The products of Auto-Union, in which, as is well known, the four Saxon automobile plants of Horch, Wanderer, Audi and DKW were merged, had achieved worldwide fame before the Second World War. That fame culminated in the victories and records in which Hans Stuck, August Momberger, the Prince of Leiningen, Bernd Rosemeyer, Ernst von Delius and Rudolf Hasse won immortal laurels. The Auto-Union program encompassed the entire range of motorization, starting with the small DKW motorcycle right up to the luxurious Horch eight-cylinder, numerous examples of which we still see on the road and, despite their old age, still impress with their classic beauty. The most widespread product, however, were the DKW passenger cars in their various designs, which, because of their low purchase price, their economy, reliability and unpretentiousness, made a large contribution to the motorization of the nation and made many thousands of friends at home and abroad.
The Second World War, with all its devastating consequences, hit Auto-Union harder than any other German automobile plant. All of the plants and facilities in the eastern zone were lost. It was a total write-off in the truest sense of the word. Only the construction plans in microphotographs were smuggled from behind the Iron Curtain were brought to safety in an Upper Bavarian castle. It was the daring, the enterprising spirit and the unbreakable belief in the future of the two board members Dr. Brunn and Dr. Hahn, who gathered around them a number of their collaborators who had also escaped from the East. Added to this was the trust of the many thousands of Auto-Union customers who provided the first foundation for reconstruction in the west. The motorcycle factory in Ingolstadt, which has long since become a household name, and finally the automobile plant in Düsseldorf, which completed the 30,000th DKW passenger car a few months ago, literally emerged from nothing.
The rebuilding of Auto-Union in the west is one of the economic miracles that emerged out of the ashes. However, it could only become reality because by men who combined experience, knowledge and ability with the idealistic impetus of unshakable belief in a good cause. This good thing, however, was the DKW passenger car, tried and tested a thousand times over, whose reintroduction did not require any great persuasive power because it is a product of the automotive industry for which there was an equally urgent need before the war as it is today. Basically, this was all about closing a gap in the German production program that the war had torn. From an economic and technical point of view, we believe that the Auto-Union management decided not to venture into a new design, but to continue to perfect and improve what had so brilliantly proven itself before and during the war. The decision made in favour of the tried and tested "Meislerklasse" type was approved by all DKW friends.
So readers, we have with the DKW type "Meisterklasse" actually nothing new, but to reintroduce me to an old, dear acquaintance. He needs no introduction because he has been introduced to the best families for many years and is also a welcome, reliable and undemanding guest to everyone who knows him. When we report on him today, this report is not only aimed at those circles who are not yet familiar with the "Meisterklasse" type, but also at old DKW friends, to whom we would like to explain the metamorphoses that this new edition of the "Meisterklasse" type has gone through making him even more reliable, safe and better as a friend and companion. We are not reporting from behind the desk, but on the basis of considerable test drives in the new car over the course of one month, covering almost 6000 kilometers on motorways, country roads, field, forest and meadow paths, over well-known mountain routes and also some fast laps around the Nürburgring. But before we provide our judgment, here is what you need to know about the car if you want to get an accurate picture.
From a purely external point of view, the "Meisterklasse" type has fundamentally changed its physiognomy. The necessity to procure all presses and machine tools when building a new automobile factory enabled the factory management to give the body a completely new, modern shape, which we found as practical as it is attractive. Whichever angle you look at the car from, its line is elegant, streamlined, corresponds to cultivated European taste. It is also practical, from the radiator screen to the large luggage compartment on the perfectly shaped, beautiful car hatch. The wide, arched windshield, the wide doors that allow easy entry, the large rear window, the solid workmanship in conjunction with the clean paintwork make it stand out. The solidly constructed all-steel body is far outside the concept of the small car and is more akin to a good middle class car.
You will be surprised by the exceptionally favorable interior dimensions of the body, because the "Meisterklasse" type can comfortably accommodate four adults – five if necessary. It is technically noteworthy that the engine is arranged in front of the front axle, leaving the entire space between the two axles free for the passenger compartment, so that there is plenty of space both in length and in width. In addition, as a front-end car, this type can do without the annoying tunnel for the drive shaft. The interior of the body is comfortable and solid. The front seats are individually arranged and easily adjustable while driving. The well-padded bench in the rear of the car offers space for three people. The windows, equipped with draft-free ventilation, are wide and easy to crank. The wooden dashboard contains all useful instruments, including a clock, fuel gauge, engine thermostat, oil manometer and speedometer, clearly arranged so that they can be easily observed through the two-spoke wheel. Practically, the lever for operating the direction indicators is mounted on the steering wheel column. As with the earlier version, the non-synchronized three-speed gearbox is easily shifted using a hand lever on the dashboard, an arrangement that has proven itself and to which one gets used to surprisingly quickly. The test car made available to us was equipped with a radio and a sunroof; both facilities have proven to be excellent.
