Category Archives: DKW

Egeskov Castle – 1957 DKW Hummel

By Eugen Pedersen

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

Back to an exhibit that runs on two wheels. DKW were a major producer of motorcycles in post war Germany and here we have a moped powered by a small two stroke engine. Hummel is German for Bumblebee, perhaps appropriate as the little 50cc two stroke motor would have had to be kept working hard to move a bike and rider. The three speed transmission was cable operated and the moped had a simple pressed steel frame. Top speed was said to be around 45 km/h or under 30 mph and starting the motorcycle consisted of a frantic effort pedalling it until the motor started, even then pedalling was often needed apparently to ensure a brisk getaway when stationary.

Author’s Photographs
Period Advert from the website of the Franschhoek Motor Museum in South Africa. The Hummel shown above is the smaller engined standard model being overtaken by the 155cc Super version

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Egeskov Castle – 1938 DKW

By Eugen Pedersen

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

The DKW F7 exhibited here was launched in 1937 to replace the F5. It has a transverse two cylinder two stroke engine driving the front wheels. This car is probably an F7  Front Luxus Cabriolet which was launched in 1938 which shared the Meisterklasse versions 692cc engine.

DKWs from Zwickau sold over 210,000 units between 1931 and 1942 when all production ceased due to the Second World War. Most were sold on the home market and the small F series cars dominated their output. From 1934 till the outbreak of the Second World War they were Germany’s #2 car producer.

The car exhibited has clearly been used in modern road conditions as it has lots of after market lights fitted like turn signals/indicators.



Extract from a period brochure as shown on the DKW Auto-Union Project Website

Two Stroke Cars – A follow up

From Vladimir Krivosheev – formatted by Dmitriy Lisin

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

My friend and great 1:43 scale model collector from Moscow, Vladimir Krivosheev, asked me to send to you some additional information on a previous article (https://www.maronline.org.uk/the-two-stroke-car-the-wirtschaftswunder-dkw/) . I hope it will be of interest to MAR Online readers.

Body builder ‘Hebmuller’ made car bodies (roadsters and coupe) for DKW in 1951-1952. Cabrio bodies were made by ‘Karmann’ until 1955. In 1958 the Auto Union 1000 was introduced. Unlike the cars badged as DKWs it had more powerful two-stroke engine (980 cc and 44 h.p.) . An automatic centrifugal gear box from ‘Saxomat’ was offered as an option. Externally, the cars differed only by the badging. The Auto Union brand was positioned as a higher end product with a higher price than the equivalent DKW. Another model ‘Auto Union 1000S’ with panoramic windshield was introduced in August 1959. Engine power was increased to 50h.p. From 1960 till 1969 the Auto Union 1000S was produced in Argentina.

In Autumn 1957, at the Frankfurt motor show, the Auto Union 1000SP appeared – a two-seat sport coupe. It body was styled to look like a mini Ford Thunderbird, and the engine boosted to 55 h.p. Production of the Auto Union 1000SP was built by body builder Baur company plant. From September 1961 a two-seat roadster was produced too. In 1965 when production ended 5,000 coupes and 1,640 roadsters had been made.


DKW F91/4 MUNGA


In 1952 West German government agencies announced a tender for the supply of a lightweight multifunctional all-wheel drive car to the Bundeswehr (West Germany Army). And in 1953 Auto Union showed its first prototypes with fibreglass and aluminium bodies based on the Schnellaster van chassis. After really tough trials in 1956 a four seat all-wheel drive car with canvas top all-metal body without doors started to be produced. The military vehicle was named the DKW F91/4 and had two-stroke engine (893 cubic sm and 38h.p.). This car beat competitors from Porsche and Goliath (Borgward Group) . One year later in 1957 new version F91/6 with six seat body and 40 h.p. engine was made. In 1958 a new two-stroke engine was introduced (980 cc and 44h.p.) and new name MUNGA (word abbreviation from Mehrzweck Universal Geländewagen mit Allradantrieb ) was introduced. By 1968 when production ended 46,750 cars were made, of which the Bundeswehr had ordered about 31,000. In 1960-1965 this car was named an Auto Union-DKW and later only Auto Union. This army car was produced in Brazil too (from 1958 to 1963) in both all-wheel drive and two-wheel drive versions by DKW-Vemag and was called the DKW Candango.

Gallery

001-Real car Auto Union 1000 coupe (1958)
002- Real car Auto Union 1000S coupe (1960)
003- DKW F91 Hebmuller 1-43 scale model by EMC (Ukraine) , resin
004,005- DKW F93 Corie Lion Car 1-43 scale model by Tin Wizard for Danhausen, white metal
006 Auto Union 1000S coupe 1-43 scale model by EMC (Ukraine) , resin. Scale model of this car was made in Russia too, by KOMOS.
007- Auto Union 1000S 4-door sedan 1-43 scale model by EMC (Ukraine) , resin
008- Auto Union 1000SP coupe and roadster 1-43 scale model by EMC (Ukraine) , resin. Scale models of these cars were also made by Minichamps and Monofe.
009- DKW F91/4 MUNGA 1-43 scale model by Solido (with trailer) and Starline. Scale models of these cars was made too by Minichamps and GAMA.
010- Auto Union 1000SP (Argentina) – 1-43 scale model by PCT part work for Argentina collectors
011- DKW Candango- 1-43 scale model by PCT part work for Brazil collectors

Editors Note: The previous article on DKW two strokes that is referred to here covered post-war DKW cars up until the re-branding as Auto-Union. A future article in the series will cover the Mercedes-Benz/Auto-Union years up until the closure of DKW‘s car division by Volkswagen.


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The Two Stroke Car – The Wirtschaftswunder – DKW

By Maz Woolley

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

My last article on the production of two stroke engined cars, The Two Stroke Car– The Aftermath of the Second World War Part 2 looked at the Soviet Sector as it transformed into the German Democratic Republic (DDR). The DDR car industry was greatly influenced by the legacy of the pre-war Auto Union and in particular DKW.

DKW itself had been re-created in post-war West Germany (The Federal Republic) as described in my previous article The Two Stroke Car – The Aftermath of the Second World War – Part One. Initially focused upon repairing the surviving examples of the very popular DKW RT series of motorcycles, they moved on to putting Motorcycles back into production and producing light commercial vehicles.

This article looks at the re-emergence of DKW as a car maker as West Germany entered a period of rapid growth backed by the investment from the USA in the form of the Marshall Plan. The shadow of wartime destruction still hung over the country with bomb sites and empty spaces in urban areas, but it was also a time of rising confidence, high levels of employment and rising wages. A time when individual car ownership was on the rise as new products reached the market place.

I will include a selection of models of the cars described below. This is not meant to be an exhaustive listing. However, if you have one that I have missed out please send photographs to MAR Online to share with our readers. Please note that models in photographs credited to retailers are not necessarily in stock.

The F89 History

In 1950 DKW put the F89 into production. This car used a revised version of the metal body designed pre-war for the proposed F9 saloon but was powered by the 684cc two cylinder, two stroke, engine which powered the contemporary DKW Schnellaster van. This engine was reliable but old technology as it was derived from the pre-war DKW F8 power unit with water-cooling by a convection based thermosiphon system. A maximum speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) was claimed for the saloon and somewhat less for the estate version. The front wheels were connected to the engine by means of a three-speed manual gear box controlled via a dash-board mounted lever similar to that familiar to later generations from its use in the Citroën 2CV and Renault 4. Towards the end of the production run a four-speed manual box was introduced as an option.

