DKW Auto-Union Project: EMW

Friday, 26 October 2018

1952 IFA-EMW 340-2 Owners Manual

The EMW 340-2 is not an Auto-Union product but a post-war BMW built in the former BMW plant at Eisenach. The car had been developed during the war but didn't go into production until after the war. The Soviets had intended to strip the BMW plant of its designs and machinery, but the factory managed to convince the occupation authorities to keep the plant running, manufacturing BMW motorcycles for the Soviets. The company then began building the BMW 321 sportscar from stocks of parts in 1946. The BMW 340 sedan followed in 1949.

Originally these cars were badged as BMW and were exported and sold in West Germany. However, as the socialist regime solidified it nationalized the factory, leading to a protracted legal dispute with BMW in West Germany. In 1952 BMW won the right to the BMW name and logo so the Eisenach factory changed its name to EMW. With BMW in Munich now producing its own cars and motorcycles, the market for EMW's products began to dry up. By 1953 the factory was under-utilized so the national automotive collective VEB transferred production of the IFA F9 from the former Audi plant at Chemnitz to Eisenach. The Eisenach workforce were horrified to be tasked with building what they considered a poor man's car, but they had little choice. The EMW 327 and 340 were retired and Eisenach began production of an improved F9. In 1956 the F9 was retired and replaced by entirely new bodied Wartburg 311.

This owners manual is for the last year of the EMW 340-2. The car is a large sedan powered by a six cylinder two litre engine. Due it's common origins, it does bear a passing resemblance to the contemporary BMW 501 'baroque angel' and Bristol 403 in England.