DKW Monza
Encyclopedia
The DKW Monza was a sports car built on a Auto Union
DKW
base. Named after the world-famous Italian Grand Prix circuit, the car set five world records in 1956.
After the series of wins by the DKW 3=6 'Sonderklasse'
in European touring car racing and rallying in 1954 and 1955, two racing drivers started to develop a sporty body for the successful model. Günther Ahrens and Albrecht W. Mantzel designed a record-breaking car on the basis of the 3=6, incorporating an extremely lightweight plastic body built at Dannenhauer & Stauss in Stuttgart
, Germany
.
The complete vehicles were first built by Dannenhauer & Stauss in Stuttgart, then by Massholder in Heidelberg and lastly by the company Robert Schenk in Stuttgart.
Fritz Wenk had to discontinue his Monza production in 1958 after the new Auto Union 1000 Sp
was launched in 1957. As a result Auto Union refused to provide additional new chassis for his production of the Monza.
, Italy
. With an average speed of 140 kilometre per hour, the team of drivers set five international records.
The glass-fiber reinforced polyester coupe body had a smaller aerodynamic resistance due to its rounded frontal area and low profile. This made it much faster than the standard DKW
. Like all DKWs of those days, the Monza had a compact chassis, 1.61 metres (63.4 in) wide and 1.35 metres (53.1 in) high, with an average weight of about 780 kilograms (1,719.6 lb). This was 115 kilograms (253.5 lb) less than the DKW 3=6 limousine (4-door. Sedan).
The three cylinders of the engine complete two strokes with each full rotation of the crankshaft, performing much like a four-stroke engine. With the complete rotation cycle of the three-cylinder engine, DKW people thought of it as a “6” of a six-cylinder machine. Consequently the use of the emblem, “3=6”.
The three-cylinder engine, displacing 900cc and producing 40 hp, allowed the 3=6 sedan model to reach 125 kilometre per hour. It could accelerate from 0–100 km/h in 31 seconds. With the same engine, the Monza could reach 140 kilometre per hour and accelerate from 0–100 km/h in 20 seconds.
Making it more difficult was the additional used vehicles at the company and Monza kits that were sold to the public.
The number of produced Monzas varies between 230 - 240, (Theoretically possible, according to letters of Wenk to Massholder and Schenk and dealers, but not verified.) to 155 to 53.
According to the realistic number of items appear to be about 70 - 80 .
Today there are still about 40 to 50 cars.
Auto Union
Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German automobile manufacturers, founded in 1932 and established in 1936 in Chemnitz, Saxony, during the Great Depression. The company has evolved into present day Audi, as a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group....
DKW
DKW
DKW is a historic German car and motorcycle marque. The name derives from Dampf-Kraft-Wagen .In 1916, the Danish engineer Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen founded a factory in Zschopau, Saxony, Germany, to produce steam fittings. In the same year, he attempted to produce a steam-driven car, called the DKW...
base. Named after the world-famous Italian Grand Prix circuit, the car set five world records in 1956.
After the series of wins by the DKW 3=6 'Sonderklasse'
DKW 3=6
The DKW 3=6 was a compact front-wheel drive saloon manufactured by Auto Union AG. The car was launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in March 1953 and sold until 1959. It was also named as the DKW Sonderklasse and, following the factory project number, as the DKW F91...
in European touring car racing and rallying in 1954 and 1955, two racing drivers started to develop a sporty body for the successful model. Günther Ahrens and Albrecht W. Mantzel designed a record-breaking car on the basis of the 3=6, incorporating an extremely lightweight plastic body built at Dannenhauer & Stauss in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
The complete vehicles were first built by Dannenhauer & Stauss in Stuttgart, then by Massholder in Heidelberg and lastly by the company Robert Schenk in Stuttgart.
Fritz Wenk had to discontinue his Monza production in 1958 after the new Auto Union 1000 Sp
Auto Union 1000
The Auto Union 1000 was a compact front wheel drive saloon manufactured by Auto Union AG between 1958 and 1963. It was the first model branded as an Auto Union by the manufacturer since the 1930s: it replaced the paradoxically named DKW 3=6, although the latter continued in production,...
was launched in 1957. As a result Auto Union refused to provide additional new chassis for his production of the Monza.
Records
In December 1956 a team consisting of two Germans and two Swiss spent alternating times driving a DKW Monza around the racecourse at MonzaAutodromo Nazionale Monza
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a race track located near the town of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy. The circuit's biggest event is the Formula One Italian Grand Prix, which has been hosted there since the sport's inception....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. With an average speed of 140 kilometre per hour, the team of drivers set five international records.
The glass-fiber reinforced polyester coupe body had a smaller aerodynamic resistance due to its rounded frontal area and low profile. This made it much faster than the standard DKW
DKW
DKW is a historic German car and motorcycle marque. The name derives from Dampf-Kraft-Wagen .In 1916, the Danish engineer Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen founded a factory in Zschopau, Saxony, Germany, to produce steam fittings. In the same year, he attempted to produce a steam-driven car, called the DKW...
. Like all DKWs of those days, the Monza had a compact chassis, 1.61 metres (63.4 in) wide and 1.35 metres (53.1 in) high, with an average weight of about 780 kilograms (1,719.6 lb). This was 115 kilograms (253.5 lb) less than the DKW 3=6 limousine (4-door. Sedan).
The three cylinders of the engine complete two strokes with each full rotation of the crankshaft, performing much like a four-stroke engine. With the complete rotation cycle of the three-cylinder engine, DKW people thought of it as a “6” of a six-cylinder machine. Consequently the use of the emblem, “3=6”.
The three-cylinder engine, displacing 900cc and producing 40 hp, allowed the 3=6 sedan model to reach 125 kilometre per hour. It could accelerate from 0–100 km/h in 31 seconds. With the same engine, the Monza could reach 140 kilometre per hour and accelerate from 0–100 km/h in 20 seconds.
Numbers of produced cars
Conflicting reports as to the actual numbers built has been circulated. One of the reasons for this is that there was never an accurate record kept. With several companies making them at various times it was difficult to maintain a good production record. Therefore, it was very difficult to suggest a final production report on the actual number of Monzas built.Making it more difficult was the additional used vehicles at the company and Monza kits that were sold to the public.
The number of produced Monzas varies between 230 - 240, (Theoretically possible, according to letters of Wenk to Massholder and Schenk and dealers, but not verified.) to 155 to 53.
According to the realistic number of items appear to be about 70 - 80 .
Today there are still about 40 to 50 cars.