Auto Union DKW Owners

Started by AutoUnioNZ, December 23, 2015, 09:55:26 AM

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AutoUnioNZ

And the Schnellaster has not been exempt from the customising sector either...





AutoUnioNZ

#81
The variety of body styles fitted to this very versatile chassis were truly bewildering.  With the virtually unbreakable 3 cylinder engine (provided you got the fuel oil mix right!),  it was a good combo - a bit slow if anything, but even when howling to get the job done, it got the job done.

My favourite is the ute version;



Then there was the Flintridge "Caravan" (the story of Flintridge and DKW is another story in itself!);



The Westfalia Camper;



and innumerable homemade versions (here is one constructed by welding two Schnellasters together, end to end, owned by Dutch collector and DKW afficionado Sipke Sipkens!) ;





another Flintridge (this one modified to incorporate a Corvair flat 6 engine!);


The size of the Schnellaster is here compared to the 1000S - seen here in South Africa is Tjasse Biewenga's F800/3, with the late Johny Nel's 1962 1000S (now driven daily by his daughter Charlene Ferns) - this 1000S has done over 1 million km since 1962!


AutoUnioNZ

On the subject of South African Schnellasters - here is the F800/3 of Louis Gerber of Pretoria - it looks innocent enough, but it has a tuned 1000S engine fitted, with a 1000S gearbox - giving it enough speed to break the local 120 km/h speed limit (Louis has the speeding tickets to prove his point!).  The major issue from this modification was overheating - which was solved with a custom made exhaust expansion chamber and electric fan.  Louis uses this as his daily driver;


AutoUnioNZ

Many project Schnellasters are out there today, here is one from some recent classifieds (overseas);




(This one is a survivor in Zimbabwe)



AutoUnioNZ

Before continuing with production Auto Union/DKW cars any further - I thought I might discuss an interesting "special".  There were many, many DKW based "specials" over the years and I'll try to tell you all about them in the next while - here is a particularly interesting one;

"The UK?s DKW importer in the 1950s, AFN Limited - better known as builders of Frazer Nash sports cars - constructed this prototype two-seater sportscar on a right-hand drive DKW Sonderklasse saloon chassis in 1954, hoping to persuade the German manufacturer to put the car into production. Clothed in elegantly streamlined bodywork reminiscent of the Frazer Nash Mille Miglia, the prototype retained the Sonderklasse?s 896cc, three-cylinder, two-stroke engine and four-speed all-synchromesh gearbox.
Registered ?5 DMP?, the prototype was entered in the 1955 Tourist Trophy at Dundrod - in International Class G, number ?48?. The car was initially to be driven by works driver Bill Smith but following his tragic death was driven by Ken Rudd and Cecil Yard. It was recorded as buzzing merrily around until at a pit stop the crew filled the fuel tank with neat petrol, instead of the petroil mixture required by two-strokes, and the DKW engine seized at Jordan?s Cross. 
For several years ?5 DMP? disappeared from view, though it is believed that for a considerable period it was stored at the AFN works. Brian Emblin, a senior DKW technician at AFN Ltd, has recalled working on ?5 DMP? at the factory and some race tracks, and that a customer of AFN, Frank Capeman, borrowed the car for the odd race or rally.
?5 DMP? resurfaced in the early 1970s when it was retrieved from Birmingham by John Aldington, the then Managing Director of AFN Ltd and currently the chief Frazer Nash archivist. In 1980 AFN at Isleworth undertook a complete restoration of the car, after which it was retained in the collection there. AFN registered the car in 1985, retaining the registration mark ?5 DMP? when it was subsequently re-registered ?JSJ 462?. In 1996 the car was sold by AFN to a dealer, but not registered in his name, and put into storage until 2003 when it was purchased by the current owner. Restored to original specification over the course of the succeeding two years."







AutoUnioNZ

Always better to have this;


than this (if you can help it)!;


AutoUnioNZ

OK - moving along smartly - lets talk about the beautiful DKW Monza;





I hate to copy and paste from Wikipedia too much - but the info is accurate and well summarised;

"The DKW Monza was a sports car built on an Auto Union DKW base. Named after the world-famous Italian Grand Prix circuit, the car set five world records in 1956.

After the series of wins by the DKW 3=6 'Sonderklasse' in European touring car racing and rallying in 1954 and 1955, two racing drivers started to develop a sporty body for the successful model. G?nther Ahrens and Albrecht W. Mantzel designed a record-breaking car on the basis of the 3=6, incorporating an extremely lightweight plastic body built at Dannenhauer & Stauss in Stuttgart, Germany.

The complete vehicles were first built by Dannenhauer & Stauss in Stuttgart, then by Massholder in Heidelberg and lastly by the company Robert Schenk in Stuttgart.

Fritz Wenk had to discontinue his Monza production in 1958 after the new Auto Union 1000 Sp was launched in 1957 and Auto Union refused to provide additional new chassis for his production of the Monza.

In December 1956 a team consisting of two Germans and two Swiss spent alternating times driving a DKW Monza around the racecourse at Monza, Italy. With an average speed of 140 km/h (87 mph), the team of drivers set five international records.

The glass-fiber reinforced polyester coupe body had a smaller aerodynamic resistance due to its rounded frontal area and low profile. This made it much faster than the standard DKW. Like all DKWs of those days, the Monza had a compact chassis, 1.61 metres (63 in) wide and 1.35 metres (53 in) high, with an average weight of about 780 kilograms (1,720 lb). This was 115 kilograms (254 lb) less than the DKW 3=6 limousine (4-door. Sedan).

The two stroke three produced a power stroke with each rotation of the crankshaft, unlike a four stroke which produced a power stroke with every other rotation of the crankshaft. With the complete rotation cycle of the three-cylinder engine, DKW people thought of it as a ?6? of a six-cylinder machine. Consequently, the use of the emblem, ?3=6?.

The three-cylinder engine, displacing 900cc and producing 40 hp (30 kW), allowed the 3=6 sedan model to reach 125 km/h (78 mph). It could accelerate from 0?100 km/h in 31 seconds. With the same engine, the Monza could reach 140 km/h (87 mph) and accelerate from 0?100 km/h in 20 seconds.

