DKW Auto-Union Project: 1958 DKW Parts Exchange Service

In August 1952 Auto Union announced to the service network the formal return of the DKW Exchange Parts service. Rather than undertaking repairs of damaged parts, those parts could simply be exchanged for new parts. The introduction of this service received a long sales pitch in the August 1952 edition of Praxis - https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2019/08/1952-dkw-praxis-vol-8.html

The DKW exchange service has become a household name again. Every DKW dealer knows:- the DKW exchange service saves time and money! But nevertheless – and this is actually incomprehensible - people still don't use of this facility enough! Where does that come from? We've often thought about it but haven't been able to figure out the reason for it yet. We almost think it's just because you don't like what you can offer your customers with the DKW exchange service. We would therefore like to tell you again what advantages the DKW exchange service brings.

This is all about trying to lower the operating costs of DKW cars and motorbikes more and more. After all, it's the operating costs that customers feel in their wallets every day. If they are small, he will grow fonder of his vehicle day by day and become his close friend and helper. If the daily costs increase, then he becomes annoyed. Operating costs also include the repair costs, and they are still not exactly low. The purpose of the DKW exchange service is to reduce this.

It is always the case, especially with larger components, that only certain parts have to be replaced during repairs. Other parts do not wear out and - unless they are completely destroyed in an accident - can be reused. It would therefore be unreasonable on the part of the customer, and it would mean throwing money out of the window to throw the entire engine on the scrap heap if only individual parts had to be replaced. The DKW exchange service now helps here. If the customer uses this facility, he will receive an overhauled part that is completely new in exchange for his defective part, but the price is much less than buying a brand-new part.

It sometimes seems as if customers are afraid of exchange parts and believe they are getting inferior goods. This is not the case. We offer the same guarantee for replacement parts as for new parts. That's why every driver can only rest easy if he has a new exchange engine or a new exchange gearbox. He's had a real makeover with his engine and can now ride as long as he did with the old engine, and he achieves this at a much lower cost.

And one more thing he will definitely appreciate:- today he brings the car or the motorbike to you and tomorrow he can leave again, because it’s engine out, new engine in, that doesn't take as long as if you first have to disassemble the engine, determine which parts need to be replaced and then put it back together. So, in addition to direct money savings, there are also time savings. And time means money, especially if the customer urgently needs the vehicle for work.

But you, as the repair workshop, also have a great deal of interest in making use of the DKW exchange service. The customer will certainly always be happy to come to you if their repairs are carried out quickly, well and cheaply. And you yourself will be freed for new customers. Sales increase! Or do you like it when your workshop is filled to the brim with vehicles waiting to be repaired? They can hardly move and every day the customers come and ask about the completion of their vehicle. You're probably not comfortable with that either.

You can avoid all this if you use the DKW exchange service. Your customers will always praise the prompt completion of repairs in your workshop and many a new customer will come to you.

So, we can rightly say: - the DKW exchange service only brings advantages to you and the customer. Think it over carefully and convince your customers of the same thing.

In the earlier issues of DKW Praxis, we gave you precise information about which parts you can get as DKW replacement parts. Today we have combined this information from the earlier issues in a summarized list (see page 17). In about 6-8 weeks we will be bringing out an illustrated catalog of all DKW exchange parts for DKW cars and motorcycles, which will give a clear overview of the combined units and individual parts with delivery and prices. It will be a valuable tool for you and will make it clear to customers how much they can save by using the DKW exchange service.

Today we would like to briefly tell you again how you can use it so that you and your customers can benefit from the DKW exchange service.

It is best if you purchase one or more pieces of the most important replacement parts, depending on the size of your workshop. When the customer comes, you can get to work straight-away and everything goes as we wrote above: - in today and out tomorrow – maybe even faster - the vehicle can be picked up again. Send the removed part to us and immediately get a new exchange part - and you are prepared for the next customer. Of course, this is not always possible with all parts. You have to send us the removed part and recover the replacement part, which of course, takes a few days. If the customer needs to have his vehicle back soon, you can also shorten the waiting time in this case. You can write to us immediately and have the exchange part sent to you in advance. In this case, however, we must invoice you for the new price when sending goods in advance. As soon as we receive the removed part, we will credit you with the difference between the new price and the replacement price. We have set the profit margins in such a way that surcharges for packaging and postage can be waived if it is not an express delivery. The customer will thank you for it.

You know how extensive the DKW exchange service has become in such a short time. From a complete car engine to the small tachometer, there is a very large number of the most important aggregates and individual parts for automobiles and motorcycles. All of these parts are continually installed by the dealers who have fully recognized the advantages of the DKW exchange service. Of course, the bare exchange engines and the exchange crankcases with fitted shaft for new and old models are particularly often requested. Especially the smaller workshops, for which the purchase of the special tools for crankshaft bearings is not worthwhile, are happy to install these replacement parts with great success. Imagine the joy with which the owner of an old Reichsklasse hears that he can get a replacement shaft with widened connecting rods, and consider that a bare engine - crankcase with fitted shaft, cylinder with piston, cylinder head, etc. – could cost the customer only 252 DM. There will be no one who does not take advantage of this to have a replacement engine installed. So, point out these advantages to all your customers, we will give you every support. Make it clear to every DKW driver: - CHEAP REPAIRS, QUICK REPAIRS, INCREASED ECONOMY!

Below is a copy of the DKW Exchange Service catalogue. The catalogue could be updated with new parts for exchange over time. It starts with pages dated 1952 and has updates from 1956, 1957 and 1958.