Editing DKW (section)

==Automobiles made after 1945==
[[File:Osmo Kalpala - 1956 Rally Finland.jpeg|thumb|Osmo Kalpala servicing his DKW during the 1956 [[Rally Finland]].]]

As Auto Union was based in Saxony in what became the [[German Democratic Republic]] (East Germany), it took some time for it to regroup after the war. The company was registered in [[West Germany]] as Auto Union GmbH in 1949, first as a spare-part provider, but soon to take up production of the RT 125 motorcycle and a new [[delivery van]], called a ''[[DKW Schnellaster|Schnellaster]]'' F800. Their first line of production took place in [[Düsseldorf]]. This van used the same engine as the last F8 made before the war.

Their first car was the F89 using the body from the prototype F9 made before the war and the two-cylinder [[two-stroke engine]] from the last F8. Production went on until it was replaced by the successful three-cylinder engine that came with the F91. The F91 was in production 1953–1955, and was replaced by the larger F93 in 1956. The F91 and F93 had 900&nbsp;cc three-cylinder two-stroke engines, the first ones delivering {{convert|34|hp|kW|abbr=on}}, the last {{convert|38|hp|kW|abbr=on}}. The ignition system comprised three independent sets of [[Circuit breaker|points]] and [[Ignition coil|coils]], one for each cylinder, with the points mounted in a cluster around a single [[wikt:lobe|lobed]] [[Cam (mechanism)|cam]] at the front end of the crankshaft. The cooling system was of the [[convection|free convection]] type assisted by a fan driven from a pulley mounted at the front end of the crankshaft.
[[File:1958 Auto Union 1000 981 cc Hatfield Heath Festival 2023 A.jpg|thumb|1958 Auto Union 1000 Coupe de Luxe]]
The F93 was produced until 1959, and was replaced by the Auto-Union 1000. These models were produced with a 1,000&nbsp;cc two-stroke engine, with a choice between {{convert|44|hp|kW|abbr=on}} or {{convert|50|hp|kW|abbr=on}} S versions until 1963. During this transition, production was moved from Düsseldorf to [[Ingolstadt]], where Audi still has its production. From 1957, the cars could be fitted with a [[saxomat]], an automatic clutch, the only small car then offering this feature. The last versions of the Auto-Union 1000S had [[disc brakes]] as option, an early development for this technology. A sporting 2+2 seater version was available as the Auto-Union 1000 SP from 1957 to 1964, the first years only as a [[coupé]] and from 1962 also as a [[Convertible (car)|convertible]].

In 1956, the very rare [[DKW Monza]] was put into small-scale production on a private initiative, with a sporting two-seater body of [[glassfiber]] on a standard F93 frame. It was first called Solitude, but got its final name from the long-distance speed records it made on the [[Autodromo Nazionale Monza]] in Italy in December 1956. Running in [[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile]] (FIA) class G, it set records including 48 hours at an average speed of {{convert|140.961|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}, 10,000&nbsp;km at {{convert|139.453|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} and 72 hours at {{convert|139.459|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}. The car was first produced by {{ill|Dannenhauer & Strauss|de|vertical-align=sup}}  in [[Stuttgart]], then by Massholder in [[Heidelberg]] and lastly by Robert Schenk in Stuttgart. The number produced is said to be around 75, 50 survived. Production finished by the end of 1958.
[[File:DKW Junior DeLuxe 1962.JPG|thumb|right|DKW Junior (1962)]]

A more successful range of cars was sold from 1959, the Junior/F12 series based on a modern concept from the late 1950s. The range consists of Junior (basic model) made from 1959 to 1961, Junior de Luxe (a little enhanced) from 1961 to 1963, F11 (a little larger) and F12 (larger and bigger engine) from 1963 to 1965, and F12 Roadster from 1964 to 1965. The Junior/F12 series became quite popular, and many cars were produced. An assembly plant was licensed in [[Ballincollig]], [[County Cork]], [[Ireland]] between 1952 and c.1964 and roughly 4,000 vehicles were assembled, ranging from saloons, vans and motorbikes to commercial [[combine harvester]]s. This was the only DKW factory outside Germany in Europe and for many years after its closure its large DKW sign could be visible on the wall of the factory.  The building was demolished in the late 2000s and was redeveloped into a German [[Aldi]] store and a McDonald's drive-thru.

All the three-cylinder two-stroke post-war cars had some sporting potential and formed the basis for many [[rallying|rally]] victories in the 1950s and early 1960s. This made DKW the most winning car brand in the European rally league for several years during the fifties.

In 1960, DKW developed a [[V6 engine]] by combining two three-cylinder two-stroke engines, with a capacity of 1,000&nbsp;cc. The capacity was increased and the final V6 in 1966 had a capacity of 1,300&nbsp;cc, which developed {{convert|83|hp|kW|abbr=on}} at 5,000&nbsp;rpm using the standard configuration with two [[carburettor]]s. A four-carburettor version produced {{convert|100|hp|kW|abbr=on}}, a six-carburettor one {{convert|130|hp|kW|abbr=on}}. It weighed only {{convert|84|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. The V6 was planned to be used in the [[DKW Munga]] and the F102. About 100 engines were built for testing purposes and 13 DKW F102 and some Mungas were fitted with the V6 engine in the 1960s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dyna.co.za/cars/specs.htm |title=DKW Specifications |publisher=Dyna.co.za |date=2008-11-13 |access-date=2010-10-02 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100605035112/http://www.dyna.co.za/cars/specs.htm |archive-date=2010-06-05 }}</ref>
[[File:Remixed HH-AU102H-1 060819 CPS.jpg|thumb|The DKW F102]]
The last DKW was the F102, coming into production in 1964 as a replacement for the old-looking AU1000. However, the F102 sold poorly, largely due to its two-stroke engine technology which was at the limit of its development. Auto Union's parent, Daimler-Benz, decided to offload the company to Volkswagen. The car was re-engineered with a four-stroke engine and relaunched as the Audi F103. This marked the end of the DKW marque for cars, and the rebirth of the Audi name.

From 1956 to 1961, Dutch importer [[Hart, Nibbrig & Greve]] assembled cars in an abandoned asphalt factory in [[Sassenheim]], where they employed about 120 workers, two transporter, that collected SKD kits from Duesseldorf and built about 13.500 cars. When the DKW plant moved the import of SKD kits stopped, as it became too expensive.<ref>Autokampioen 25/26 2007 "Made in Holland" by Yop Segers</ref>