Motor und Sport Magazine - Germany 1951

By 1950 Germany's economy really began to recover after the devastation wrought by the Second World War. The automobile industry was now in a position to produce quality vehicles, both luxury and budget vehicles. In early 1951 Auto Motor und Sport magazine presented their readers with an overview of new cars to be presented at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt in May.

DKW started production almost immediately after the War building motorcycles from stocks of spares scattered across a number of service stations and repair shops in West Germany. Real production didn't really begin until 1948. In 1949 DKW released the F89L Schnellaster van. The F89 Meisterklasse sedan make its appearance until the following year.

The Parade of New Models

The new BMW 501 'baroque angel.' BMW's first Post-War car was a large, expensive family sedan powered by a V8 engine. The car was debuted at the Frankfurt show.

The Borgward-Hansa 1500 was released in 1949. Released originally under the Hansa brand, it was soon rebadged as a Borgward. Borgward was one of the first car companies to get back into production.

Some of the new small cars on the market.  From the top: the Champion 400, the Lloyd LP300 'leukoplast bomber', and the DKW F89 universal estate.

Truck and tractor manufacturer Hanomag presented their new sedan, powered by a 700cc three cylinder two-stroke engine. The car never made into production.

Mercedes-Benz type 220 and Porsche 356

Foreign Cars at Frankfurt

All across Europe export markets were opening up. The UK, France and the US attempted to break into the German market and displayed new models.

British cars -  Standard-Vanguard; Armstrong-Siddley; Ford Zephyr; and the Hillman Minx.

Continental cars - from top to bottom: France's Volkswagen, the Renault 4CV; Czech Tatraplan T600; Italian Fiat Topolino; French Panhard Dyna X,

American cars - of a whole different class of vehicle. The Buick Super 50 and a Studebaker.

The Czechoslovakian board of trade posted an advert for Skoda, Tatra, Jawa and CZ.

The new DKW F89 Meisterklasse




NSU - the Fastest Motorcycle in the World




A special feature on the NSU world record motorcycle speed attempt.

A Table of German Car Specifications

Cars of the German Miracle

In May the temporary exhibition at the Prototyp Museum was the Cars of the German Miracle. The exhibition covered a selection of German vehicles from the early 1950s. This period covered the rise and fall of scooters and microcars and the evolution of many of the prestige German cars we know today.

1937s Goliath F400 triporter van. Triporters like these were the backbone of German industrialisation. The choice of the Goliath however was a little odd, given that Tempo tricycles were actually manufactured in Hamburg, while Goliaths were built in nearby Bremen.

Borgward Isabella cabriolet.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz 300SL

Opel Rekord

Volkswagen

Volkswagen T2 Transporter

Zundapp Janus

Heinkel Kabine and Messerschmitt Tiger

Messerschmitt Tiger cabriolet

Mopetta

Vespa 125 and Lloyd LT 600 van. Lloyd vans, manufactured by the Borgward group, are extremely rare.

Kleinschnitter leading the microcar row.http://home.clara.net/peterfrost/kleins.html



NSU Super-Max motorcycle with a Vespa 125

1949 IFA RT125. A very early East German version of the prewar DKW RT125. This example was probably built using prewar surplus parts as it has old style girder forks.

Bubbling rivals - the BMW Isetta and Heinkel Kabine

Volkswagen transport. The VW drive train was very versatile and could be adapted to many uses.