Conflicting reports as to the actual numbers built has been circulated. One of the reasons for this is that there was never an accurate record kept. With several companies making them at various times it was difficult to maintain a good production record. Therefore, it was very difficult to suggest a final production report on the actual number of Monzas built. Making it more difficult was the additional used vehicles at the company and Monza kits that were sold to the public. The number of produced Monzas varies between 230 - 240, (Theoretically possible, according to letters of Wenk to Massholder and Schenk and dealers, but not verified.) to 155 to 73. According to the realistic number of items appear to be about 70 - 80 . Today there are still about 50 cars.
"


Have a look at this period advertisment - just let those figures settle in for a minute.....outstanding achievement in a car in the 1950's - especially one of such a small displacement engine;



The Monza, while not beautiful in a conventional sense, had its charm and contained some very appealing details;



There are also some Monza's fitted, not with the 3 cylinder powerplant that had given the world record performance at Monza, but with the very potent 1300cc Muller-Andernach DKW V6 - which produced 85bhp in standard form (and 100 or more with tuning) - this remarkable engine weighed only 80 kg!;




le mans

That is gorgeous. These cars have completely different lines to anything Audi has produced and seemed to be incredibly progressive in terms of technology. What a shame they got swallowed up. I keep thinking you must have run out of source material by now, but then you conjure up some more! Great thread.

brian

#88
+1

I've learned a whole lot more from this than was covered in my Audi book
Škoda Fabia 1.0 TSI Race Blue

AutoUnioNZ

#89
Thanks for the comments guys - its your input that keeps me going and adding contributions!

Auto Union (and Audi, as it were) - has an extremely fascinating history - and some of the most interesting parts are not confined to Europe.

Before I go on with more German Production Auto Unions , I thought I would discuss two Argentinian and Brazilian models - both styled by Fissore (or, more correctly, Carrozzeria Fissore, an Italian coachbuilder located in Savigliano, near Turin) , but somewhat different cars;



First, the Argentinian;

"In Argentina the 1000 was manufactured under license by IASFe (Industrias Automotriz de Santa Fe) between 1960 and 1970, in the city of Sauce Viejo, Santa Fe. The lineup consisted of the 2- and 4-door sedan, the 3-door Universal estate (station wagon), and Carrozzeria Fissore drew the Coup? and Spyder "1000 SE" on the basis of German "1000 Sp", but this time more elegant and it departed from the visual appearance of the Ford Thunderbird, the "Fissore Coup?" stood out with one piece front bumpers and longer wrap around bumpers in back, an alternate roof line, side louvers in the front fenders between the front wheel cut outs and doors ornated with chrome strips and an elegantly appointed interior, limited numbers of the coup? were built and are highly sought out by collectors. Licensed productions of the Coup?s and Spyder where also assembled in Spain.

The Cup? Fissore had many famous owners (Julio Sosa, C?sar Luis Menotti and others).
"







Julio Sosa, widely considered the greatest Tango singer of all time, was famously killed in a DKW Fissore in 1964 ? ?Sosa's fame acquainted him with sports cars as well. He had numerous accidents during the early 1960s, mostly as a result of speeding. He was behind the wheel of a DKW Fissore coup? when, in the early hours of November 25, 1964, he crashed into a roadside hazard light on Buenos Aires' Figueroa Alcorta Avenue, killing him instantly at age 38.  Some 25 000 people attended his funeral.



This is the car Sosa was killed in;



Now the Brazilian ;



"From 1956 to 1967, DKW cars were made in Brazil by the local company Vemag (Ve?culos e M?quinas Agr?colas S.A., "Vehicles and Agricultural Machinery Inc."). Vemag was assembling Scania-Vabis trucks, but Scania Vabis became an independent company in July 1960. The original plans were to build the Candango off-roader (Munga), a utility vehicle and a four-door sedan, called Vemaguet and Belcar respectively. The first model built was the 900 cc F91 Universal but the Belcar and Vemaguet names were applied later.

In 1958, the F94 four-door sedan and station wagon were launched, in the early 1960s renamed Belcar and Vemaguet. The company also produced a luxury coupe (the DKW Fissore) and the off-road Munga (locally called Candango). In 1960 Vemag cars received the larger one-litre, 50 PS (37 kW) engine from the Auto Union 1000"


First shown in 1962,  the Fissore was finally put on sale in 1964. It was beautiful and very expensive; It had only two doors, but offered ample internal space (6 seats) and a lot of thanks to the visibility and narrow columns. It was a pioneer in offering the LUBRIMAT - mechanism that automatically blended oil to gasoline (with 1 liter of oil could be run up to 1,000 km). The large boot lid opened from the line of the bumper. It had its less desirable features - because of poor ventilation the windscreen fogged with ease and excess lead loading (to correct defects of the body) increased the car's weight. The engine had a higher compression ratio and (according to Vemag) yielded 60 HP of power. But the car's performance was lower than expected ( it weighed 70 kg more than the Belcar). The brakes, drums all round, suffered somewhat to slow the car in stretches of mountain descents .

In 1966  the Fissore had the boot lid shortened, which meant to use the least amount of lead on the rear panel. Thus, the fuel filler cap migrated from rear fender behind the licence plate in the newly created rear.  The boot lid, now a smaller size made ​​it difficult to move luggage, but in return helped the Fissore to lose weight. . The instrument panel finally received vents at the ends, reducing fogging of windscreen. Seats (then lined in velvet) were also offered in leather that matched the color of the body . Vemag designed and built a prototype of a Fissore 4 door, but it was never released.  At the end of the year the 1967 models were launched and received Fissore's elegant horizontal and the largest and most engaging tail lights, which were also fitted in the Vemaguet . At last, 12 volt electrics were introduced!

The DKW-Vemag Fissore represented an attempt by Vemag to enter the world of more "sophisticated" cars, and was 25% more expensive than the four door "Belcar" saloon. 2638 units were produced between 1964 and 1967.   There are 65 known survivors today.  In total DKW Vemag produced a total of 115,009 cars of all models ( but we can talk more about Vemag later)

Finally, it is interesting to note that all Brazilian Fissore models relied on the Lubrimat, an automatic system for lubrication of two-stroke engine. The Fissore, incidentally, was the first model of Vemag equipped with this system.

Here is the Vemag DKW Fissore (these were available from new with Saxomat automatic clutch also);






The rear of the 1965 Fissore;


The contract between Fissore Fratelli and Vemag had a duration of 10 years (going by the end of 1971). In addition to creating a new product (the 2 door sedan Fissore, presented at the Motor Show in 1962 and effectively marketed from 1964), provided for a sedan 4 door ; Next , a station wagon , and finally a convertible (developed for Argentina) which were produced about 50 units.  As Vemag was taken under Auto Union control again,  its financial difficulties became that of Vemag (Vemag's finances had always been left alone, without support or injection of funds from Auto Union AG)  and Volkswagen incorporation sealed the fate of DKW in Brazil ... So , the contract was terminated, and the links of Fratelli Fissore to the domestic market were closed there. The process was thus aborted for the emergence of the "stationwagon" scheduled for the Motor Show in 1967 .

