1949 Aero Minor II

Aero is not in any way related to Auto-Union, but there is a connection. The Aero Minor was actually designed and developed by the Jawa company, which got its start in the automobile business when they secured an exclusive license to manufacture the DKW F2 in Czechoslovakia in 1933. Shortly after production started in earnest in 1934 the relationship between Jawa and the newly founded Auto-Union soured and the two companies went their own ways. Jawa went on to develop their own range of cars, powered by a two-cylinder two-stroke engine derived from the 700cc DKW template. https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2021/02/jawa-700.html

In 1939, at the same time Auto-Union was working on the DKW F9 project, Jawa was working on a completely new vehicle with an in-house designed twin-cylinder two-stroke of 615cc. The new car, called the Minor II, featured a modern ponton body, making it a much roomier and more practical vehicle than the F9. When one of the DKW F9 pre-production cars broke down on a test drive through Czechoslovakia (Bohemia) in 1940, the car was towed to Jawa dealership for repairs. Jawa engineers managed to take a sneaky peek at their competitor and reported back to Prague that the Minor II was a far superior vehicle.

Of course, the Minor II could not go into production until after the war. Like Germany, Czechoslovakia's industries were stripped for reparations by the Soviets. The new socialist government recognized that the Minor II was a good, modern car but Jawa was in no position to begin manufacturing, being focused on motorcycles. Aero, which had started life as an aircraft company in 1919, had been manufacturing their own two-stroke engined cars since 1924. In 1947 they were still building the handsome Aero Type 30, but as the Minor II had better export potential, the government instructed Aero to take over production of the Minor.

The Aero Minor II proved to be a success domestically and in the export market, being sold all over Europe. It came in a variety of styles, including as a commercial. The model was even developed into a racer. The car was in production until 1952.

In the postwar period, Jawa became a specialized two-stroke motorcycle company which exported its products widely. https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2022/07/1950-jawa-350-motorcycle.html