Auto Union

The Auto Union 1000 is a luxury compact front-wheel drive car manufactured by Auto Union GmbH between 1958 and 1965. It was the first and in many markets the last model branded as an Auto Union by the manufacturer since the 1930s. It replaced the DKW 3=6, although the latter continued in production until the end of 1959. The two cars were broadly similar, but the new car had its two-stroke engine enlarged to 981 cc yielding a 10 - 37% (depending on model) power increase. The car was available as a two- and four-door saloon, a pillarless coupé, a three-door station wagon and a two-seater sports car. A cabriolet joined the range in 1961. The most striking update came in 1959 with the introduction of a panoramic windscreen. Nevertheless, it did not entirely conceal the fact that at a time when competitor designs employed the modern ponton, three-box form, this Auto Union's body along with most of its technical features descended directly from that of the Zwickau-developed DKW F9 prototype of 1938. The last saloon was produced in 1963 when it was replaced by the DKW F102. The 1000 Sp sports car remained in production until 1965.