The prototype stationwagon;


AutoUnioNZ

#90
And now onto arguably the most glamourous of the post-war Auto Union cars - the "Schmalspur Thunderbird" - the Auto Union 1000SP;



"Appearing in 1958 was the Auto Union 1000 Sp, a low-slung two-seater sports car that was produced for Auto Union by the Stuttgart coach builders, Baur. The fixed-head version was joined in 1961 by a cabriolet. Adorned with tail fins, the stylish modern look of the car gave rise to the "baby Thunderbird" (schmalspur Thunderbird) soubriquet in the press, and belied the fact that it was, under the skin, another Auto Union 1000, albeit one with an increased compression ratio and a claimed maximum of 55 bhp (41 kW) to place on the road. The 1000 Sp was lower but not (assuming only two people were in the car) significantly lighter than the standard-bodied saloon: a claimed maximum speed of 140 km/h (87 mph) nevertheless put its performance at the top of the range. It would prove to be the last open top car produced by the company until the Audi 80 cabriolet in 1994."

"The Auto Union (DKW) 1000Sp coupe was joined by a roadster version in 1961. It looked even more glamorous than the coupe, an aspect stressed by the factory by advertising it with the help of beauty queens and movie stars.



The 1000Sp wasn't only pretty on the exterior, it had an interior to match. The interior was well finished with a variety of chrome accents, an almost monumental steering wheel in ivory or black colored plastic, elaborate dials and switches, full carpetting and adjustable front seats. A small rear bench was included as well, but could only be occupied by very small children.

The 1000Sp roadster was equally as expensive as the coupe. It may have been an extravagant price for a small car with such humble origins, but if you look at the detailing and finishing of this car its quite clear that it couldn't have been a cheap car to produce.
To invoke a more upper class association the DKW name was temporarily substituted by Auto Union in 1958. This only applied to the 1000 cc models and with the end of this range of models in 1965 also the Auto Union name disappeared for good.



A nice aesthetic touch of the 1000Sp roadster was that its hood completely folded away into the bodywork. This way the crisp-cut lines of the model weren't spoiled by a lump of fabric sitting on top of the rear deck.



Not only the price of the roadster was similar to that of the coupe, also the technology underneath was identical. It had the same measurements and only weighed 30 kg less. Top speed was also 140 kph.
During the lifespan of the 1000Sp only small changes and improvements were made. Most noticeable were the introduction of an automatic oil pump for mixing the fuel for the 2-stroke engine in 1961 and front disc brakes in 1963.

The end for both the 1000Sp coupe and roadster came in April 1965. Only 1640 roadsters were sold, which now makes it the most valuable classic of them both. The 1000 cc models were replaced by the DKW F102 in 1964, which was to be the last DKW model. DKW had been bought by Volkswagen from Daimler-Benz in 1965. Volkswagen immediately fitted the F102 with a Daimler-Benz designed 4-cylinder 4-stroke engine and named it the Audi, another brand from the rich Auto Union history. The 2-stroke DKW F102 was taken out of production in spring 1966 and Audi went on to become Volkswagens premium brand it is today, built on the foundation laid by DKW.

In a way you can consider the 1000Sp as the swan song of DKW, the epitome of a long history of making 2-stroke front wheel drive cars. Not only does it look good, it's also a special part of automotive history, a worthy conclusion to the 2-stroke era (though 2-stroke engines kept rattling away in Eastern Germany for decades thereafter). The 1000Sp is a gem of typical European engineering in a disguise of American forward thinking and special to anyone interested in automotive history.
"

Of these 1640 roadsters, there is indeed one in New Zealand, in the hands of John Farmer formerly of Auckland (now Whitianga) - John has spent 16 years restoring this car, bought as a wreck from the USA.  I have posted photographs of it on other pages in this forum.



(This one sold to Peru!)













And this is the Kiwi roadster;


Now, of real interest is that some SP's were also fitted with the 1300cc DKW- Muller-Andernach V6 two-stroke engine (we discussed this engine a little earlier as fitted in the 1000SP's predecessor, the Monza;



You can hear the glorious sound of one here (the only recording I've ever heard);

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lwm4k4XwIjk

and here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr9srT2b5xY&ebc=ANyPxKql1n5WVXlW5itpsA_3c0e9RN97tgDteHg3aA7gDsWZ3fNMv_qGxSHN4-MVdvbnwYldVAUr5z5SUXzyMp-qcsXZqqLkbQ

Such beautiful lines this car has!



Just outside Cape Town - note Table Mountain in the background;

AutoUnioNZ

#91
A couple more of the 1000SP;

It has lots of nice details, and in my opinion was rather like the Mercedes 190SL, in that it was a car to be seen in, rather than a sports car per se (my opinion only);







They were raced too;



Here a couple more;









and if I have convinced you about this lovely car, here are some you can buy;

http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/612154017/1965-auto-union-1000-sp-roadster.html?utm_source=newsnow&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=trovitcars

https://www.classicdriver.com/en/car/auto-union/1000/1959/348232

the phantom




looks like an illustration from TinTin
Land Transport New Zealand, taking the fun out of driving since August 2008

AutoUnioNZ

I've been a bit busy of late - so its been a while since I wrote an update - here is the DKW Munga;



"The Munga was an extraordinary four wheel drive, jeep and utility type vehicle.
It was really a cross between a jeep and a car.
The word MUNGA is an acronym for the German "Mehrzweck UNiversal Gel?ndewagen mit
Allradantrieb" which translates to multi-purpose, universal, cross country car, with all wheel
drive.
It was a favoured vehicle used by the West German Border Guards during the Cold War,
who used it to monitor their side of the Berlin Wall, whilst their East German comtemporaries
on the other side were using Trabant Kubels.



How it came about is interesting.
After WWII the West German Government initiated a competition for German marques,
Borgward, Porsche, and Dkw with the objective of producing an alternative, home grown
alternative to the Land Rovers they'd used before the War.
The Land Rover was really the only viable 4x4, apart from the American Willys Jeep, both
of which must have been hugely expensive for foreign countries to buy.
Dkw got the contract and this was the start of what would become the Munga.(wasn't named
the Munga until 1962)
The Munga was made in 3 main variants, Munga 4, 6, & 8 respectively which referred to the
number of seats each model provided.
All Munga's were identical apart from the back seat configuration which determined whether
it had individual seats or  bench type variants as in the 6 and 8 versions.


