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The name DKW comes from “Dampf-Kraft-Wagen” which translates to “steam powered vehicle.” It carries this name because the first vehicle its Danish designer, J.S. Rasmussen built was a light steam car. Like many other manufacturers, DKW was also famous for motorcycles–in the 1930s they were the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer. In 1931, DKW diversified into […]

After WWII, the German government sponsored a competition between Borgward, Porsche, and DKW to find a suitable military replacement for the Land Rovers they had used before the war. DKW got the order, having the only factory with the capacity to fulfill it! The Munga was born, although the name did not yet exist until

Presented at the 1966 Turin Motor Show, the Ferves (Ferrari Veicoli Speciali) Ranger is an attractive, compact all-terrain vehicle. The rear-mounted engine is a Fiat 500 unit, the all-independent suspension came from the Fiat 600, and after 1967, all four wheels are driven. The open body work features a folding windscreen and doors that can

The principal derivative of the Fiat Nuevo 500 was the Autobianchi Bianchina. A chic, upmarket product conceived in parallel with the Fiat 500, the Autobianchi firm was part-owned (and later fully-owned) by Pirelli and Fiat. In 1960, Fiat introduced the Giardiniera estate version of the 500. The engine was modified and laid flat to maximize

This car started life as a Fiat Cinquecento. As rallies are a very popular form of motorsports in Europe, most manufacturers offer “kits” to transform a production car into a rally car. The interior is gutted to reduce weight, racing seats are added for additional support, while a roll cage has been added for safety

Introduced in July 1957, the successor for the “Topolino,” the “Nuova (which means “new”) 500″ used a layout similar to that seen on the 600 with a rear mounted engine driving the rear wheels and independent suspension on all four wheels. A first for Fiat was the air-cooling of the engine, a two cylinder 479cc

The Bertone X1/9 is a two-seater sports car designed by Bertone and built by Fiat. Intended to be the first affordable mid-engined sports car, the X1/9 is notable for its sharp styling and impeccable handling. The targa top can be stored in the front luggage compartment. It was originally designed as a sports car for

The first appearance of the Georges Irat name was in 1914, but there is no record of car production until 1921. Having flirted with production of both large, powerful cars and smaller, less powerful roadsters, Irat was near financial ruin in the mid-30s. Building on the front-drive theme of their successful 6CV, Irat based the

This German company was producing cars as early as the 1920s but they struggled financially through that decade. In 1931, Hanomag had 25% of the small-car market in Germany, trailed by DKW (19%) and BMW (17%). The following year they gambled on concentrating on a single series–the 1.1 Liter (later re-named Garant). The gamble worked,