Photograph from Wikipedia – car in Ingolstadt Museum photo credit Lothar Spurzem 

The F89 remained in production until 1953, though final run-out models were still on sale in 1954 overlapping the introduction of its successor. In 1951 a two-seater hardtop coupe version, built by Hebmüller became available, and the range was completed in October 1951 with the addition of a three-door estate version, employing a body conversion with an old-fashioned wooden frame which was replaced in March 1953 by an all-steel body. The F89 estate, like its steel bodied, successors, was branded as the ‘Universal’.

The F89 Models

EMC 1:43 F89

This is a limited edition resin model and photographs are from online retailers who no longer have any stock of this model.

Photograph from ModellAutos Budig of Germany website

EMC 1:43 Universal

EMC are credited on an internet sales site for producing these lovely 1:43 resin early ‘woodie’ version of the Universal.

The photograph is from the mdiecast website which no longer has any stock of this model

Neo 1:43 Universal

Neo has produced this 1:43 scale resin model of the early wooden bodied Universal. It is a fine model of this car.

Neo publicity shots of their model


The F91 , F93, and F94

At the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1953 DKW introduced the F91, also sometimes known as the 3=6 which incorporated a newly developed version of the two stroke, three-cylinder, engine of 900cc originally intended to be fitted to the pre-war F9 design, and which had already been in production in East Germany (GDR) and fitted to the IFA F9 for a couple of years. Although there were changes to the car the F91 started off with the same front end styling as the F89.

F91 Photo credit as shown above

F91 Photograph: Classic Digest

Over the years the F91 was updated and developed as the F93 in 1955 which had revised front end styling and was slightly longer and higher, and then the F94 in 1957 with a slightly longer wheelbase and four doors for the first time. The Universal was also upgraded to F94 specification in 1957. By 1958 the Auto Union 1000 was introduced with a similar body but with an enlarged two stroke, three cylinder 1000cc engine. The F94 was renamed the DKW 900 and remained in production alongside the Auto Union 1000 for about a year.

F93 Wikipedia

F93 Universal from Flickr

F94 Four Door from DKW 3=6 Sonderklasse Facebook page

F94 Universal from Driven to Write website

Credit for replica of the original DKW 900 brochure as shown on Photograph.

The F91 , F93, and F94 Models

Models of the F91 have been made for many years by Wiking with updates adding detail made over the years. These are all plastic and to 1:87 scale. Photographs of some of these are shown below with my model in light green marked West Germany on its base.

F91

Wiking photograph of the later version of this moulding with details picked out by printing and more realistic wheels.

Photograph showing the early unglazed DKW F91 along side a later glazed version, both Wikings. Photograph taken by the late Hans-Georg Schmidt showing models from his collection.

Schuco

Schuco have produced F91 models in several different colours to 1:43 scale. And also a Piccolo in about 1:90 scale.

Photograph from the Internet

1:43 scale models by Schuco (Blue 3=6 F91), Neo (Meisterklasse Universal F89S) & Schuco (Red 3=6 F91 Cabrio).
Schuco F91 Convertible hood up – Photograph Peter Nasshan

Photograph of the Schucho Piccolo F91 c 1:90 – credit as shown on photograph

F93

The F93 is again quite widely modelled. The Lion Car shown below is a contemporary model diecast in the Netherlands in approximately 1:43 scale. Below that is the recent, but now obsolete, Norev 1:43 diecast model of the two door car and EMC‘s resin 1:43 saloon and convertible.

F93 Lion Car – photograph copyright Vectis

Norev DKW F93 – photograph from Norev’s website

EMC DKW F93 Convertible from mDiecast website

EMC F93 as made for AAM Boyer – Photograph from HobbyDB.com

F94

Wiking

Wiking have had a F94 Universal in their range for some time. This 1:87 scale plastic model is shown below.

A modern Wiking 1:87 plastic model captures the F94 four door well as shown below.

Photograph from eBay of Wiking DKW F94

Bandai

This Japanese tin plate producer made some handsome four door saloon F94 models which are very collectable today.

Bandai F94 Four Door – Photograph copyright Vectis

Atlas

Atlas produced several F94 models and one from their Auto Union series is shown below. This is a nice model with a lot of details included. It is believed to have been made by PCT Industries in China for Atlas.

Neo

Neo produced a model similar to the Atlas in an even brighter shade of green. This 1:43 resin model is rather more detailed than the Atlas one but was aimed at a premium market and priced accordingly.

Neo F94 image from previous eBay Auction

Neo F94 image from completed eBay Auction


The DKW Monza

Although outsold by the Volkswagen Beetle the DKW range of cars sold strongly with customers attracted by the excellent handling provided by the front wheel drive set up, its reliability and ease of maintenance, and its class leading internal space.

In the later part of the 1950s DKW tried to diversify its output and it introduced various cars using the two stroke three cylinder engine unit. The 1956 DKW Monza was a fibre glass car built on the F93 chassis after some private investment had been provided. It was called the Monza because it set a number of timed speed records at the Monza race track in Italy. The car was first produced by coachbuilders Dannenhauer & Strauss  in Stuttgart, then by Massholder in Heidelberg and lastly by Robert Schenk in Stuttgart. Production totalled around 230 across all builders and the last one was made in 1958.

DKW Monza Models

The most easily available model of this vehicle is that produced by Starline which is made in China to 1:43 scale. This has been produced in a variety of colours. It has also been made as a low numbers production release in resin by EMC, again a photograph is shown below. My searches have not turned up any 1:87 scale models but I am surprised that that is the case and welcome information and photographs from readers who know of any.

Starline Monza Coupe

Starline Monza Coupe

EMC Monza Coupe image from mDiecast.com


DKW Production Abroad

From 1956 DKW cars were made in Brazil by Vemag (Veículos e Máquinas Agrícolas S.A.) The first model built was the 900 cc F91 Universal. In 1958, the F94 four-door saloon and station wagon were launched. Local names Belcar and Vemaguet were used and later production included quad headlight versions of the Saloon that were not built in Germany.

Photograph of Brazilian DKW vehicles copyright of Jason Vogel

Models of South American DKW’s

There are quite a few models of Brazilian built DKWs. Contemporary diecasts from Roly Toys are shown below. As is a modern model from PCT Industries in China for DeAgostini’s South American part work series.

Roly Toys 1:64 DKW Vemaguet Brazil – Photograph copyright Daniel Beck
Roly Toys 1:64 DKW Vemaguet Brazil – photograph from Worthpoint website
DKW-Vemag Belcar based on F94
DKW-Vemag Belcar based on F94

By 1958 the Auto Union group saw a need to diversify their ranges further and it decided to start producing vehicles based on DKW technology under the Auto Union brand looking to take these products upmarket to broaden sales. The DKW brand was to remain for light commercial vehicles and more basic versions of passenger vehicles. In 1957 Daimler-Benz, aware of the fact it had no small cars or vans in its range, began to acquire shares in Auto Union and became majority owners that year, finally acquiring all the remaining shares in 1961. This brought Auto Union/DKW the backing to continue to develop new cars into the 1960s which will be covered in a future article.

