Auto Union DKW 3=6 (Sonderklasse) History

Premiered at the Frankfurt Motor Show in March 1953, the DKW 3=6 (factory designation F91, later F93 and F94) was the revived Auto Union's first all-new post-war passenger car. The marketing name '3=6' asserted that the 896 cc three-cylinder two-stroke engine was the performance equivalent of a six-cylinder four-stroke — a bold claim that reflected DKW's faith in its two-stroke heritage and front-wheel-drive layout.

The F93 variant introduced for the 1956 model year raised output to 38 bhp, with a further increase to 40 bhp by 1957. A pillarless coupe appeared from 1954, and Karmann of Osnabrück built a cabriolet version. A Saxomat automatic centrifugal clutch became available in 1956, making the 3=6 one of the more technologically progressive German economy cars of its era.

Production continued until 1959, overlapping briefly with its successor the Auto Union 1000, giving Auto Union time to ramp up the new model. The 3=6 established the front-wheel-drive two-stroke formula that all subsequent DKW/Auto Union road cars would follow through the 1960s.