1949 AWO 340/2

BMW's automobile and motorcycle plant at Eisenach in Thuringia was taken over by Soviet occupation forces in May 1945, but although the plant was slated for seizure as war reparations, Soviet Marshall Zhukov, recognised that there was value in preserving the plant intact than stripping it for parts. An order was signed converting the company into a Soviet state enterprise, officially called Sowjetische AG Maschinenbau Awtowelo, Werk BMW Eisenach. The plant was authorised to manufacture BMW R75 motorcycles, along with a small number of BMW 321 cars, assembled largely from stocks of spare parts.

The Soviet's recognised that BMW was a valuable export earner for the East German zone and encouraged the company to reestablish connections with its prewar sales network, many of whom were desperate to get their hands on any new vehicle they could sell. Interestingly, the first cars were sold under the brand name AWO, a contraction of the 'Soviet Autowelo.' Shortly thereafter the company reverted to the BMW logo. Between 1949 and 1952 there were discreet negotiations between BMW in Munich and the East German government in an effort to undo the nationalisation of their assets and reunify the company, however, after the East and West Germany permanently split into two opposing regimes in 1952, BMW sued over the use of the BMW name and logo. The Eisenach plant was renamed VEB Eisenach and the 340 was rebadged EMW 340. Production of the EMW 340 ceased in 1953 and Eisenach took over manufacture of the IFA F9.

EMW 340/2 manual:
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/01/1952-ifa-emw-340-2-owners-manual.html

History of the IFA F9 (covering Eisenach):
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-development-of-ifa-f9.html

1953 East German Personal Cars:
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2021/10/1953-deutsche-und-auslander_23.html