DKW F7
The DKW F7 is a front-wheel-drive small family car launched by Auto Union’s DKW division in 1937 as a replacement for the DKW F5.
| DKW F7 Reichsklasse / Meisterklasse | |
|---|---|
 DKW F7 saloon | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Auto Union AG |
| Production | 1937–1938 |
| Assembly | Zwickau Australia [1] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Small family car (C) |
| Body style | 2-door saloon 2-door cabriolet saloon 2-door coupe cabriolet coupe utility [1] van [1] |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Related | Toyota EA |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 584 cc & 692 cc two stroke straight-2 |
| Transmission | 3-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,610 mm (103 in) |
| Length | 3,985 mm (156.9 in) |
| Width | 1,480 mm (58 in) |
| Height | 1,500 mm (59 in) |
| Curb weight | 750 kg (1,650 lb) approx |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | DKW F5 |
| Successor | DKW F8 |
The body
Changes between the F5 and the F7 were mostly at a detailed level. However, the entry level Reichsklasse saloon now shared the (hitherto slightly longer) body of the Meisterklasse saloon.
In addition to the 2-door saloon, a 2-door cabriolet saloon was also available. In 1938 a 2-door coupe cabriolet, the Front Luxus Cabriolet, was added to the range.
Engine and running gear
The car has the two cylinder two stroke engine of its predecessor. The Reichsklasse engine was of 584 cc with an output of 18 bhp (13 kW). The Meisterklasse’s 692 cc engine had an output of 20 bhp (15 kW). Respective claimed top speeds were 80 km/h (50 mph) and 85 km/h (53 mph).[2]
Like all the small DKWs of the 1930s, the F7 featured front wheel drive,[2] which at this stage was unusual, and which in the light of subsequent developments can be seen as prescient.
Commercial
The popular F7 was replaced by the DKW F8 in 1939. By this time, approximately 80,000 F7s had been built.
DMW F7 saloon
DKW F7 cabriolet saloon
The DKW F7 Front Luxus Cabriolet, introduced in 1938, shared the 692 cc engine of the Meisterklasse.
DKW F7 van
Sources
- The History of DKW Cars in Australia, heinkelscooter.blogspot.com.au Retrieved 1 May 2016
- Odin, L.C. World in Motion 1939 – The whole of the year's automobile production. Belvedere Publishing, 2015. ASIN: B00ZLN91ZG.