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
ManufacturerAuto Union AG
Production1937–1938
AssemblyZwickau
Australia [1]
Body and chassis
ClassSmall family car (C)
Body style2-door saloon
2-door cabriolet saloon
2-door coupe cabriolet
coupe utility [1]
van [1]
LayoutFF layout
RelatedToyota EA
Powertrain
Engine584 cc & 692 cc
two stroke straight-2
Transmission3-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,610 mm (103 in)
Length3,985 mm (156.9 in)
Width1,480 mm (58 in)
Height1,500 mm (59 in)
Curb weight750 kg (1,650 lb) approx
Chronology
PredecessorDKW F5
SuccessorDKW 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.[3]

  • 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
  1. The History of DKW Cars in Australia, heinkelscooter.blogspot.com.au Retrieved 1 May 2016
  2. Odin, L.C. World in Motion 1939 – The whole of the year's automobile production. Belvedere Publishing, 2015. ASIN: B00ZLN91ZG.
  3. Daniel Vaughan. "1937 DKW F7 - conceptcarz.com". conceptcarz.com. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
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