The first transverse engine FWD car was built by Walter Christie in 1904 but it was not a production car. He built racing cars and later a tank which would do 120 MPH with the tracks removed and 80 MPH with them installed. The US army wasn't interested so he sold the idea to the Russians who based the T-34 on his design. Not knocking the Deek though- I would love to own one and have it keep my 3 cylinder 2 stroke Saab company. The DKW 2 cylinder was built by Saab for use in their earliest models such as the 92.

A mid-60s DKW F-102, bought new, was a very good car and the only new one Dad ever had. He put 52K miles on it with no problems. Like VWs, they had no fixed cruising speed, just whatever it would do, up to 80mph if you were in a hurry. The main problem was that in NZ, mechanics who could service a 3-cyl 2T correctly were a rare breed. Example: I took it to a grease monkey in Barry's Point Road to be tested on a dynomometer. This genius confidently drove it into the customary position and put chocks on the front wheels. (I'm about 20 at the time) Before he could do any damage to dad's car, I told him. "Front wheel drive!" Long story short, it was a lovely looking car and I don't recall it smoking excessively. If I could obtain one now in working condition, I'd consider buying it as a hobby car.

My Goodness...What a fascinating car! Neighbours when I was a child in Toronto Canada - had a tiny DKW 2 stroke - Wow.

Really a kind of primordial Trabant!

@SenSe-oj5hb

3 ай бұрын

its a trabant

@dnickegmx

2 ай бұрын

@@SenSe-oj5hb maybe you should have read the headline, it is a 1931 DKW F1, not even near a Trabant, which was a car of eastern Germany (GDR) , start of production late 1950s.

Wow! This video deserves a whole ton more attention, you're on entertainment par with Doug Demuro while showing more unique cars at the same time.

@MovingOurWorld

Жыл бұрын

Appreciate your comment! Thanks for watching. Hopefully there’s more interesting stuff you like on the channel soon!

Another great video! Interesting to see just how much of this 1931 car is almost exactly the same as the Trabant 601. I'm surprised the F1 is water cooled, Trabants lost that and had forced air cooling. My first car was a 1990 Trabant 601 Wagon in 2005. Two-stroke cars were looked down upon by then, but I think they are a really clever and simple design.

@MovingOurWorld

Жыл бұрын

That’s so cool that your first car was a 601! A little jealous over here. The F1 - right through the AWZ Zwickau we’re water cooled I believe and the air cooled engine first appeared in the P50. Which I have filmed also!

@marguskiis7711

11 ай бұрын

Trabant had still the new engine. The F series engines lived on, barely modernized, in Wartburgs.

Since it does not have windows, it's really better described as a (small!) phaeton, rather than a convertible.

Would be very grumpy if you drove my 90 year old car in that manner. Interesting car.

Amazing to think that this is pretty much Genesis for what would become the GDR motor industry - the Trabant and the Wartburg would slowly evolve out of this technology. Look at that gear shifter - so similar to the AWZ P70 Zwickau. Deutscher Geschichte auf Räder!

Really interesting as usual! Love the sound of them especially the 3cyl 2 stroke shown.

@MovingOurWorld

Жыл бұрын

That 3 cylinder was something else! Sounds so good. Would love to see one in person.

If you are interested...there are quite a few post war DKW's in New Zealand. I have a couple, and you're welcome to test one if you want to make another video. As you know...they're two stroke all the way to end of production in 1965...so really cool little cars!

@MovingOurWorld

Жыл бұрын

That would be amazing! I’m on both Facebook and Instagram under the same name - Moving Our World if you are on either of those platforms please get in touch. Otherwise I have an email that works. Keen to check out anything!

from my knowledge this engine (or an evolution of design of this engine) went onto power Wartburgs until about 1989 lol. Awesome find though, dkws of this era are really scarce!

@MovingOurWorld

Жыл бұрын

I really appreciate your viewership and thanks so much for the comment. Crazy how long the technology hung around without many huge changes.

This is such a cool video on an unknown brand to me. Well done MOW

It has a fuel gauge in 1931; the VW Beetle didn't get one until 1961🙂

The DKW does not seem to be world's first FWD car. As early as 1899 there was the french Latil, and 1900 the austrian Gräf voiturette. Both with Tansverse 1 cyl. engines (De Dion I think). In the 1920's, the french Tracta was the first one with double articulated joints on front axle (systeme Gregoire).

@MovingOurWorld

Жыл бұрын

The term we’re going for here is Worlds first mass produced, transverse front wheel drive car. Agree - it’s a bit of a leap. But it’s still a cool feat.

@lawrencelewis2592

Жыл бұрын

@@MovingOurWorld Shouldn't there be a rubber boot of some kind over the joint? It looks very susceptible to dirt and grit which I would think would wear it out rapidly. That is sure a neat little car. I've been to the Audi museum in Ingolstadt and they have several F1s there and there is a museum in Dresden that has IFAs. Post war with a wooden body but covered in a kind of vinyl material.

what a smart little car.... where do you keep finding them?

@MovingOurWorld

Жыл бұрын

I agree, very cool little machine. As far as the weird machines - It's thanks to a lifetime of being overly curious and happy to spark up conversations with literally anyone. Somehow this has led me to access some incredible forms of transport. Long may it continue. There are so many good stories that need to be shared.

This is an East German car, of course, before the bosses scuttled to the West and the Marshall Plan ha ha!

@dnickegmx

2 ай бұрын

maybe you read the headline, the car is from 1931, long before we had East Germany (GDR) and West Germany (FRG)

@saraofnorthwales

2 ай бұрын

@@dnickegmx East Germany is a place, we still have East Germany, East Germans are different from West Germans now as a result of their unshared history. As such, this car is part of their history.

Deutsche Kinder Wagen😂

this car has front-wheel drive with just only 11 horsepower, boring car isn’t it