My next article will look at some other makers of two-stroke cars in post-war West Germany as DKW/Auto Union were not alone in finding the simplicity of the engines attractive.


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Wiking December 2021

By Maz Woolley

Wiking are closing the year with models in a variety of scales. As ever these are mostly made in plastic, moulded with a considerable detail and finished with printed details. These models are still made in Europe and the prices reflect the higher cost of manufacture there. NB the 1:43 scale models are diecast items.

1:160 scale models

Twin Caravan and tow car set

#092210

Those mouldings have been in the Wikiing range for many years. An Opel Rekord in in grey-beige and a Chevrolet Malibu and red. The Caravans are in grey and white. The chassis for cars and trailers are in black-grey. The units are glazed with a hint of topaz colouring.

1:87 Scale Models

Normag Faktor I – reseeda green

#039801

Body and chassis are coloured reseda green, rims are red. Black steering wheel, silver headlights. Normag branding strips on the hood front and rear lights printed in red.

Fork lift (Clark) – pale green

#117101

Body and chassis as well as mast and fork are cploured pale green. Black steering wheel, seat and tires. All-round white decorative stripes and white Clark lettering on the back. White Clark letters on the side of the lift mast. Yellow rims.

Audi 50 – purple

#003697

Body is in purple. Black chassis and grille. Sand yellow interior and black steering wheel. Transparent headlights fitted. Silver rims and black-silver bumpers. Printed window surrounds, door handles, reversing lights and trunk lid lock. Rear lights printed in red. Audi logo printed in silver on the radiator grille, orange indicators in the bumper.

Alfa Romeo Spider – light blue

#020604

Black chassis, grille and steering wheel. Light blue body, convertible roof and interior with black dashboard. Front and rear bumpers silver-plated, side door handles also silver-plated. Indicator orange printed. Silver-plated Alfa Romeo lettering on the rear. Decorative strips along the windows also silvered.

Opel Kadett C Coupé GT/E – Black

#022903

Black body. Transparent headlights fitted. Interior moulded with steering wheel just as black as the radiator grille. Silver bumpers and rims. Window trims, as well as door handles and side ventilation black-grey. Radiator grille printed with silver Opel logo. Orange indicators. Black rear spoiler. Opel lettering on the rear.

Campervan (VW T4/Karmann) “Cheetah”

#026802

Cab and body white, chassis with cardan shaft as well as exhaust modelled. Radiator grille and body floor black. Interior moulding of driver’s cab and mobile home fittings with an insert in silver-grey. Front roof section and ladder white. Rims silver. Glazing of the motorhome structure transparent with hint of topaz. Front lettering ‘Cheetah’ silver-grey. Silver-grey and signal red decorative stripes on the side as well as black Karmann lettering and door handle. The VW logo on the front is printed in silver, the rear taillights are red. The headlights are silver-plated, the window frames are black. Silver-gray Karmann logo on the rear as well as black window frame and Karmann lettering printed.

Scaffolding tug unit with trailer (Magirus Deutz)

#039206

Driver’s cab and bed in coral red, interior fittings in dusty grey. Chassis modelled with cardan shaft as well as bumpers. Rims and saddle plate are also dusty grey. Radiator grille in black and printed with silver Magirus-Deutz lettering and the brand logo. Side door handles, as well as outer and step edges with grab handle, printed in black-grey. Red taillights. Trailer with a dusty grey chassis, wheel arches as well as drawbar and rims. Platform coral red. Taillights printed in red. Scaffolding parts silver-grey, scaffolding boards grey-white.

Flatbed with towed trailer (Hanomag Henschel) “Friderici”

#047502

Dust grey driver’s cab, canvas grey interior. Chassis with cardan shaft, double wheel arches and aluminium platform, dusty grey. Flat bed insert, silver. Grey-white tarpaulin, silver rims. Silver printing on the front with Hanomag-Henschel lettering and decorative stripes. Cab doors with Friderici logo and silver-plated door handles. Bumper edges printed in black, indicators yellow-orange. Tail lights printed in carmine red. aluminium fittings printed in silver. Black Friderici lettering on the sides of the tarpaulin. Trailer with a dusty grey chassis, wheel arches, turntable and drawbar as well as flatbed. Flat bed insert, silver. Silver rims. Grey and white hood. Side bumper edges printed in black, taillights carmine red. Tarpaulin sides printed with black Friderici lettering.

Polizei – Mercedes-Benz 240 D

#086444

White body, black interior, silver chassis. White warning light poles topped with a blue transparent dome. A white loudspeaker is fitted in the centre of the roof. Bonnet, boot and doors printed green. Side door surfaces printed with white police lettering. Decorative strips and door handles black. Front and rear indicators printed in deep orange, taillights traffic red. Radiator grille has black coloured recesses and bumpers are printed with black rubber profiles.

DKW Schnelllaster panel van – sky blue

#033406

Body sky blue, interior brown. Black chassis and steering wheel. Door handles, trim strips and DKW rings on the front silver-plated. DKW lettering 3 = 6 printed in silver. Window frames printed black. Door handles and decorative strips in silver. Rear lights printed in red.

Volkswagen Transporter T1 double cab – olive grey / pearl white

#078907

Upper body part olive grey, lower body part pearl white. Transparent headlights and red transparent taillights. Silver grey interior. Pearl white US version bumpers inserted. Black chassis, rims and steering wheel. Front VW logo printed in pearl white. Indicators traffic orange. Chrome rings and door handles printed in silver. Olive-grey stripes around the sides and back. Porsche style custom wheels.

Box trailer (Chevrolet) “John Deere”

#052103

The tractor unit has a grass green driver’s cab, a black chassis and zinc-yellow rims. Grass green saddle plate. Silver-plated headlights and orange printed indicators. Grill engraving printed in silver. Silvered roof lights, logo also printed in silver. Grass green rear body on a grass-green chassis with support feet. Trailer has zinc yellow rims and roof surface. John Deere parts logo printed on the sides of the trailer.

Fire Appliance- Rosenbauer AT (MAN TGM Euro 6)

#061299

The latest version of the Rosenbauer bodied MAN unit. Red driver’s cab, anthracite grey interior and steering wheel. Silver-grey siren attached. Red front apron, black radiator grille with silver MAN trademark and decorative strip. Front wheel arches with red steps. Chassis with cardan shaft and rear interior in anthracite grey. Topaz tinted glass. Red equipment storage areas with anthracite-grey blinds, pump stand with topaz-transparent cover. Blue-transparent warning lights on all four corners of the vehicle. Anthracite grey roof structure, silver roof monitor plugged in. Rear ladder silver. Black pump fittings, silver rims. Windshield wipers as well as mirror mounts and trim strips on the driver’s cab printed in black. Front turn signals traffic orange. Crew cabin with black door frame and silver R logo. Equipment compartment structure with Rosenbauer logo as well as printed indicators and white emergency number 112. Rear taillights with silver reflectors. LED bar printed in traffic blue on the body sides. Sprue with exterior and side mirrors included.

