1. DKW (Auto Union) F89 saloon car.
The earliest of the three photographs featuring DKW (Auto Union) registration FR 41-5174 dates to 1953, the latest to 1957. Although visually similar to the pre-facelift DKW 3=6 Sonderklasse, or F91, I think this is the slightly earlier F89 Meisterklasse DKW of 1950 onwards. Certainly the tiny rear screen and the date of the oldest photograph confirms that it is an early 1950s DKW, rather than something of the mid-1950s, by which time the saloons were featuring a much larger, three-piece, rear screen, extra brightwork, and a revised grille.
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The first picture was taken in October 1953, a lady is stood with the compact German motor-car. In the background is the Hochgern mountain.
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The second photo is a side view of the DKW. A clip-on width indicator is fitted to the DKW's front passenger wing, while a radio antenna can be seen fitted to the driver's side, just below the windscreen. A small badge, possibly a supplying dealer's plaque, can be seen at the base of the F89's front wing. Note the semaphore indicator mounted in the B-pillar, later DKWs would benefit from flashing turn indicators. The larger-engined F91 models have extra bright trim fitted to the side of the bodywork, and a different style of roadwheel incorporating extra ventilation.
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The rear view of the DKW F89 shows a lady with her offspring in 1956, one year earlier than the image above. The tiny rear window of the earlier models can clearly be seen in this shot, the location was Kempenich, in the Eifel Mountains.
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2. A different F89 DKW.
Shown below is a different F89, possibly slightly earlier than the DKW above as it has a different style of radiator grille, and again no sidelamps. A gent, in hat and overcoat, gives the screen a quick wipe over while the lady behind attends to items in the car's boot.
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Return to Page 14 in the classic & vintage vehicle photo gallery.
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