DKW van

From 1949 to 1962, DKW produced a van with a trailing-arm rear suspension system which incorporated springs in the cross bar assembly. It had a very modern layout with a front engine and front-wheel drive, but the engine was terribly weak. First the van used the prewar engine of the F8 with two cylinders, 700 cc and 20 hp (22 hp after 1952). This was definitely not enough when the van was fully charged. Things went (a little) better in 1955 when the van received the three cylinder unit with 900 cc, producing 32 hp.

Thanks to its layout the van had a low floor configuration, with the load areas about 40 cm from the ground. It was also fitted with a large single rear door fitted to hinges on the right-hand side.

The van was also produced in Vitoria, Spain, by Industrias del Motor S.A. (IMOSA) from 1954. DKW (pronounced "de-ca-uve") became a common term for any van, and is still used today. The Spanish subsidiary also produced a modern successor, introduced in 1963 and called DKW F 1000 L. This van started with the three cylinder 1000 cc engine, but later received a Mercedes-Benz Diesel engine and finally was renamed a Mercedes-Benz in 1975.