Flatbed semitrailer (Henschel) “Union Transport”

#051406

Carmine red driver’s cab, dust grey interior with steering wheel. Front wheel, arches and headlights, but also chassis with cardan shaft and rear fenders and rims in anthracite grey. Black grille with silvered Henschel star. White printed roof area. Bonnet with silver-plated hinge and black bonnet buckles and silver Henschel lettering on a black background. Decorative strips and door handles silver-plated. Front headlights also silvered, taillights printed in carmine red. Trailer with anthracite grey chassis, support legs, double wheel arches and rims. Carmine red base with silver shelf and basalt grey tarpaulin. Flatbed printed with white lettering “Transport-Betriebe” with a black drop shadow. Tarpaulin has white Union lettering and a black drop shadow.

Low loader trailer (Mercedes-Benz Pullman) “Ruhr Intrans”

#049002

Driver’s cab with chassis, cardan shaft, rims and platform in coral red. Interior grey, saddle plate silver. Radiator grille surface printed in pearl white, Mercedes-Benz star with decorative frame printed in silver. Side of the driver’s cab finished with silver double trim. Pearly-white mid band on the driver’s cab with Clark lettering on the side. Rear lights printed in traffic red. Dolly with wheel arches, turntable, drawbar and rims in a coral-red colour as well as a low-loader with a ramp. Winch silver. Side double decorative stripes as well as pearly white ‘Ruhr Intrans’ lettering.

Tanker with Trailer tank (Mercedes-Benz LP 333) “Esso”

#042904

Cab with chassis, cardan shaft and bumper, wheel arches, rear bumpers and oil tank with base plate, and rims all in Esso red. Black radiator grille with silver printing of trim strips and Mercedes-Benz star. Interior fittings anthracite grey. Light ivory steering wheel fitted. Decorative strips on the driver’s cab are silver-coloured, front indicators are signal orange. Tricolour Esso logo on the cab doors. Rear lights printed in carmine red. “Esso Aviation Products” logo on the side of the tank. Trailer with chassis, turntable as well as wheel arches, drawbar and oil tank with base plate Esso-red. Carmine red taillights. “Esso Aviation Products” logo on the side.

1:43 Scale Models

Fire Appliance – Rosenbauer AT (MAN TGM)

#043196

The MAN chassis fitted by Rosenbauer. WIKING is introducing a detailed 1:43 scale model that, like its prototype, appears as a compact and equally manoeuvrable emergency fire-fighting vehicle. The “AT” series enjoys the most careful printing. Particularly noticeable: the glass doors optionally offered by Rosenbauer for the rear entrance to the cabin are transparent on the model and allow the viewer to see the cabin details moulded inside. The Rosenbauer logo is emblazoned as a silhouette on the door. The high-quality model consists of painted zinc die-cast components that are combined with plastic elements and authentically reproduced with fine detailed printing.

Fire Appliance – Rosenbauer DL L32A-XS 3.0 (MB Atego)

#043103

After the L32 turntable ladder on the Mercedes-Benz Econic chassis, WIKING has now produced the new L32A-XS 3.0 also scaled down by 43 times. This is based on the latest Mercedes-Benz Atego chassis. Rosenbauer designed this unit to be compact and functional. A large equipment room is located directly behind the crew’s cabin. Dark blinds are just as much a part of it as the five section extending ladder which has the retractable rescue cage at the front end. All functions of the turntable turntable ladder are movable. The 1:43 model shows off the character of the Rosenbauer turntable ladder. The model consists of painted zinc die-cast components, which are combined with plastic elements and finished with finely detailed printing.


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The Two Stroke Car – The Aftermath of the Second World War Part One

By Maz Woolley

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

In my two previous articles on the two stroke car I looked at the development of two stroke engined cars in the pre-war years which was dominated by DKW, Germany’s second biggest car firm in the pre-war era, and Czech firms heavily influenced by their technology. The three wheel utility vehicles made by Tempo which also had two stroke engines were passed over but their post-war revival is covered in this article.

Although I will do my best to cover all the mainstream two-stroke cars and light commercials, and their models, my coverage will inevitably be incomplete. Readers with greater knowledge, or photographs of models that I have missed out, are invited to write to MAR Online to supplement the tale that I tell.

This article looks at the immediate post-war years, and in particular the return to production of two stroke powered vehicles in the areas occupied by the Western Allies. The rebirth of DKW is a significant part of this story, but others like Tempo and Goliath also form part of the tale. Another article will look at the immediate post-war two-stroke vehicle production in the DDR (East Germany).

The war ends

In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War Germany was a shattered country with extensive war damage and was divided into zones of occupation of the armed forces of the Allies: French, British, American and Soviet.

Map printed in 1945 from https://www.geographicus.com/ website

Production of civilian vehicles in the Western zones of Germany was slow to restart during the years of occupation as the need to clear the devastation and re-build basic services, agriculture, and accommodation was paramount. Even in the early 1950s many West Germans were still living in temporary accommodation, in huts and old military barracks for example. New cars and motorbikes were a luxury few could afford. Keeping pre-war and adapted ex-military vehicles running, getting public transport back in service, and providing commercial and construction vehicles, were the priority in these early years.

In late 1945 many Germans taken prisoners of war were held in labour camps in the zones of occupation, people had fled westwards with the advance of the Soviets too, so the workforce was displaced around the country. Germany had lost over 8% of its population in the Second World War and agricultural output had fallen to about a third of pre-war levels. This affected all the occupied zones. all sectors were affected by the loss of territory to Poland and the Soviet Union in the east and France in the west. This created an influx of German speaking refugees from those areas to the nearest zone of occupation putting still further pressure on resources in a shattered country.

The Allies systematically collected war reparations. The Americans focusing on obtaining designs and engineers in key industrial segments where they knew Nazi Germany had been leading scientific developments. Rocket Science was one where German Scientists and patents were gathered together and shipped to the US. The British did obtain some designs and use them but were less active than the Americans.

In contrast the Soviets focused on shipping as much industrial materiel back to the Soviet Union as it could, this was needed to bolster the output of its industrial sector. Skilled Engineers, industrial tooling, assembly lines and designs were shipped back to the Soviet Union on long and arduous railway journeys. Significant parts of the optical industries, many having been based around Dresden within the Soviet Zone, were moved to the Soviet Union for example. The Opel Kadett production line and machinery was put on railway trucks and taken to the Soviet Union where the car would later be modified and produced as a Moskvitch.

Even in the areas occupied by the British, French and Americans production of vehicles was slow to start. Volkswagen (British Sector) and Daimler-Benz (American Sector) re-started to service the armies of occupation. Volkswagen started off in a small way supplying batches of Beetles to the British Army who were short of vehicles for their policing tasks. Mercedes-Benz factories began production slowly depending on a substantial contract to service American Army vehicles having been stripped of all their factories except for the original four based in southern Germany in the American sector.

One of the direct impacts of war reparations was that DKW lost its patents and design rights. Copies of the popular pre-war RT Motorcycles were produced in Russia (Minsk, MMZ et al), Poland (SHL and Sokol), the Soviet zone of occupation (Motorad Zchopau), Britain (BSA Bantam), and America (Harley Davidson Hummer). A little later Yamaha used the free to all RT designs to create its first motorcycle: the Yamaha YA-1.