Production started in October 1956 and ended in December 1968, with almost 47,000 having
been produced.
It was first unveiled to the Public at the Frankfurt Motor Show in late 1957, and was
at first only available to Government Forces and Services, such as the Fire department.
It was very popular with the Bundeswehr German Army and many other forces within Nato
including the Dutch Army who bought it in large numbers.


It was available to the general public from late 1957 and was priced at 9,500 DM ( approximately
$2300 at the time, which would have made it pretty expensive). Nonetheless it was popular with
farmers and forestry workers and those whose work demanded a tough, no frills vehicle that
would go anywhere in all weathers and in any terrain.

It shared the 900cc, 3 cyl, 2 stroke engine that was used by the Dkw 3=6, although the
torque settings were arranged to suit the off-road capabilities of the Munga.
It was front wheel drive, engine in the front and had a top speed of 50mph.
It was water-cooled and had a 4 speed gear box.

They had a soft-top roof and no windows and were extremely basic vehicles.
They were also remarkably tough and resilient and stood up to all kinds of abuse and
hardships. The 2 stroke engine ensured easy starting in even the coldest of Winter climes.



The Munga sold particularly well in South Africa and parts of South America where roads
were extremely poor. It was sold in North America as the "Bronco"

The Royal Netherlands Army had intended the Munga as a replacement for the 1956 M39A1 NEKAF Jeep, but the type caused so many problems that it was removed from front line service prematurely in 1970. The M38A1 NEKAF Jeeps, that had been stored in mobilization compounds for reserve units, were re-issued to operational units - where they remained in use until 1995.

The Munga was also built in S?o Paulo, Brazil, by DKW-Vemag, where it was called DKW Candango. The local production lasted from 1958 to 1963 in four-wheel drive and two-wheel drive versions.



A decade after the Munga went out of production, VW had bought Auto Union from Mercedes and they redesigned the basic platform into the VW Iltis, again for military duty.
"

THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND IN A MUNGA


MUNGA WITH A RECOILLESS RIFLE






HERE IS JOHN FARMER'S MUNGA AT ELLERSLIE, AUCKLAND


















AutoUnioNZ

Ok - and now onto something slightly different, before we get on to the DKW F102..................The so-called "two-stroke Ferrari chaser"  -  the DKW Malzoni, later to become the DKW Puma (forerunner of the VW Puma);



What do you get if you combine Italian coachbuilding, German engineering and a splash of Brazilian flair? In 1965, you got a DKW-VEMAG GT Malzoni.....




"The origin of what became the Puma was the DKW-Malzoni, built by Rino Malzoni of Mat?o in S?o Paulo (state) from around 1964. Malzoni was a keen auto racer, and at the behest of DKW-Vemag he developed a competition car based around a DKW straight-three two-stroke engine. Developed to compete with the Willys Interlagos, a locally built copy of the Alpine A108 which was outpacing DKW's heavier sedans, Malzoni developed a steel-bodied prototype. This proved too heavy, and at the S?o Paulo Motor Show in the fall of 1964 the light, fiberglass-skinned GT made its first appearance. It won its first race, at Interlagos in 1964.Malzoni, auto enthusiast but a lawyer by trade, proceeded to found the company Luminari Ltda with a group of other auto enthusiasts in 1964. Competition cars had bigger 1.1 litre engines with as much as 100 PS (74 kW). The cars began to sell in quantities larger than he himself could build, and on 14 September 1966 the company adopted the Puma name and began building cars in earnest.

The Malzoni GT usually had a panoramic rear windshield, although a very few cars were built of a three-box design. The original GT Malzoni body was then modified by designer Anisio Campos, who made the car somewhat longer and mounted the bumpers higher up, while the car (still on DKW-basis) was now named Puma GT. Production of the Malzoni GT (1964-1966, all types) was about 35 cars. Annual production increased to 125 for 1967 and continued briefly into 1968. All-in-all, about 170 of the DKW-engined cars (Pumas and Malzonis) were built.

In 1967, Volkswagen bought DKW-Vemag, and the Brazilian production of DKWs ceased. With no DKW engine available, a new car was designed based around the rear-engined, air-cooled 1,500 cc Volkswagen Karmann Ghia sold in Brazil. It sold relatively well for a specialist sports car."


HERE ARE THE DKW MALZONI (LATER PUMA) AND THE VW PUMA TOGETHER


HERE IS THE TEXT OF AN ARTICLE ON THE DKW MALZONI PUBLISHED IN OCTANE MAGAZINE;

"Here?s the perfect question for car experts who think they know everything: what makes an excited ring-ding-ding but looks like a shrunken Ferrari? Which car wears Pininfarina-style couture, from the Plexiglass covers on its headlights to its cheekily terminated tail, yet also trails gentle puffs of blue two-stroke clouds? Hardly anybody in Europe will know.

Do you? It?s a DKW-VEMAG GT Malzoni, and it was made in Brazil more than 40 years ago. You can be forgiven for not knowing about them, though ? until now, none has ventured onto Europe?s roads. But in its homeland, the licence-built DKW with its bespoke bodywork is a star. Motoring enthusiasts venerate it as an all-time great, and local collectors hunt it with a burning passion.

And that?s no simple task. ?Only about a dozen roadworthy examples are known today, as well as a couple of wrecks,? says Boris Feldman, Brazilian collector and Malzoni owner. He?d never sell his, although anyone who wanted to dispose of a Malzoni would find a long list of would-be customers. That notion was brought home to Rodrigo Theise, a 33-year-old DKW restorer from the south of Brazil with family roots in Germany, at 2008?s national gathering of DKW fans in Caxambu: ?A spontaneous offer was made for the blue Malzoni of over 150,000 real,? he said. That was around ?45,000 ? a sum that puts the Malzoni into financial perspective.

The white one that shares space on these pages with the blue DKW is the best-known of them. In 1966 it wrote a chapter of motor sport history that every Brazilian fan knows by heart and today it belongs to Carlos Andre Sarmento, who has poured 2000 man-hours into its restoration.

