DKW F-Series (F1–F8) History

DKW's F-series, spanning F1 through F8, were the first volume-production front-wheel-drive cars in Europe. Introduced in 1931 at the height of the Depression, the small, affordable front-drivers used transversely mounted two-cylinder two-stroke engines — a layout that anticipated the packaging solutions later generations would call conventional.

The F5 (1935–1936) and F7 (1937–1938) were the volume sellers of the era, with the F5 alone accounting for roughly 60,000 units and placing DKW among Germany's top-selling marques. The F7 gained steel body panels in place of the earlier timber-frame construction and was offered as a sedan, cabriolet, and coupé. The F8, the last of the line, continued in reduced wartime production until 1942.

Across the entire F1–F8 run the Zwickau plant produced approximately 218,000 front-wheel-drive cars — a remarkable total for the era. After World War II the tooling and designs were absorbed by the East German IFA (as the F9/IFA F9), while the West German Auto Union rebuilt DKW passenger-car production from scratch in Düsseldorf.