DKW Barnfind Collection in California

Interesting barnfind still pop up from time to time around the world and a collection of mid-1950s DKWs has come up for sale in central California. This collection includes several rare and interesting models, including a rare Karmann-bodied 1953 DKW F91 convertible. Details of the collection can be found on the seller's website here:
https://thedkwcollection.godaddysites.com/

The collection comprises:
1. 1953 DKW F91 Cabriolet
2. 1955 DKW F91 Sonderklasse 2-Door with Colorado title
3. 1957 DKW Schnellaster 8 Seat Bus (curved rear corner windows)
4. 1958 DKW Schnellaster 8 Seat Bus (curved rear corner windows) with California title
5. 1958 DKW Schnellaster Kombi/Window Van
Along with an enormous collection of parts. Some of the cars have been stored dry in shipping containers. At least one of the Schnellaster's has been stored outside.

All of these vehicles are relatively rare and desireable and would be worth restoring, however, the 1953 Karmann-bodied F91 is particularly important as it is actually one of the exhibition cars from the 1953 Frankfurt Motor Show where the new 3-cylinder engined F91 was unveiled. The story of how DKW returned to automobile production in 1950 has been told in my post here:
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2017/06/dkw-f89p-new-meisterklasse.html

Having lost access to their 3-cylinder 900cc engine in the division of Germany into occupation spheres after the Second World War, DKW had been forced to make do with the prewar 700cc twin-cylinder motor in their F89P sedan and Schnellaster vans. This provided an effective stop-gap while work recommenced on reverse engineering the lost 3-cylinder engine. In 1953 this engine was finally ready and was unveiled at the 1953 Frankfurt International Motor Show. At this time, as production was still slow, the engine was offered as an upgrade option. Several 3-cylinder pre-production cars were displayed on the DKW stand, including a limousine model and two convertibles, bodied by Karmann Karosserie.

This photo of the actual car (bottom) is from a subsequent show later in 1953 or early 1954. The car is on a a Karmann Karosserie stand alongside two Volkswagen convertibles, not the DKW stand so clearly the car must have been loaned back to Karmann for promotion as I can find no other published photos of the car on the DKW exhibitions after the Frankfurt show.

Audi Tradition in Ingolstadt have confirmed the car's identity:

"This car is the eldest existing F 91 4 Seater convertible! It was built in March 13th, 1953 in Dusseldorf and sold to the Auto Union in Frankfurt. There the Auto Union presented this car to the public at the "IAA" in March 1953, this is the International Automobile Exhibition. Enclosed you find the historical data sheet on this car... So your car in the original condition (colour, etc.). It was never restored. So it has a very interesing history. What happened with it after the IAA is not registered, but it could be that an American dealer or client bought it directly at the Exhibition. So it MUST be restored!!!"

Karmann-bodied DKW convertibles are rare and highly desirable (in DKW circles) so this important car is definitely worth restoring. Body condition appears to sound too, having been stored under cover in the dry air of California's central desert valley. The Schnellaster buses too are rare enough to be desireable. The seller is prepared to assist with shipping.

In addition to the cars, there is an extremely large collection of parts, stored over a lifetime, available for sale.

For more information or discuss prices, please contact Vince at:
vince@eztechplatforms.com

1953 DKW F91 Convertible:






1955 DKW F91 (second version):





1957 DKW Schnellaster bus






1958 DKW Schnellaster





Selected parts





For more information go to the seller's website at: https://thedkwcollection.godaddysites.com/

Related links
For the history of the DKW-Karmann specials, see here: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2022/05/dkw-hebmuller-and-karmann-specials.html

For the DKW F91 series 2, see here: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/07/a-very-special-class-f91-2nd-series.html

For the history of the DKW Schnellaster, see here:
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-development-of-dkw-schnellaster.html
And: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2019/02/1952-new-dkw-schnellaster.html

1957 DKW 3=6 Schnellaster (Dutch)

DKW 3-6 Schnellaster - Dutch Brochure

1954 DKW F800 Schnellaster

The DKW F89L Schellaster (fast-truck) was introduced in 1949 into a market desperate for light commercial transport. The first examples combined the prewar 700cc engine and the motorcycle type gearbox on a new ladder chassis with torsion bar rear suspension. The 700cc engine was not particularly powerful and the motorcycle gearbox was not really up to the stress of commercial use. Consequently, when a new four speed gearbox was developed in 1951, it was prioritized for use in the F89L. The four speed gearbox would not be available in the F89P passenger car until late in 1953.

By 1953 the new three cylinder 900cc two stroke engine had been developed and was made available in a variant of the F89P passenger car as an engine upgrade option. Shortly afterwards the triple engine variant was redesignated the F91. The triple engine came with a much more modern and capable four speed inline gearbox (as opposed to the side mounted, chain drive gearbox of the F89L and P). For a very brief period at the end of 1953 and early 1954, the twin cylinder 700cc engine for the Schnellaster was revised and modified with new a new block and crankshaft and mated with the inline gearbox desined for the triple engine. The whole powertrain was mounted inline in the engine bay. This model was variously designated the F800 - even though it was still 700cc capacity - or the DKW 30HP Schnellaster, indicating its uplifted horsepower over the 22HP F89L version. By mid-1954, this interim model was replaced by the DKW 3=6 Schnellaster.

DKW 3=6 Schnellaster brochure: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/03/dkw-schnellaster-french-brochure.html
1952 DKW Schnellaster: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2019/02/1952-new-dkw-schnellaster.html
Early development part one: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-development-of-dkw-schnellaster.html
Part two: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-f89l-schnellaster-with-four-speed.html