DKW Monza
The DKW Monza was a sports car built on an Auto Union DKW base. Named after the world-famous Italian Grand Prix circuit, the car set five world records in 1956.
| DKW Monza | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | DKW |
| Production | 1956–1958 |
| Model years | 1955 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Sports car (S) |
| Body style | 2-door Coupe |
| Layout | Longitudinal Front-engine, front-wheel-drive |
| Related | Auto Union 1000 Sp |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | straight-3 (900 cc.) |
| Transmission | 4-gear manual |
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 and Auto Union refused to provide additional new chassis for his production of the Monza.