Pre-war DKW RT125 Brochure cover

As far as the production of cars and bikes were concerned the Auto Union company found its Chemnitz headquarters and the Wanderer, Horsch and DKW factories within the Russian Zone. Most pre-war engineers and workers had been conscripted into the Armed Forces. Those remaining running the factories during the war were often conscripted labour, including Poles and others, who left Germany at the end of the war. The Management and many remaining German workers in factories in Saxony had fled the advancing Russians if they could do so. By the end of the Second World War the factories in Saxony were badly damaged or destroyed, first by Allied bombing and then by the advancing Soviet forces, and their workforce dispersed. The future looked very bleak and it would have been no surprise if DKW and its cars had failed to re-emerge after the end of the Second World War.

Bombed out DKW Factory and destroyed DKW F8 vehicles – Photograph from https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/

After considerable tensions and conflict over the future of Germany between the French on the one hand, and the British and American on the other, the three western zones came together in early 1947 as a single entity. This was in response to the breakdown of any common ideas for the future of Germany with the Soviets who had imposed nationalisation, re-distribution of land, and communist organisational structures in their zone. Against that background the western allies supported the creation of the German Federal Republic, often called West Germany, in May 1947. In response the Soviet Union created a new state in their zone of occupation called the German Democratic Republic , also known as East Germany in the West. This state was created with state structures based on Soviet principles and was firmly within the Soviet sphere of influence.

DKW’s re-birth in Federal Germany

In the new West Germany Auto Union did not even exist as a company until it was formed in 1949. It was created initially to provide parts to keep the many pre-war DKW cars and bikes serviceable. But once established it began to produce vehicles again. Inevitably the revival of the two stroke RT Motorcycle range was a mainstay of the business and was undertaken in Ingolstadt which today is the headquarters of Audi. These included the pre-war 125 but gradually grew in size to meet market demands with the RT 175 being a popular model.

DKW RT175 1956 – from yesterdays.nl website

DKW Motorcycle Models

The 1952 DKW 175 featured in the Atlas Classic Motorcycles series made by PCT Industries who also made the related Ixo Museum Motorcycle models. This was made of diecast metal and plastic in China to 1:24 scale for Atlas of Switzerland.

Atlas (PCT Industries) DKW 125

Schuco also make a number of DKW Motorcycles from the post-war era and several to 1:43 scale feature in their PIccolo range as well being used as loads for commercial vehicles in their Edition 43 range..

Schuco Piccolo DKW RT 125

On the four wheel front the company had no tooling or production lines, though of course they had access to the pre-war DKW designs which were now ‘free to copy’ for anyone. This included the prototype F9 designs as well as the pre-war F8 designs.

Rather than put the now rather dated F8 back into production they decided to address the need for small delivery vans as they were urgently needed and few were being produced. The DKW Schnellaster, literally ‘Fast Truck’, also known as the DKW F89 L, was the result of this decision. This was produced in Ingolstadt from 1949 to 1962 and fitted with two stroke engines of between 700cc and 900cc. It was later produced in South America, Finland and Spain. The van was front wheel drive so it had a low flat floor making it easy to use and practical. Its comparatively small size was an advantage in narrow urban areas. It was also produced as a minibus and as a flatbed.

DKW Schnellaster restored by Audi from Dyler website

DKW Schnellaster brochure from The Truth About Cars website

Models of the DKW F89 Schnellaster

There are many ranges which have featured DKW Schnellaster right up to the present day.

The Schuco Piccolo range features vintage style solid metal models made to approximately 1:90 scale. The F89 has appeared in several liveries. Some photographs of these are shown below

F89 From eBay
F89 Piccolo in Schuco Livery – photo from eBay
F89 Schuco in Lufthansa Livery – photo from eBay
F89 towing speedboat in livery of Motor Klassik a German Magazine about Collectors cars

The ToyEko brand continues to make models in Spain which were originally made in the Anguplas range in the 1960s. It has a number of DKW Schnellaster models made in plastic in Spain to 1:86 scale which are pictured below.

Photographs from ToyEko website.



Other producers of models in 1:87 scale have also made Schnellaster vehicles, often in many different liveries.

Wiking F89 truck – an early unglazed model – image from invaluable.com
Wiking F89 Van – recent release – photograph FMB-Shop
Wiking DKW F89 in DKW livery – photograph Wiking
Wiking DKW Bus – recent release – photograph Wiking

Praline 1:87 scale F89 Schnellaster in Persil Livery

The photographs above are of a Praline model of the F89 which was made before the reunification of Germany as it is marked W. Germany on its baseplate. Of course Praline eventually became Busch and this range still sells DKW models today like the one shown below:


There are also several DKW Schnellaster models made to 1:43 scale. The number available is partly because the DKW vans were made in Spain as well as Germany. This means that Altaya, the Spanish face of De Agostini, have made several models as they appeal to the Spanish market.

A few models made to 1:43 scale are shown below.

F89 Promotional model marked Pro-Innovation Gmbh and made in China

The model shown above was acquired by the author from eBay and appears to be a promotional model available at a ‘Night at the Museum‘ event in 2006. Presumably at the preserved factory in central Ingolstadt where DKW production was located for many years. This is a simple model but captures the lines of the F89 well.

A partwork model of the F89 Van in the Spanish motorcycle manufacturer Derbi’s livery.

The model shown above is produced to a high standard, probably by PCT Industries, for a partwork publisher. There are a number of other liveries available on the same casting. Although the model has lots of detail items like wing mirrors, light lenses, neat number plates etc. it curiously lacks red lens detail at the rear.

DKW Partwork model F89 – photograph modelcarworld.de

Another partwork model but with several differences in the finish to the first one. Chrome grille rather than black, no lower body silver finish, and only one rear view mirror.


Schuco F89 in Zundapp motorcycle livery

Schuco F89 van towing a trailer with DKW motorcycles
Schuco Workers-Aid service F89 Van
Büssing Service Van Schuco F89
Schuco F89 as a flatbed coal delivery vehicle.
Schuco F89 Bus
Schuco F89 Ambulance
Schuco F89 truck with canvas tilt

Schuco have made full use of their 1:43 scale DKW castings with all the main variations of the body modelled in attractive and historical liveries.

Opening bonnet and engine modelling shown – photograph amazon.co.uk
Premium Classix F89 Livestock truck – photographs above from awesomediecast.com
Premium Classix DKW F89 Flatbed with tilt – photo from eBay
Premium Classix F89 in Lehner pens livery with advertising roof fitting – photo from eBay

Premium Classix is a premium brand made for modelcarworld of Germany in China to 1:43 scale. They feature a considerable level of detail and are price on a par with Maxichamps from Minichamps.


Other two stroke light commercials

DKW were not alone in making light commercials with two stroke engines in post war West Germany. The pre-war Tempo vehicles were relaunched after the war. The A400 Athlet was introduced in 1938 and was made after the war until 1948 largely unchanged. A twin cylinder two stroke engine was attached to the single front wheel and hinged off the bulkhead. Some documents fond on the web suggest that Tempo used versions of DKW engines to power their trucks.

