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1956 DKW Schnellaster Kastenwagen For SaleIn the 1950's when VW was really starting to grow and spread worldwide,other German manufacturers tried to compete for their slice of the pie.DKW was one of the game players, a member of the Auto Union group (that eventually became Audi)They made wonderful passenger cars, a sports car and even vans like the one above. Very few made it to US shores and even fewer survive today,and this example, located in sunny Southern California is perhaps the best example in the world today.There are currently four known Kastenwagens, including this example, in the U.S.,three of which remain non running in need of full restoration.The majority of these worldwide have returned to the elements and few remain Internationally.This is a Left hand drive (left mounted single windshield wiper arm) U.S. spec “Export” Kastenwagen,which means it features Pivot versus fixed vent windows in the doors, sealed beam headlamps versus reflector,Hella front and rear turn signal housings and lenses versus semaphores,U.S. spec license plate mounting holes, center rear stop/ license plate light, and U.S. spec radiatorwith the optional fold down walk-through passenger seat for access to the rear compartment.This vehicle as sold new at Peter Satori Motors in Pasadena California, a high end import dealer in the daythat handled everything from Aston Martins to specialty vehicles like this DKW.These clippings from original sales brochures of the era are great illustrations of what the vehicle was all about.The delivery van was spacious, passenger models were also available and they even made a pick up truck version!The 3 cylinder 2 stroke engine with a performance rating of 36 horsepower was right in line with the competition over at VWbut the design was radically different. Water cooled, high revving 2 stroke design, ignition coils for each cylinder...it is a very interesting machineand the exhaust note is something very unique in the world of motoring.Simple design...fun and funky to the viewer today, these sorts of vans were all about in Europe.In the US...a few made it over...but not many.Interesting cockpit layoutFront wheel drive and front engine makes for a low floor in back, perfect for tall items.This was one of the major selling points over the VW, with a 13" high loading deck and no engine out back to get in the way.The DKW was a bit more exlusive than the VW as well, being sold at Mercedes dealerships back in the day with a price tagroughly $1300 more than the equivalent VW! (keep in mind the VW was just $2300 at the time...so that is a BIG difference!)Production numbers were small and each one assembled by hand.Build quality was very high!The minimalistic production line was a far cry from the monsterous VW lineback in the day. Interesting to see the photos of them being built.This factory shot is really wild...working on cars outside in the dirt?To contrast this to the modern ultra high tech production line at Audi today...from humble beginnings, but a quality product from day one.Here inside the cargo compartment you can see this clearly.Very clean, near spotless inside and out. This is better than they ever were from the factory for sure.Dash detail.This lever controls the fresh air vents .Spare tire sits on the floor under the drivers seatAll materials and parts are as close to the original design as humanly possible.The restorer went to great lengths to scour the globe for all the right stuff.The attention to detail is just fantastic.Fantastic dashboard designChrome is superb, paint finish is amazingNew old stock 56 California plates were located for it. Note the "timed" screws holding everything on.The restorer is anal to the finest degree, which is what makes his work so impressive.SuperbNotice the headlights, similar in design to VW and Porsche at first glance, but the actual lights are freestanding behind the hoodand just shine through these buckets. Note the 4 ring logo on the base of the glass as well as the Auto Untion nose emblem.Also...no adjuster screws on the ring as you would see on other German marques.Another neat detail is the rubber bumper on the hood handle that, when open, rests against the top of the front window.SuperbHere is a quick photo to show some scale of this truck.To the left is a Honda Element.The tires are fantastic!16" wheels with the proper DKW hubcaps.The truck is spotless underneath...truly exceptional level of detail.No stone was left unturned.What a great profile this truck has.This is arguably the very best example of it's kind in the whole world.You will search your whole life to try to find a better one and I just dont think you ever will.This level of restoration is so far and above the norm...you simply must see it to believe it.What a face!!This vehicle belongs in a museum somewhere...perhaps back to the homeland on display at Audior perhaps Autostadt. Wherever it ends up it will draw a crowd and endless praise.Most people in today's world have never even heard of one of these, let alone see one!To own one , especially restored to this level, is exclusive beyond