The background for that great event was the racetrack at Interlagos. There, South America?s racing elite would gather each year for the Mil Milhas (?1000 miles?), a highly prestigious race in which two drivers shared the wheel of the white GT Malzoni in 1966. One was called Jan Balder, the other was a certain Emerson Fittipaldi who was about to take a step up into Formula 1. For the time being they were both making waves at Interlagos, pushing their little DKW with its four-speed gearbox along for 1000 miles.

And the DKW gave its all. So much so that, with just three laps to go, the impossible looked possible ? the little three-cylinder car was going to beat all the exotica. The smell of two-stroke oil was strong, but the whiff of an impending sensation was stronger. And then the dream faded. The little two-stroke that had run so courageously for hour after hour finally weakened. On two cylinders, Balder and Fittipaldi dragged it home in third place to great applause, but no victory. That didn?t stop the celebrations though, for even that result exceeded the wildest of pre-race expectations.

Mind you, DKW two-strokes were no strangers to the racetrack. As early as the 1950s privateers were entering their own saloons in touring car races, and DKW in Germany maintained a competition department that keenly contested rallies and long-distance races such as the Italian Mille Miglia.

Even the DKW licence-holder in Brazil, VEMAG (Veiculos e M?quinas Agricolas, or ?Agricultural Vehicles and Machines?), maintained a competition department. With the cars designed just for everyday life, tuning was the hot topic of the day and, thanks to its simple, valveless design, the DKW could be persuaded to release more horsepower easily and cheaply. The front-wheel-drive running gear was also able to cope without buckling under the stresses imposed by the track.

Naturally, none of this happened overnight. The little Brazilian Belcar saloon put out a solid and durable 43bhp ? enough to get you where you wanted to go, but not quickly. So Jorge Lettry, head of the VEMAG race team, was charged with making the robust two-stroke three-cylinder more powerful. Something also had to be done about the tall, heavy Belcar bodywork, beloved by taxi drivers throughout Sao Paulo and Brasilia, but top-heavy on the track. In the early 1960s they struggled in vain against the low and nimble Willys Interlagos, which was a Brazilian derivative of the French Alpine 108 ? and just as vicious in the handling stakes.

Enter Genaro ?Rino? Malzoni in 1962, with a plan to match the power with new bodywork. Money wasn?t an issue: his family, with Italian roots, had grown rich on cane sugar, coffee and banking. What he had in mind was a small, pretty coup? in the GT class; something the girls would love, and which was quick enough to win races. A shortened DKW chassis with a tuned engine was a simple combination, easily available too ? and that made the coup? a commercial proposition.

An enthusiastic racing driver, Malzoni sketched out the bodywork himself. It?s not hard to see where he got his inspiration: he took Pininfarina?s use of form as the basic recipe for his compact DKW two-door, and seasoned it with a dash of Bizzarrini and a pinch of Frua. Astonishingly, Malzoni succeeded in creating a timeless and perfectly balanced form whose crispness still fascinates today. Its proportions were just right, better than many of the sketches that came from the recognised masters of design.

According to one story, Malzoni invited the VEMAG bosses to a barbeque, showed them his creation, they drove it ? and were impressed. So much so that in 1964 the car came onto the market as the GT Malzoni. Rino Malzoni set up for low-volume production, having the bodies made by hand from glassfibre laminate at his own company, Luminari. This was advanced technology for the time, and avoided the need for huge investment in press tools. Malzoni took no chances as far as strength went, and in places the glassfibre and resin were laid up as thick as your finger. DKW-VEMAG bought three for its own competition department, and supported Malzoni?s private initiative to get it into production. It took over the job of installing the mechanical components, and even allowed the coup? to be badged as one of its own.

The cars took to the racetrack immediately, and very quickly recorded their first successes: time and again the fleet-footed GT Malzoni pushed cars with far bigger engines off the podium. Jorge Lettry cut ever more courageous windows in the pistons to optimise the exchange of gases, worked on the shape of the exhaust system (so vital in tuning a two-stroke), and matched the result to a new set of gear ratios. Eventually he wound up the little three-cylinder engine to a scarcely believable 114bhp, easily surpassing the magic 100bhp-per-litre barrier.

?At the end of the Interlagos straight it was doing nearly 190km/h [119mph],? says Carlos Andre Sarmento. ?That?s something nobody had believed the little car was capable of. Lettry performed miracles.? The engine, once so demure, now screamed like an angry devil, whipping the 680kg coup? along the track at anything up to 7500rpm. The high state of tune compromised its reliability though; with more than 90bhp there were regular problems with pistons and conrods. Back in Germany, DKW?s engineers could hardly believe reports of what the Brazilians were achieving, at least not until the VEMAG team sent an engine to the parent factory. Brazilian two-stroke fans still smile about that.

The VEMAG dealers, on the other hand, had less to smile about. They soon figured out that the exotic new entry to the model line-up was far too expensive to be a success. Rino Malzoni and his team kept production going for a year or so, in which time they produced just 35 cars, then the first series ground to a halt. A second edition arrived in 1967 after Volkswagen bought VEMAG. Called the Puma, it was based on the platform chassis and mechanicals of the Brazilian-market VW Karmann-Ghia, then, from the mid-1970s, the VW Brasilia, and was built with coupe or convertible bodywork until 1997.

Still, it?s the early cars that matter. The young restorer Rodrigo Theise knows that. An inquiry had reached him from Germany; more specifically from Ingolstadt, the home of Audi (with which DKW had merged to form Auto Union in 1932). Ralf Hornung, who searched on Audi?s behalf around the world for important historic vehicles with which to complete the company?s collection, introduced himself with the urgent request to find a restored Malzoni and deliver it to Germany.

For many years Theise followed countless trails until he came across the blue car in these pictures. On one occasion an original body in neighbouring Uruguay slipped through his grasp; another time he came up against a collector who owned a Malzoni and even met with Theise, only to tell him: ?You can?t see it. Take one more step and I?ll shoot you!?

Theise carried on looking. Acting on a tip-off, he searched back and forth across the area around Santa Cruz do Sul, peering into corners, asking questions and looking. Somewhere, someone told him, somewhere in this place are the remains of a Malzoni, a wreck. Late one afternoon shortly before he had to return to the city, he made one final stop at a petrol station and asked: ?Is there a neglected old car around here, a VEMAG-DKW?? The man banged an ice-cold cola on the bar and said: ?Yes, I know of one.?

