DKW Monza
DKW Monza Schenk # 12
The DKW Monza is a 2 2- seater sports car Auto Union on the chassis of the "Great DKW 3 = 6" ( F93 ). It is named after the famous Italian Grand Prix circuit. With this vehicle in 1956 five world records were set.
After winning streak from 1954 and 1955 with the F91 special class in European touring car and rally racing began two racers to develop a sporty body for the successful model. Günther Ahrens and Albrecht W. Mantzel designed a car based on the 3 = 6 with an extremely lightweight plastic body.
The complete vehicles were first produced in Dannenhauer & Stauss in Stuttgart, followed by the DKW dealer Fritz Wenk, who had it built in Massholder in Heidelberg and at last by Robert Schenk in Stuttgart- Feuerbach.
Wenk had to stop his Monza production in 1958, after 1957, the Auto Union 1000 special was presented and Auto Union refused to provide additional new chassis for the Monza available.
Records
In December 1956 two German and two Swiss drove alternately a DKW Monza to the motodrome of Monza - 72 hours without a break. With an average of 140 km / h, the driver team identified five international records.
Essentially, the record Renner was standard, ie from the chassis manufactures a DKW 3 = 6 However, the glass fiber reinforced polyester coupé body had less drag than the standard design and made the car more quickly than normal DKW. Like all DKW those days had the Monza a tubular frame made of box profiles with outwardly cranked longitudinal beams ( " fish -belly frame " ) but - weighed in at four meters long, 1.61 meters wide and 1.35 meters in height only 780 kg, 115 kg less than the 3 = 6 sedan. The front wheels were on the bottom wishbones and a transverse leaf spring hung up and there was a rack and pinion steering, rear rigid axle with a high mounted transverse leaf spring was installed on trailing arms. All wheels were (front duplex) equipped with hydraulically operated drum brakes.
With three cylinders, 900 cc displacement and 40 hp series sedan drove 125 km / h top. During the sprint from 0 to 100 km / h passed 31 seconds. With the same engine of Monza was 140 km / h and accelerated quickly in 20 seconds from 0 to 100 km / h
Produced numbers
There are conflicting reports on the quantities produced. One of the reasons for this is that there was never accurate documentation about it. Different manufacturers produced at different times of the vehicles. To make matters worse, in addition also used vehicles could be converted at the company Schenk for Monza.
According to the Auto Union GmbH there were 230 to 240 vehicles, for about 40 to 50 of which exist around the world.