Pre-war A400 Tempo Box van – photo from scrapushka-nsk.ru

In 1949 the Tempo Hanseat replaced the A400. Few differences between the models were obvious. It was powered by a two cylinder 396 cc, two stroke engine and power was transmitted through a 4 speed gear box to the front wheel through a chain drive arrangement. A 200 cc engine was also offered to allow younger drivers holding a German Class IV license to drive the pick ups.

Tempo Hanseat photograph detectandpreserve

The three wheeler, two stroke powered Goliath GD750 was a direct competitor for the Tempo Hanseat. Introduced in 1949 by the Borgward Group of Bremen. In total over 39,000 were made. Unlike the Hanseat the GD750 was rear wheel drive. It was powered by a 398 cc two stroke two cylinder engine, which drove the rear wheels through a 4-speed manual gearbox. A more powerful 465cc engine could be ordered if more power was needed.

Goliath GD750 box van -photograph Rudolf Simon
Restored Goliath GD750 in more common truck version showing rear wheel drive – photograph Lothar Spurzem

Other Two Stroke Utility Vehicles – Models

Again a large number of models in various scales are available. The ability to produce them in a wide range of liveries means that anyone that makes a model will make many variations.

Tempo Hanseat Models

Revell Praline Tempo Drierad 1:87
Busch Tempo Hanseat 1:87 – Photograph from DCC Train Automation website
Tempo Hanseat Wiking 1:87 – photograph from eBay
Tempo Hanseat Schuco 1:43 – photograph from eBay
Schuco 1:43 Tempo Hanseat – photograph nashhan.com

Goliath GD750 Models

Wiking 1:87 scale – Photograph eBay
NPE models 1:87 GD750 Flower Van
NPE models 1:87 GD750 Box van
NPE models 1:87 GD750 Newspaper delivery van
NPE models 1:87 GD750 Bakery van
Rendering of forthcoming NPE models 1:87 GD750 as Transporter

Rendering of forthcoming NPE models 1:87 GD750

Goliath GD750 Siku Museum exhibit – 1:60 scale – photograph Siku museum Netherlands
Norev 1:43 Goliath GD750 – photograph Budig Modellautos
Atlas Editions 1:43 Goliath GD750
Grell Nostalgia model 1:43 scale GD750 Beer delivery truck
Pola  1:22.5 scale Goliath GD750 – photograph amazon.co.uk

The photographs above show that there have been an abundance of models made of both the Tempo Hanseat and the Goliath GD750.


The next part of this series will look at the immediate post-war period in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and its slow return to two stroke car manufacture.


Acknowledgements


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The two stroke car – The inter-war years

By Maz Woolley

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

Two-stroke engines are now practically impossible to use in most types of vehicles as burning lubricating oil with the petrol makes it impossible to pass emission tests in most countries. They remain used in niche markets not subject to such controls like chainsaws, snowmobiles, small motorbikes and scooters, lawn mowers, and even engines for model aircraft. Whilst two strokes offer the great advantages of simplicity, cheapness to build, and reliable cold weather starting, they burn an oil and petrol mix that is impossible to get as ‘lean’ as a catalytic converter equipped four stroke engine. Their high revs based power delivery is also ‘frantic’ for those used to modern relatively low revving turbo equipped diesel engines.

Two stroke cars and light commercials have in consequence become an historical footnote nowadays only seen in museums or classic car displays and only rarely on the roads. In the early days of motoring pollution from cars was hardly visible amongst the smoke plumes from burning coal and coke emitted from chimneys on ships, houses, factories and power plants; car engines, two or four stroke, seemed relatively clean by comparison.

Two stroke equipped motorcycles were a large part of the market for many years, indeed my first motorcycle was an two stroke. They lasted until the advent of tougher emission controls, but they too are now largely a historical footnote. Though they are a footnote which forms a significant part of the historic motorcycle scene from the BSA Bantam, based upon the DKW RT designs taken as war reparations, through to the manic Kawasaki 250 to 750 triples, Suzuki GT750 and Yamaha RD250/RD350 and upwards. In the Eastern Bloc two stroke motorcycles were common and MZ, CZ/Jawa and the like were all exported to the UK. My MZ TS 125 was a practical first bike in the 1980s offering cheap and reliable motoring to London commuters like me, with many MZ ETZ 250s being used by Motorcycle couriers. After the re-unification of Germany two stroke MZs went on being made in Turkey for a while where the EU emissions controls did not apply. But today only a few small-engine bikes are sold with two stroke engines, particularly the 50cc off-road style kids bikes made in China.

This article is the first in a series I hope to write looking at cars and light commercials of the past fitted with two stroke engines, and some of the models of them which appear in various scales. I will not be be covering two stroke diesel units fitted to large commercial vehicles like the Commer TS3 engine as I feel they are another story. I cannot hope to cover the whole story, especially of the models of two stroke vehicles so readers are invited to send in corrections and additional material to help us tell the story in the round. It is largely, though not exclusively, a story of smaller vehicles and in later years vehicles made and used in the countries which formed the former Eastern Bloc.

The story begins in Germany in the early part of the Twentieth Century when DKW was founded in Saxony by a Danish Engineer. DKW were a fast moving company, originally named DKW for Dampf-Kraft-Wagen, in English ‘steam powered car’. Steam was quickly left behind when in 1919 they created a small two stroke toy engine which they later modified and turned into a motorcycle engine to power ‘Das Kleine Wunder‘ a small two stroke motorcycle. The two stroke engines were cheap to build, having few moving parts, and easy to maintain allowing DKW to sell cheap and reliable motorbikes. DKW grew to be the world’s biggest motorcycle producer by the end of the 1920s.

Car production began in the late 1920s in Berlin using 600cc, two cylinder, two-stroke engines. The first car the Typ P was built from 1928 to 1931 as a roadster or sports car. The engine produced 15 metric horsepower (11 kW) and the car was referred to as the DKW P15 as a result. Power was transmitted via a three speed manual gear box to the rear wheels. Although crude in many respects the braking was quite advanced for a cheap model as the foot brake worked on all four wheels whilst the handbrake operated on the front left hand side wheel and on the rear right hand side wheel.

Don O’Brien from Piketon, Ohio, United States – 1928 DKW P15 Roadster, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15187565

Two thousand of these cars sold despite some issues: The two stroke oil/petrol mix was more expensive than a diet of regular petrol, Indeed the cars were not particularly economical with fuel despite DKW’s two-stroke fuel scavenging technology being well in advance of others. It is said that spark plugs had to be changed frequently, and that the fabric used to cover the wooden body rotted. To balance that you didn’t need to decoke choked up valves and the cars started easily.

A sports version was also built with an even lighter body as shown below.

1928 DKW sports By MPW57 – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6638286

After the merger of companies to form the Auto Union, DKW had access to produce in other companies under-utilised factories. Taking over the Zwickau plant previously used by Audi they produced the F1 there from 1931 onwards. This design set the pattern for DKW cars going forwards: Front wheel drive and transverse mounted engines with engine and gearbox in a single unit, pre-dating the Mini by many years. Torsion bar based independent suspension was also ahead of its time. Their two-stroke engines of 584cc or 692cc produced 19 to 20 hp. In 1931 the DKW F1 was the cheapest car on the market in Germany which helped sales to stay buoyant at a time when the German Mark had plunged in value internationally and the country had been plunged into a great economic depression.

