Auto-Union for the construction of special sportscar bodies. He put in a call to the Prototype Museum in Hamburg, which holds a private archive of some prewar Auto-Union documentation. They provided Bach with a copy of the tender, confirming that DKW had indeed tendered a karosseriewerke to body a DKW F9 chassis. For photos of the excellent Prototype Museum, see this link:
https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2013/05/prototyp-museum-hamburg.html

Inspired by the discovery, Frieder Bach determined he would build a replica of the lost DKW F9 roadster. Having restored many DKW and IFA cars over the decades, sourcing running gear for the vehicle was straightforward. The real challenge was the car's aluminum bodywork. Here he was helped by a fortunate coincidence. One day, when dropping off his granddaughter at school, he bumped into a fellow from the metalworking school of Fraunhofer Institute in Chemnitz. Being recognized as a well-known vehicle restorer, the fellow mentioned to Bach that he needed a project to develop his thesis papers for a computer controlled metalworking process. Bach recognized this was just the opportunity he needed and presented his ideas for the DKW F9 roadster. Working together with the Fraunhofer Institute, the car was modeled in virtual reality and some of the more complex panels were pressed using the new process. The project is documented here: http://www.silberhummel.de/silberhummel/web2d/

The Fraunhofer project did not result in a complete body, so Frieder and his son, Thorston, hammered out the remaining panels by hand in their home garage. In February 2020, the car was basically complete, but not running, but was put on display at the Fahrzeugmuseum to celebrate DKW's racing history. The exhibition ran for a year, until 14 February 2021.
https://fahrzeugmuseum-chemnitz.de/?event=fix-voran-mit-frontantrieb-90-jahre-dkw-rennwagen 

In April 2020 the car was running and taken onto the Sachsenring racetrack for a photo-shoot for the 79 Oktan magazine. The photos following come from that shoot.

79 Oktan is a print magazine for East German and Ost-Bloc vehicles. https://79oktan.de/

There is also a Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/79oktan/

The sportswagen is powered by an early IFA F9 engine. The early IFA engines with their side mounted spark plugs more closely resemble the original DKW F9 three cylinder engine.

Photograph of the 1940 DKW F9 engine. You can observe that the IFA F9 engine has the spark plug and dynastart placed on opposite sides to the original. The radiator pipe entry is also reversed.

https://fahrzeugmuseum-chemnitz.de/?staff=dkw-f9-der-letzte-berlin-rom-sportwagen-von-dkw-1940-2020

https://www.sachsen-fernsehen.de/mediathek/tag/auto-union/video/dkw-die-kultigen-rennwagen/#

Thorston and Frieder Bach. Bach's book "The Last Auto-Union Sports Car from Chemnitz" is available from the Fahrzeugmuseum shop. https://fahrzeugmuseum-chemnitz.de/?staff=der-letzte-auto-union-sportwagen-aus-chemnitz

Development of the DKW F9: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2017/07/1939-dkw-f9-prototype.html

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

Auto Union Streamliners: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2017/07/auto-union-streamliners.html