What happened next sounds like the screenplay from a spy movie. ?Drive along this road for exactly six kilometers, then wait,? the pump attendant instructed Theise. ?At 7pm a VW Beetle will come by.? Rodrigo drove off, waited, and shortly after seven o?clock a Beetle drove out of the night. At the wheel sat a farmer. Once more Theise drew the photos of the little coupe out of his pocket. ?Have you seen one?? he asked. The farmer nodded. Theise followed the Beetle to a river, and they got out. ?Come,? said the farmer, and led the way until they stood in front of the rotted remains of a glassfibre body.

The farmer had driven the Malzoni until the late 1970s, when he had a bad accident, and since then the bare shell had remained there. Theise felt like a prospector who?d washed the nugget of a lifetime out of the sand. What lay before him were the remains of a DKW GT Malzoni ? and a lot of work.

The Malzoni duly arrived at Audi?s museum in Ingolstadt in 2009. ?It was a project of the heart, not business,? says Peter Kober of Audi Tradition, ?and the car will not merely be marvelled at in the museum ? it will also appear on the grid in classic car races.?

Now, 44 years since the Malzoni?s historic near-victory, Jan Balder (the driver) and Miguel Crispim (VEMAG?s race mechanic) are quarrelling about what caused the problem so close to the end of the race. Balder blames the failure on the ignition. ?A plug lost its spark,? has been his contention since 1966. A technical defect robbed him of his victory. But Crispim, who knows every cubic centimetre of that tiny yet highly tuned engine, passionately disagrees: ?The drivers simply put on too many revs, far more than had been agreed, and stretched the technology beyond its limit just before the end of the race. As a result, one of the pistons seized.  I saw the evidence myself when I took the cylinder head off.?

No matter. As far as the Brazilians were concerned, third in the Mil Milhas felt as good as first, bearing in mind the more established opposition. And with only 35 built, finding a Malzoni is clearly worth the risk of being shot.


1965 DKW-VEMAG GT Malzoni
Engine 981cc in-line three-cylinder, two-stroke, two Weber 45 DCOE 9 carburettors
Power 59bhp @ 4500rpm (road); 95bhp (max 114bhp) @ 6000rpm (race)
Transmission Four-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Steering Rack and pinion
Suspension Front: upper wishbones, lower transverse leaf spring, telescopic dampers. Rear: beam axle, trailing arms, transverse leaf spring, telescopic dampers 
Brakes Drums front and rear
Weight 750kg (680kg in race trim)
Performance Top speed 91-119mph"















Worms

Loving this thread, still!

I have to keep expanding my list of "want" cars  >:D

AutoUnioNZ

Thanks for the encouragement Worms!  I'll keep trucking along - straight onto the last production car to carry the DKW name - the DKW F102;



These sold (comparatively) well in New Zealand - and were well loved, with several examples still surviving.  In fact the largest population of surviving RHD F102's in the world is in New Zealand!

But I am getting ahead of myself now:

When describing it - Audi describes it thus;

"The successor to the Auto Union 1000 appeared on the market in 1964. The DKW F 102 was modern in design and noted for its unitary body construction which marked the end of the separate chassis and body. However, this large DKW was still fitted with a three-cylinder two-stroke engine. It was to be the last two-stroke passenger car in the company?s history.

DKW F 102 saloon 2-door, 1964
Engine: 3-cylinder in-line, 2-stroke
Displacement: 1,168 cc
Power: 60 hp at 4,500 rpm
Maximum speed: 84 mph
Fuel consumption: 21 mpg
Price: DM 7,200
Series: 1964-1966
Production: 52,753 cars"




Once again, Wikipedia put it better than I could myself really;

"The DKW F102 is a car that was produced initially by German manufacturer Auto Union GmbH and later by Volkswagenwerk AG after Volkswagen acquired the Auto Union brands from Daimler-Benz AG in 1964.

The last European built Auto Union 1000 and 1000S models were produced in July 1963 and the DKW F102 was presented as a replacement model in September 1963, although volume production of 2-door F102s began only in March 1964 with four door cars joining them on the production line in January 1965.[3]

It was the last model developed before the Volkswagen take-over. Under Volkswagen control, the F102 provided the basis for the later Audi F103 models (the "Audi" and later "Audi 72", plus 60, 75, 80, and Super 90).

The F102 featured state-of-the-art two-stroke technology for its time and a unibody of modern design. Nevertheless, the market of the 1960s shunned two-stroke engines as old-fashioned. The F102 in consequence sold below the company's expectations and was the source of huge financial losses. Due to this situation Volkswagen was forced to implement a radical change in 1966. The production of two-stroke-engines was ended, with the last F102s produced in March 1966, by when 52,753[3] or 53,053 had been produced.[4] The F102 was redesigned to accommodate a four-cylinder-four-stroke-engine. At this point the name of DKW was abandoned, and the F102 mutated into the Audi F103, the first new Audi model since 1938."




To tell the story somewhat further - there was a lot of internal strife (understandable) in Auto Union at the time.  My friend Rinus van der Berg put it well;

"The DKW F102 of 1963/4 with its 1200cc could not compete with the opposition regarding performance and fuel consumption. Within Auto Union there was two directions of thinking: those pro two stroke and those anti two stroke led by Herr Dr Ludwig Krause of Daimler Benz. Herr Krause and D.B thus developed a 4 cylinder 4 stroke motor to improve output of the F102. This motor was referred to as the "mitteldruck motor" [high compression engine]. On the other side of Auto Union were those faithful to the two stroke and had got Herr Dr Hans Muller of Andernach to develop an improved 2 stroke machine for the F102. A motor of V6 configuration was decided upon - thus keeping each cylinder's capacity to below 250cc, which is optimum for a two stroke. The Muller Andernach motor was of 1300cc capacity with its 6 cylinders. The original F102 motor with its 3 cylinder was of 1200cc capacity - thus 400cc per cylinder - way too big ! It is reputed, and I cannot back this up as the truth, that an SP or F102 fitted with the Muller motor had taken on a Mercedes Benz sport model on an autobahn and had virtually left it standing. Bitterness in the DB stables and soon afterwards they signed ownership over to VW. Unfortunately the Muller motor never went into production. Herr Dr Krause, now on VW's payroll, got his way and his motor went into the F102 body - now recoded as F103 - Better known as Audi 60, 75, 80 and Super 90 range."