The F1 was the start of a series of pre-war DKW cars which ended with the F8 which was in production when DKW were ordered to stop building cars in 1942. The F series cars were 85% of DKWs car output and led to DKW becoming the second biggest car producer in Germany in 1934 and staying there until production ceased due to the war. Although DKW did not make cars for the German Army many DKWs were commandeered and used as staff cars in the German armed forces.

DKW 1938 F8 Saloon Di Lars-Göran Lindgren Sweden – Opera propria, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1454963

Between 1929 and 1940 DKW also made a series of larger capacity V4 two-stroke engined rear wheel drive cars, the 4=8 series, which were technically intriguing, using extra cylinders to add to the forced induction power so that the V4 looked like a V6 minus two spark plugs. However these larger cars did not sell in the same volume as the F series.

In 1939 they made a prototype of their first three cylinder two-stroke engine with a displacement of 900cc which produced 30hp. When clad in a streamlined body this could achieve 71 mph. This engineering did not make its way into production cars until after the Second World War when the IFA F9 in East Germany and F91 in West Germany saw the light of day. The story of the post war two-strokes will be covered in future articles.

The building of the Autobahns in Germany in the 1930s led to a national obsession with streamlined cars. DKW enthusiastically joined in making special prototypes just like the other members of the Auto Union group. It even created one for the Berlin to Rome race in 1938 and 1939. In 1939 the DKW team trialled different engines in the cars, including a tuned two-cylinder 700cc two stroke from the contemporary F7, the four-cylinder 1000cc engine of the DKW Schweberklasse and their new prototype three cylinder 900cc engine.

Period publicity photograph

A rear engined protoype was also produced in 1933 using the standard two-stroke engines but it never made its way into production as the Second World War intervened. The shape is certainly similar to the Czech Tatra and the Porsche designed Volkswagen.

Period publicity photograph

Models of pre-war DKW vehicles seem to be few and far between, especially in my personal collection! For a firm whose products were so popular in the pre-war period there seems to be a limited number of models available and none I can identify in budget 1:43 diecast ranges. Though the pre-war F7 revived in East Germany in the post-war period has been modelled by Ixo as an IFA F7 which will appear in a later article. The most common models are those made by Brekina in plastic to 1:87 scale of the DKW F7 car and the car derived F7 small commercial vehicles. In 1:43 Scale EMC and AutoCult have offered some fine models.

Brekina 1:87 Scale F7 Car and Van

Picture from Internet

The photographs below are of a Brekina F7 Saloon from my collection which lacks the rather overscale bumpers fitted to the standard model.

In addition to the cars a series of vans was also produced by Brekina with the ones in utility company liveries, as shown below, particularly popular.

Photograph from Internet

German Post Vans from the Internet

Like most Brekina models this has been upgraded as the years went by and produced in brighter paint schemes and with opened roofs like the one shown below.

Photo from the Internet

EMC 1:43 scale F5, F7 and F8 Models

Volodymyr Pivtorak of EMC Models created a superb range of pre-war F5, F7 and F8 DKW vehicles to 1:43 scale in Kiev in the Ukraine in collaboration with Johann Boyer of Alte Automobil MIniaturen in Germany. All the photographs shown below of these long obsolete EMC products have been sourced from the mDiecast.com website. where all the entries are listed as created by Volodymyr.

As is usual for EMC these handmade models were made to a high standard of detail and finish and were expensive and fragile. Though for an ardent DKW collector they appear to be ‘the only game in town’.

1936 DKW F5 ‘Front Luxus’ Cabriolet
1936 DKW F5 ‘Front Luxus’ Cabriolet
1937 DKW F7 Delivery Car
1939 DKW F8 sedan
1939 DKW F8 Cabriolet

Autocult

AutoCult have made a pre-war DKW car in their streamliner series. This is the prototype rear wheel drive car noted above. This has been beautifully replicated by AutoCult. Despite the large number of other rear wheel driven vehicles which were launched in the post war period this design did not go into production after the Second World War.


If any readers have models of pre-war DKW vehicles that we have not shown we would be grateful if you would send them to us with a few details so we can update this article.

The next part of this article will look at the immediate aftermath of the Second World War and what happened to the world leading DKW two-stroke technology.


I have found much to inform me in Mark Telford‘s interesting book ‘Cars with 2-Stroke Engines‘ ISBN 9781729813591. It is thoroughly recommended reading.

Wiking Then and Now – December 2020

By Hans-Georg Schmitt

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

The Wiking releases in October 2020 included interesting models, some of which were new versions of vehicles previously modelled or new in appearance. Using models from my collection I took the opportunity to do a comparison between the first and current release. There is an interesting background history to many of them.

0932 04 Volkswagen T1b microbus (1:160)

The well known microbus is released now in 1:160 scale. It appears
as a version from 1963 with the “bulls eye” front indicator lights. It is well detailed but the fuel filler flap is missing. Volkswagen transporters have been made by Wiking in the scales 1:87 and 1:40 since it was first produced. Initially as promotion models for Volkswagen.

0861 47 Mercedes-Benz 240 D “Fire chef staff car” 1975-1986


When the W123 saloon was launched in 1975, only the better funded professional fire services could buy the more roomy and comfortable car for their fire-chief. This often replaced an aged 180 or 190 saloon. These older cars were then sold to voluntary fire brigades, who used them for many years.

004707 NSU K70 saloon 1969

The NSU Ro80 was presented to the public at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1967. It was the first saloon car with a Wankel engine and stirred a sensation. To complement it a car with a conventional piston engine was developed ready to be presented in March 1969 and a few prototypes and pre-production cars were assembled. However at this point NSU was absorbed by Audi.

The parent company Volkswagen cancelled the launch because they were launching the new VW 411 and the Audi 100. In September 1970
the production of the NSU derived “VW K70” started in the new plant Salzgitter, the first Volkswagen with front wheel drive and water cooling. Wiking has now modelled a pilot car with original NSU emblems.

0334 03 DKW Delivery van “Transporter for spare parts of DKW vehicles”

After the division of Germany in 1945, Auto Union was divided and part was situated in East Germany and another part in West Germany. In a former barracks in Ingolstadt a limited production of a “fast delivery van” started. Powered by the engine of the former F8 it was a front wheel drive vehicle also offered as pick up or microbus.

In 1950, in Düsseldorf, the production of the DKW F91 saloon started. To service the supply of spare parts some of the delivery vans were used by the new Auto Union AG. to supply parts to their dealers. The miniature is very good and is well detailed with authentic livery.

0788 16 Volkswagen T1a delivery van 1950-1953 “United Parcel Service”

Brown painted delivery vans with golden decorations have a long tradition of use by the United Parcel Service. The original for this miniature was tested by the parcel service in the US during the 1950s.

As shown in the photograph above UPS has offered a series of promotion models, mostly based upon their vans running in the USA. The nicely shaped Wiking model is fitted with double-bumpers developed by Volkswagen for America with its big street cruisers.

0335 05 Tempo Matador low-loader 1949-1952


The Matador was one of the first new small four-wheeled transporters to be launched in post-war Germany. It was the bigger brother of the well known Tempo three wheeler, which was based on a pre-war model.