measure.The colors are fantastic and are period correct German DKW hues.The dark green is "JADE GREEN" (Jadegrun in German) with the umlaut over the U,and the lighter green is "SHELL WHITE" (EierschalenweiB).896 CC, 36 SAE horsepower (at 4,000 rpm) cast iron block, aluminum head engineusing a valveless design. There is one ignition coil per cylinder and three sets of points housed within one distributor.Fuel mileage is noted as 26 mpg. Front wheel drive, with lateral leaf spring suspension.Rack and pinion steering. The front axles have two wheel cylinders per axle. The transmission is a 4-speed column shifted manual.DKW's philosophy was the 3 cylinder two stroke (pre-mix fuel) engine was equivalent toor better than a 6 cylinder four stroke engine output, hence the script badge “3=6”The engine is the numbers matching original block as seen here .The engine was fully rebuilt from scratch using NOS pistons, rings, rods, crank and roller bearings.The balanced engine was built by THE premier DKW engine builder in the U.S.who was given carte blanche to do whatever was required to ensure this engine performs as new.This same fabricator created the precise double walled, correct gauge steel, exact back pressure,internal perforated cone construction replica of the original expansion pipe exhaust system,as seen in the photos, retaining all the wonderful crudeness of the original factory construction techniques.The search for the exhaust components required nearly a year of time, to no avail, so scratch build was required.An NOS rear muffler was sourced through the nice folks at AUDI in Germany.A photo from the forming of the exhaust.Every single bit of this truck is restored to concours level.These truckes were NEVER this nice from the factory!During assembly the greatest care was used to protect each and every item from damage during installationThe methodical approach by the restorer to insure everything was done to perfection is both impressive and inspirational.Two fully focused years of work went into this restoration and no expense was spared and no corner of the globe un-exploredto locate parts and information on the vehicle.Here are a couple more shots of the exhaust assembly.With a two stroke engine, it is extremely important to maintain proper back pressureand outward flow. Since the factory exhaust was in poor condition and a replacement could not be foundit had to be re-created and be done exact.The original exhaust was carefully disected and inspected and then re-created.This photo inside the side air vents shows the louvers and the operating mechanism.And a shot from the outside.Each louver removed, stripped, straightened and repainted and then re-assembled in the correct order.The flawless 3 spoke steering wheel and the Auto Union logo horn push that was sourced directly from Audi in Germany.Wiring completely re-done and spotless.Note the correct style hose clamps and all hardware and connectors used in the restoration.Here is a photo of the engine as it came back from the rebuilder.Better than new.Side marker lights on the front are US spec only in lieu of the semaphore signals used on European models.Handles and hardwareHere is the chassis after restoration...before mating of the body.A paint process shotFresh top quality chrome done by Pebble Beach level restorer Christiansen Plating of Los Angeles.(6 month waiting list with these folks!...and dont even ask on the price!)Internal engine bitsFuse box ...spotless.Some bodywork process shots.This truck was originally delivered to Los Angeles and has remained there it's whole life...the dry climate preserved themetal structure fantastically...extremely solid the whole time.Here are some bare metal shots...the body was amazing!Robot happy face!Note the evidence of factory lead filler on the panels.Here is a photo of it prior to blasting.Great shot that shows the transaxle and front suspension set up.Here is a before shot! It has come a long way!From such a humble beginning as found...to perhaps the very best in the world.The restoration process is miraculous when seen in photos, the time and dedication it takes to truly restoreeach and every part on a vehicle to better than new condition is a tremendous challenge.Add to that the extreme rarity factor for something as obscure as this vehicle...it takes a masochist to take it on and see it through.The end result is the prize...pride in a job done to the best of one's ability, and the knowledge that a rare part of history will live onto educate and entertain generations of those to come. Those that say "oh it's just a car" have no clue...there is a soul and a passionthat drives people to put so much effort into a classic vehicle. And this one has really received attention to a level that I am sure the designersand manufacturers would have never dreamed. This is the sort of restoration you would see on the concours lawn on a million dollarexotic. But here it is...on an automotive oddity, rarity factor high to be sure, but surprising to see on what was originally a workhorse,a little delivery van that was used as a tool to do a specific job...haul stuff.End result... truly awesome.