DKW is an historic car and motorcycle brand that originates in 1916 when the Dane Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen founded a factory in Saxony in Germany to produce steam fittings. In 1916 he tried to make a steam driven car, called DKW (Dampf Kraft Wagen). This was not successful, but in 1919 he made a two-stroke cycle toy engine, called Des Knaben Wunsch (Boy's wish). He also put this engine in a slightly modified version into a bike and called this Das Kleine Wunder (the small wonder), and that was the real beginning of the car and motorcycle brand DKW. In 1932 DKW merged with Audi, Horch and Wanderer to form the Auto Union. All brands continued until World War II. Auto Union much later became a part of VAG.

DKW cars were made from 1928 until 1966. They always used two-stroke cycle engines and from 1931 the company was a pioneer in front-wheel drive. Most cars made before World War II had two cylinders but a 1939 prototype got the first three-cylinder engine. This prototype was produced after the war both as an IFA (later the Wartburg) in Zschopau, East Germany, and in DKW-form in Düsseldorf, later in Ingolstadt as the 3=6.

DKW also produced the 'Munga' from 1954 to 1968, a Jeep like all terrain vehicle for the German police and the army. It had two 2 different two stroke engines, 0.9 or 1 litre engine displacement and 38 or 44 hp (28 or 33 kW).

The post-war cars had some sporting potential and formed the basis for many rally victories in the 1950s and beginning of 1960s.

Before World War II the company had some success with forced induction racing bikes. During the 1920s, DKW was the world largest motorcycle manufacturer. After the war the company made the above mentioned RT125, 175, 250 and 350 models.

The last DKW was the F102, which was the direct forerunner of the first post-war Audi, the model 60. The main difference was that the Audi used a conventional four-stroke engine.

The motorcycle branch of the company produced very famous models such as the RT125 pre- and post World War II. As reparations the design drawings of the RT125 were given to Harley Davidson in the USA and BSA in the UK. The HD version was known as the Hummer, while BSA used them for the Bantam. IFA and later MZ models continued in production until the 1990s when economics finally brought production of the two stroke to an end. Other manufacturers also copied the DKW design, officially or otherwise. This can be seen in the similarity of many small two stroke motorcycles from the 1950s, including a product of Yamaha.

External links

• DKW Munga picture
• Category at ODP (Dutch)
• http://www.dkwclub.org