Here is a translated timeline from the German "Welt" Magazine - which explains it somewhat (not a great translation (Google translate)) ;

"History:
1959: The Ingolstadt Auto Union is 100 per cent subsidiary of Daimler-Benz AG, which has already taken over 88 percent of the shares in the previous year
1962: The principle of the two-stroke engines is losing popularity and the DKW sales are steadily declining. The DKW share of German total approvals was in 1961 at 7.2 percent, in 1964 only still at 3.7 percent. Daimler-Benz sent then the engineer Ludwig Kraus as technical director to Ingolstadt. Kraus is commissioned, an originally designed for Daimler-Benz vehicles four-stroke engine for use in the new DKW flagship F 102 adjust
1963: In September, the DKW F celebrates 102 world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but even with two-stroke engine
1964 takes place in March of mass start of the two-stroke DKW F 102. From October with chrome trim in the side bead and the gutters
1965: in April, the DKW F102 debuts as four-door sedan. Nevertheless, fewer than 1,000 new registrations per month are obtained from August of this year. At the Frankfurt IAA Auto Union Audi is presented, at first only under the model designation "Audi". Volkswagen Group boss Heinrich Nordhoff is German President Heinrich Luebke before the first Audi postwar era of the Frankfurt stand. In this "Audi" with so-called medium-pressure engine and four-stroke principle of Daimler-Benz is an evolution of the DKW F102, which is known internally F 103rd Starting this year, the Ingolstadt-based company is part of the Volkswagen Group. Production capacities in Ingolstadt intended for the production of the VW Beetlebe used. Nevertheless Ludwig Kraus developed secretly, a new Audi model, the Type 100. For the first great economic success carrier, however, the Audi 60 to Super 90 series, which emerged from the Auto Union Audi respectively DKW F102
1966: At the Geneva Salon will be presented in early March still parallel DKW F102 and "Audi". On March 24 runs in the last two-stroke Ingolstadt sedan off the assembly line, a four-door F 102."



The bottom line is, really, that the F102 really showed the incestous nature of the German motor industry at the time.  Without Mercedes, there would be no Audi today, and the face of Volkswagen would be massively different. 30 000 unsold F102's standing in yards in late 1965 forced Volkswagen into action!  To put it in point form;

*Daimler Benz wanted the DKW Dusseldorf-Derendorf factory for producing Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles (which they still do there today).  With them they brought engineering expertise such as engine designer Ludwig Krause.

* The fact that Audi exists today is only due to the fact the Ludwig Krause's brilliant Mercedes "Mitteldruck" engine (developed at Mercedes under the code name "Mexico") inserted into the otherwise very advanced and attractive F102 turned it into a best-selling car - the Auto Union F103, later badged as "Audi" - which thus propelled (and later the more successful development thereof the Audi 100) Auto Union, later Audi to financial stability.

* Volkswagen used much of the design from the Audi cars (developed off the DKW F102) to insert some new breath into their range - which was in need of some new cars in the early 1970's. From this came the Passat cars, which gave much of their DNA to the Golf Mk1  In this way (and I am oversimplifying it here, I know), the DKW F102 is the Grandad of the VW Golf Mk 1. Any Golf Mk1 owner will recognize the components with the familiar Auto Union four rings cast into them - typically with a line passing through the centreline of the rings.



Now - the Kiwi angle ;

DKW F102's were sold in large quantity in right hand drive in only two countries in the world, the UK and New Zealand.  The big DKW market in South Africa was not receptive to the car (although a few came in, only one survives there). The Kiwi's however, by all accounts, loved the car and the F103 that followed it.  They were raced in New Zealand - here is Brian Rule racing his F102 near Hamilton in the early 1970's;



Other survivors include this one in Wanaka;



Here is another;



The one survivor in South Africa belongs to Hubert ten Doeschate - it is a little unusual, in that it does not have the fender-mounted indicators (he is seen here driving his daughter Alyssa to a function);







They were raced in South Africa too - here is Coenraad Spamer in Rhodesia;




And here are a variety of F102 photos;














AutoUnioNZ

#97


OK, I thought that today we would talk about Hebm?ller and Karmann bodied DKW F91's.  As we all know, Volkswagen Type 14A Hebmuller "Beetles" are the most desirable of all Beetles. When talking of Hebm?ller, this is virtually the only car that comes to mind, for most people.  Hebm?ller did, however build some cars for DKW (the exact number is not known - but it is thought to be less than 20 cars), and designed a very attractive Coupe and Cabriolet.  These were all built 1950-52, after the 1949 fire that effectively weakened and brought on the end of Hebm?ller.



Hebm?ller (The coachbuilding company Hebm?ller Sons (Karosseriewerke Joseph Hebm?ller S?hne)) from Wuppertal (who also built the two seater "Hebm?ller" VW cabriolet for Wolfsburg) were producing F89 two seater coup?s and cabriolets for Auto Union - they went insolvent by 1952. Karmann (who later built the Karmann Ghia) took over the production of this body ? it is assumed that Karmann in any case had supplied the body pressings to Hebm?ller.



In their heyday, they were even raced (although a fast car, one would think it too precious a thing to race), with at least one doing very well on the gruelling Leo-Matadi-Leo race in the mid-1950's. "Jacob" (see next paragraph), of course, took part in the 1954 East African Coronation Rally (more on this further down)



Today, these are rare cars - survival figures for Coupe's are unknown (the best known Coupe is "Jacob" which is still alive and well in Pretoria, South Africa - but more about "Jacob" a little later), but the convertibles number 20 known survivors (all Karmann built to my knowledge).  There were 432 cabriolets made originally by Karmann.


They sure were pretty (to me anyway);
































OK, now about the Hebmuller/Karmann Coupe;

The best known survivor is, as is mentioned above, "Jacob", which is owned by my friend, DKW aficionado Fritz Eksteen, in Pretoria, South Africa.  Fritz also supplied Audi UK with their 3=6 race car, which they display at various events every year.  I'll let Fritz tell Jacob's story;

"JACOB"



"In 1953, AUTO UNION started the production of their three cylinder engines, and this vehicle was one of the first ones to be fitted with the 900 cc power plant. Previously the two seater coup?s were fitted with the 23 hp or 17 kW 700 cc engines. Hebmueller produced a number of F89s for Auto Union.

Since the outbreak of World War II no DKWs were imported into South Africa till about 1953, when Jacob Bos from Pretoria, a DKW dealer before WW II, got news that the new three-cylinder engine was in production. He allegedly flew to Germany by DC3, a journey that took him a week. He ordered this special version of the F91 at the Duesseldorf factory and Jacob?s DKW was the first three-cylinder DKW, and probably the first DKW that crossed our shores since WW II.

