Wanderer W11 History

The W11, introduced in 1928, was a significant step up for Wanderer: the company's first six-cylinder automobile, powered by an overhead-valve 2,540 cc inline-six producing 50 PS. It was aimed at a more prosperous buyer than the Puppchen line, positioning Wanderer in the upper-middle class segment of the German market.

A 1930 revision lengthened the wheelbase, added a four-speed gearbox (replacing the original three-speed), and attracted coachwork from respected German bodybuilders including Daimler-Benz, Reutter of Stuttgart, and Gläser of Dresden — evidence that the chassis was considered worthy of custom-built bodies.

The W11 was replaced in 1933 by the W22 after approximately 5,200 cars had been built. Its introduction proved that Wanderer could compete credibly in the middle and upper-middle segments — exactly the positioning the marque would maintain within Auto Union.