This really beautiful body, which won the A.v.D. won the "Silver Ribbon" at the International Automobile Tournament in Wiesbaden from fierce competition, rests on a simple and practical, torsion-free steel frame on which the front and rear wheels are individually suspended from large transverse springs and are thus independently sprung from each other. The front wheels also have hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers, which effectively support the suspension on poor roads, in potholes and on rough cobblestones. This arrangement results in an excellent road holding, even at high speed and in curves, thus delivering driving characteristics that are otherwise known only from large cars. The hydraulic duplex brake acts on all four wheels, which can be easily operated with a foot pedal. The parking brake is operated by a hand lever which is conveniently located between the two front seats. The steering is operated by a rack and pinion steering system. It works securely and precisely, admittedly with the peculiarity of the front-wheel drive, which differs somewhat from the steering of vehicles with rear-wheel drive.
Probably the most interesting feature of your "Meisterklasse" type is its power source, the almost foolproof 700 cc two-cylinder two-stroke engine, which uses the proven reverse scavenging process designed by Professor Schnürle. Before the war, this engine made a full 20 hp at 3500 rpm with a compression ratio of 1: 5.9. The designers have further developed this reliable, undemanding engine that can withstand any stress, so that it now delivers 23 hp with the same cylinder capacity at a compression ratio of 1: 6.3 and 4400 rpm, even using the worst fuels. The engine with its relatively small displacement delivers both the extraordinary economy and amazing elasticity, which is again a prerequisite for the car’s brilliant driving characteristics. The engine is arranged in front of the front axle at right angles to the direction of travel and is equipped with a Solex downdraft carburetor. It runs quietly and vibration-free - you quickly get used to the typical noise of the two-stroke engine, which you don't hear while driving. The radiator is located behind the engine. In the case of particularly heavy use, especially long, forced mountain drives, the cooling is effectively supported by a fan that can be switched on from the dashboard. However, the cases in which you have to use this additional cooling, i.e., when climbing and the thermometer shows over 90 degrees, are very rare. The cooling system is connected to the well-functioning heating of the interior of the car, which we could not try for obvious reasons in the heat prevailing in August.
The engine, clutch, gearbox and differential are ideally combined in one block. Nevertheless, the individual parts are easily accessible for maintenance work and repairs. The engine is driven with a two-stroke petrol-oil mixture in a ratio of 1:25. We have the fuel consumption as 6.8 litres per 100 kilometres with a leisurely drive on a country road and 7.6 litres for 100 kilometres with determined driving on mountain roads, racetracks and on the freeway. With four people aboard, we took the DKW "Meisterklasse" on the 400 kilometre journey from Frankfurt ab Main to Munich, consuming 28 litres of fuel, which cost 19.60 DM. The fare for one person from the Main metropolis to the Bavarian Raupistadt is DM 4.90 or 1.2 pfennigs per kilometre driven. So, you shouldn't be surprised if the Federal government complains about the competition of the modern, progressive and economy loving motor vehicle. Nothing can remotely convey the convenience and driving comfort that the "Meisterklasse" offers us on such a journey.
The driving characteristics of the car deserve praise. As soon as you are familiar with the nature of the front-wheel drive, you are at home in the car. The engine starts easily at all times. The transitions in the transmission are elastic. The acceleration is excellent; from 30 to 70 km/h in 20 to 22 seconds. Sharp cornering is surprisingly safe (depending on road situation). You can feel that the car is being pulled - not pushed around corners. Suspension and shock absorptions are excellent. Consistent average speeds of 70 and more km/h can be maintained. On normal sandy roads, even over long distances, it is child's play and you don't get tired or bored. We had a top speed on the famous record route on the autobahn near Frankfurt Airport of 104.9 km/h. Amazingly, the two-stroke engine can maintain long drives on the motorway, even with full load and at the top speed with approx. 95 km/h. We found the freewheel to be very easy to switch on from the driver's seat, being a special convenience in big city traffic and when driving downhill, which makes driving even more pleasant and easier. The car conquers the 12 km field mountain racecourse with altitudes ranging up to 700m at 60 km/h. We achieved a similar result on the Saalburg racetrack with a gradient of 12-14 percent and, most recently, on the winding Nürburgring with its pitfalls. With these experiences, our overall assessment can be summed up as that the DKW type "Master Class" is not only a beautiful, economical car, but also a modern, personable vehicle with a high level of driving comfort that honestly deserves recognition.
The original German article can be read here: https://auvc-archive.blogspot.com/2020/02/auvc-nachrichten-vol-97-july-1999.html
No comments:
Post a Comment