Jacob Bos used this vehicle for rallying and it is said that it was applied in the East Africa Safari Rally in Kenya during the mid-fifties. One can just imagine what this venture entailed ? he had to travel thousands of kilometers from Pretoria on his own without a support team, and without any sponsors. He related that it was so dusty that the oil-bath air cleaner was clogged completely, causing significant engine power loss. It had to be cleaned regularly due to the dust build up in the oil bowl.

I first saw this vehicle towards the mid sixties at Jacob?s business in Pretoria. The shape appeared comical to me and I was negatively attracted to the little car. At that time I was not aware of its heritage. The original colour was a deep blue, very much faded when we first met.

Dr. Howell of Pretoria bought the car from Jacob Bos, and when he passed away, his son John inherited the car. I bought the car from him during 1997. It is not hard to tell that the nickname of this car is "Jacob". "



AutoUnioNZ

#98
On the subject of low volume production DKW specials - the very attractive DKW Enzmann 500;







The Enzmann family in Switzerland, who developed the legendary Enzmann 506 fiberglass sports car (VW Beetle based), also developed a very pretty DKW based Spider - the DKW Enzmann 500.  Shortly after World War II, family patriarch Emil Enzmann, Sr. expanded his garage business in Sch?pfheim by importing some 60 surplus jeeps from France to the Entlebuch district in central Switzerland, where they were refurbished and sold to farmers. His next project was somewhat more interesting...

Emil Enzmann wanted to make a safe but economical sports car, with good acceleration and easy handling. It would become the Enzmann 506, built on a VW Beetle chassis. The first body was aluminum, but Emil soon decided he and his brothers could use fiberglass, which was a novelty in the 1950's. To save weight while increasing strength, they gave up doors.  The 506 was much faster than the Beetle thanks to the lighter body, but also thanks to engine choices which included the Okrasa high performance engine used in some Beetles, or the Porsche 356 engine. The cars had some success in racing, but production stopped because Volkswagen realized the Enzmann was a competitor for their Karmann-Ghia and declined to continue supplying the chassis.

Emil Enzmann then considered using an alternative platform, and settled on a chassis  DKW. He updated the body design to adapt it from rear-wheel drive with the engine at the back, to the DKW configuration of front-wheel drive with the engine in front.

The new model was called the Enzmann 500. Although the DKW Enzmann 500 had similar lines to the Enzmann 506, it also had improvements including two doors and an extra emergency seat. But the number of 500's built was very small - and it is unknown how many were made.














AutoUnioNZ

I'll intersperse the discussions on DKW/Auto Union based Specials and racing cars, with some posts about Auto Union's post-war racing and rallying history.  The pre-war exploits of the extremely successful world-beating Auto Union racing teams are reasonably well covered by many authors - but I have always felt that the post war successes less so.  This may be part of the "amnesia period" which Audi has held in place, effectively ignoring the DKW period 1945-65, as much as possible.  The truth is - the success of the two-stroke cars and their popularity through the 1950's and early 1960's laid the foundations for the success that Audi is today. A large part of this is sporting heritage - I am often surprised that people aren't even aware that the Audi/Auto Union was well versed in racing and race success long before the Quattro...

By rights I should start with Walter Schluter in 1954 - but I thought I would start with one of my favourite DKW Victories - the 1956 Coronation Safari Rally;



Eric Cecil and Tony Vickers race to a glorious overall victory in the toughest rally in the world ? the Coronation Rally ? 24th-27th May 1956


-----------------------------------------------
                                                     
Seventy Eight cars, the highest number of finishers in any Coronation Rally (later called the East African Safari Rally) completed the 1956 rally, a dry, dusty affair.  The 13 finishers who had cleared the route without a single penalty point then had to undergo a track test or ?flying lap? over one lap of the Nakuru Park circuit to decide the issue and break the tie.
This was the second and last time that an extraneous test had to be used to adjudge the outcome of the Safari. The Nakuru track test, to a predetermined formula, favoured the smaller cars as did the tight circuit where the long-wheel based cars were handicapped when cornering.
Eric Cecil and Tony Vickers' lap time in a DKW for 1 min 45.6 sec (the vastly more experienced race driver Jim Heather-Hayes in a Mercedes 220A was 5.1 sec faster) gave them overall victory.  Simca won the manufacturers' award, the first French marque to do so.  Second position in Class B, also went to a DKW ? driven by R.F.Jennings and D.Partridge.   

This was to be a poor year for Volkswagens, the classes were still organised on the showroom price of the car and for the first time VWs were over the limit of ?516 for class ?A? and now ran in the up to ?735 class (same class as the DKW, which significantly outgunned them).  The best that could be achieved  for VW was 8thin class ?B? For although the car of Frazer & Brochner finished penalty free, they were not quick enough on the tie-deciding blast round Nakuru race circuit.
The Coronation (or Safari) Rally differed from many other events in the world championship in that it was won and lost in open road. No special stages timed to the second were deemed necessary, for the timing of each section was in minutes. Early Coronation Rallies were for cars in ?showroom condition? and very few modifications were permitted.
These classes were based on retail value rather than engine size and the winner of these early events was sure to find the sales of the successful model soaring in the following months ? the East African residents used the Coronation/Safari as a yardstick as to what cars to buy. The Coronation/Safari Rally was such an excellent proving ground that there is little wonder that local car dealers supported the event in a big way.



As for Eric Cecil, winner of the 1956 event, he is credited as the progenitor of the ?Coronation Rally? .  He was, for the rest of life, known as ?Bwana Safari?. To quote from Wikipedia;
?The idea of the rally began in 1950 when a pair of Nairobi businessmen, Neil and Donald Vincent, who recently had set a new record at the Nairobi ? Cape Town ? Nairobi run, were approached by their cousin Eric Cecil, who was a chairman of the motorsport committee of the REAAA, to race at the 3.3 mile Langa Langa (now known as Gilgil) circuit that was made up of perimeter roads of a World War II military camp. The Vincents were unenthusiastic at the idea as they had grown tired of circuit racing but were interested in the idea of a long-distance driving event similar to the one in which they had competed for the previous year. Cecil considered a road race around Lake Victoria but shelved the idea when he realised that parts of northern Tanzania, where the race would be likely to take place, was prone to seasonal flooding, making that idea impractical.
Eventually various ideas began to gel together forming the basis of the rally that was to be run over roads in the three African Great Lakes nations of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. This idea became a reality in 1953 when it was staged over the holidays as the East African Coronation Safari, a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.?




Crowds at the finish of the 1956 Coronation Rally