After Wiking has produced the pick up and Post delivery van it now appears with a lowered flatbed, loaded with a case, containing Tempo spare parts, in a pallet.

The Matador was fitted with the Volkswagen Beetle engine, when Volkswagen launched their own transporter, delivery was stopped and so later on production of the Matador was fitted with engines supplied by Müller.

0479 04 Büssing 12000 Flatbed Giant 1951-1954

The first truck with an underfloor engine was the type 12000, and the first of these was delivered in 1952. The impressive dimensioned three-axle truck was the first type with cab over engine.

It was a rare sight as less than 40 were built. One of the main customers was the German Bundesbahn.

Shown here with a bonneted 8000 the size of the 12000 is very noticeable.

0360 02 Mercedes-Benz Unimog S 404 1955-1980

The type name in full means “Universal Motor Device”, and this is true, not only for the original vehicle, but also applies to the models from the house of Wiking.

The S 404 has been produced in different versions since its launch in 1972 as a 4×4 fire engine. This model was released in several versions with minor changed, then it appeared as a globetrotting motor home. This time it has been released as a cross country telephone
emergency service vehicle of the German Bundespost. It is moulded in
dark grey and printed with an authentic livery.

0503 05 Magirus-Deutz artic. Lowloader 1970-1974

The trailer is hauled by a ‘squared corner’ bonneted tractor unit, these were nicknamed “Bulls”. The trailer of the model is loaded with a big box, containing an industrial Deutz Diesel engine, possibly for a ship. Shortly after the “Bulls”, cab over engine tractors were introduced. Then in 1982 together with Magirus a number of European truck manufacturers were combined to form IVECO.


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News from the Continent October 2020 – Wiking

By Hans-Georg Schmitt

Editor’s note: We welcome Hans-Georg back to the pages of MAR Online after his illness and convalescence.

This article looks at new items proposed by Wiking for issue in October 2020. These models are mostly moulded in plastic in Europe for Germany. They are all new items

1:87 Scale

0335 05 Tempo Matador low-side flatbed

On the first track through the years of reconstruction 1949-1952

0384 04 Agricultural trailer

Backing the harvest 1964-1978

0479 04 Flatbed lorry Büssing 12 000 1951-1954

Giant truck with underfloor engine in a new colour scheme

0360 02 Mercedes-Benz Unimog S 404 1955-1980

A well known model issued in a new livery in a new service

0503 05 Magirus Deutz articulated low-loader truck 1970-1974

Deutz engines transported to all corners of the world

0534 04 MAN heavy duty tractor with chemical trailer 1969-1994

Transportation at the chemical plant

0861 47 Mercedes-Benz 240 D fire brigade 1975-1986

Comfort for the fire chief

0047 02 NSU K70 1969

The last self-developed NSU before their takeover.

0334 03 DKW speed box van 1955-1962

Service for “The little wonder”

0788 16 Volkswagen T1a box van 1950-1953

The early days of private package delivery

0352 02 Opel Blitz Towing vehicle 1952-1960

Old timer breakdown truck from the days when filling stations still repaired motor vehicles.

0673 09 Mercedes-Benz high-side tipper 1963-1967

First ‘cubic’ model in the tipper business

0424 05 Magirus flatbed tipper 1963-1973

All-wheel drive for the toughest jobs


1:160 Scale

0543 02 Mercedes-Benz refrigerated artic. Truck 1963-1967

Refrigerated transport with a new radiator grille

0932 04 Volkswagen T1 microbus

Colour often used on the original vehicle at the time


1:43 Scale

0431 10 Rosenbauer RT fire engine

“The latest new item from the market leader” in plastic and metal and to a larger scale: 1:43.


Wiking Annual Book

0006 27 Wiking Magazine 2020

Annual reading for passionate modeller


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News from the Continent November 2019 – Wiking

This article looks at models to be released by Wiking in December 2019. All are made in plastic in Europe for Germany.

1:32 Scale Models

0778 40 Liebherr Wheel Loader L556

This model captures many of the complex articulations of the real vehicle. It is a highly detailed model, inside and out, and is finished to high standards.


Scale 1:87

0227 11 Mercedes-Benz E-Class W213 saloon – Fire Brigade

A debut for this speedy mobile command vehicle. Finished in a generic livery rather than with the markings of a specific Brigade.


0314 03 Volkswagen Transporter T2 double cabin pick up

This model is liveried as a Wolfsburg breakdown service & roadside assistant vehicle produced from 1967-1971.


0334 01 DKW Schnellaster box van

DKW stood for ‘Das kleine Wunder’ which means ‘the little wonder’. Powered by a small two stroke engine this model was in production from 1955 to 1962.


0554 02 Mercedes-Benz 3850 Stanchion articulated trailer truck

Here we have the Mercedes-Benz 3850 tractor unit hauling a specialist trailer used by steel logistic experts Rheinkraft Spedition of Duisburg. The vehicle’s production dates to from 1985 to 1994.


0517 02 Scania 111 articulated Flatbed truck

A new outfit for hauling goods across the English Channel dating to 1975 to 1980.


0397 01 IHC 1455 XL tractor

All-wheel drive modern classic produced by International Harvester in Neuss, Germany, 1981-1985


0990 96 Set “Lepoix”

Wiking produces a tribute to an iconic industrial designer.


0788 14 Volkswagen Transporter T1a box van “Bluna limonade”

Here the Transporter carries the livery of a long established German soda brand the vehicles dates to 1950 to 1953.


0095 45 Lehmar MZB 72 Police multi purpose boat

New emergency service boat completes a combination with the Wiking Amarok model.


0311 47 Volkswagen Amarok GP Comfortline “Police”

An all-wheel drive towing vehicle on official duty. An ideal partner to the boat shown above.


0590 03 Mercedes-Benz L 3500 tractor with Culemeyer wagon-carrying road trailer

This new heavy load flatbed is fitted to a Mercedes-Benz tractor unit with tarpaulin cover. The original vehicle dates to 1951 to 1955.


0476 01 Büssing 4500 flatbed lorry with canvas cover

Büssing vehicles have a long running history in the Wiking range. Here in the latest format it appears in Büssing factory promotional colours. The original vehicle was produced from 1953 to 55.


0677 04 Krupp 806 tractor with articulated tipper lorry

A new semi-trailer in the simple Böling livery. The original vehicle dates to 1964 to 1968.


0018 23 Accessory pack – construction materials III

Palettes loaded with cement bags ready to be loaded onto models or used as scenic accessories.


0396 03 Fendt square-baler 1270S

A classic farm item widely seen as the originals are tough and long-lived.


0388 18 Agricultural three-axle trailer

A large high sided trailer to carry the cut crops.


0354 02 Opel Blitz box van

The livery is reminiscent of Friedrich Peltzer´s original Wiking branding. The vehicle dates to 1952 to 1960


0473 01 MAN flatbed drawbar “Haulier Mäuler Remscheid”

A newcomer to the Mäuler fleet sometime between 1972 and 1975.


1:160 Scale

0923 03 Land Rover 88

A classic colour scheme on the all-wheel legend, this version produced from 1958 to 1971.


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