IWL History

VEB Industriewerke of Ludwigsfeld (IWL) was established on the southern outskirts of Berlin in 1936 by the Daimler-Benz company to build aircraft engines. Being a military industry, the factory was severely bombed during the Second World War and, as part of reparations the Soviets dismantled and removed everything that could be salvaged from the damaged factory. IWL's 11 empty assembly halls lay in ruins until 1950 when the nationalized automobile conglomerate, VEB, approved their reconstruction. As in the west, the government desperately needed to re-industrialize and provide jobs for a destitute workforce. After six months reconstruction the IWL factory began to function again, first producing machine tools, pots and pans, wheelbarrows and farm machinery and eventually Soviet aircraft engines under license. https://brandenburgikon.net/index.php/de/betriebe-1945-1989/bezirk-potsdam/industriewerke

East Germany's desperate need for transport led VEB to approve the manufacture of scooters as cheap mass transport in 1954 and IWL was awarded the contract for their manufacture. IWL had no previous experience with scooters or any other type of motor vehicle so some components were sourced from other manufacturers.

The Pitty

The Pitty ('little Pete') was IWL's first scooter and began rolling off the production line at the beginning of 1955. The design was broadly based on western scooters that had been examined by the engineering team, but a lot of compromises were required as the domestic parts supply for specialist components, such as carburetors, suspension and electrics was extremely poor. Consequently, early machines were hampered by poor build quality failure of critical components.
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/06/soviet-zone-scooter-debacle-der-speigel.html

The engine was a 123cc two-stroke motor supplied by East German motorcycle concern, MZ (Motorrad Zchopau); formerly DKW's pre-war motorcycle plant. The engine had formerly been employed in the trusty IFA RT125 motorcycle and delivered 5 horsepower with a reputed top speed of 70 kph. That claim however was never likely to be achieved by the Pitty, weighed down as it was with so much excessive bodywork. Nevertheless, the use of twelve inch wheels gave a certain degree of stability, despite its solid rubber suspension. Production ceased in April 1956 after 11,293 Pitty's had rolled off the production line. https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/04/1954-iwl-pitty-brochure.html

The East German motoring authority had been disappointed by the Pitty. There were numerous complaints from customers about the scooters slow speed and poor handling. The placement of the exhausts came in for specific criticism as it was easy for the pillion passenger to burn their leg. A series of improvements were presented to IWL for action.

The Wiesel SR56

In 1956 IWL released the Wiesel as an improvement over the Pitty. Gone was the fixed nose faring that had made the Pitty look so slow and sluggish, replaced by the more traditional moving fender. But apart from a small change to the rear suspension, the Wiesel was otherwise mechanically identical to its predecessor. The motoring authority was outraged that their suggested improvements had been effectively ignored. Nevertheless, 56,000 were built before production ceased in 1959. The Wiesel came in three colours - red, grey and black.

The Berlin SR59

With the Berlin Stadtroller (city scooter) IWL finally hit its stride. In appearance and styling, the Berlin was similar to the Wiesel, but the MZ engine 123cc had been bored out a 145cc by the engineers at IWL, giving the scooter a top speed of 82kph. The Berlin also had a 4 speed gearbox and rider comfort was improved by the addition of a rear shock absorber, longer front arm suspension and sprung seats. It also had a number of advanced features, such as seven starting settings, with cold and hot starting in summer and winter. It also featured an anti-theft lock, something that customers had vocally complained about since the Pitty. The placement of the exhaust was still problematic for passengers however.

Styling was also enhanced by a new two-toned paint scheme, with the combinations of green/white, orange/white, light blue/white and black/white. The Berlin was IWL's best selling and best loved scooter. 113,943 Berlins were built between 1959 and 1962. Many thousands are still on the roads today in Germany and elsewhere around the world.

Introduced at the same time as the Berlin was the Campi single-wheeled trailer. Fixing to a connection on the rear spare wheel, the Campi significantly improved the scooter's utility and carrying capacity. With adaptor fittings the Campi could also be attached to the Wiesel and the Berlin's successor, the Troll.

The Troll TR1

With the Troll, or 'Touring Scooter', IWL took the lessons from the Berlin to the next level. The engine was the same capacity - 143cc - but was sourced from MZ. The body was restyled, becoming squarer, longer and larger. The higher seating made for a more comfortable ride, as did the new shock absorbers on the the front wheel and the improved seats. With a top speed of 90kph, IWL delivered a cruising scooter that was solid, mechanically reliable and capable of comfortable driving over long distances. The troublesome exhaust was now placed under the footplate where there was no risk of passenger or rider burning themselves. However, by increasing the size of the scooter, a new problem was created. The large, slab sides made the scooter highly susceptible to cross winds.
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/08/iwl-troll-review-1963.html

The Troll never matched the success of the Berlin and only 56,531 Trolls were built between January 1963 and December 1964. At the end of the production run IWL stopped manufacturing scooters and concentrated on trucks. The Troll came with a two tone paint scheme like the Berlin - red/white, light blue/white and black/white.

VEB transferred IWL's scooter production to the motorcycle manufacturer, MZ. MZ were already building a similar spec motorcycle, the ET150, which shared many components, styling and even its engine, with the Troll. After reviewing the Troll's design, MZ decided to discontinue production.

Today there is a dedicated following for IWL scooters in Germany and many thousands are still on the roads today. The Berlin remains the most popular. The unfortunate Pitty is the rarest, most having been junked years ago. The use of MZ engines and running gear has made restoring and maintaining IWL scooters very easy as there is abundant supplies of all spare parts. There are also many remanufacturers of fittings supplying the Ostalgia market. Of all IWL products, probably the most desirable is the Campi trailer, which fetch prices around 2000 euro.

Ludwigsfeld Museum
Here's a link to the museum in Ludwigsfeld. It has displays covering the period from the war through to 1990. https://www.ludwigsfelde.de/rathaus-und-buergerservice/staedtische-einrichtungen/museum/

Footnote: This is a slightly updated short history of the IWL scooters in English that I originally wrote in 2008. At the time of writing, information about IWL in English was virtually non-existant. Since then I have obtained a lot more information, mostly in German, which I have translated, including research materials from East German scholars, such as Manfred Blumenthal. Some of that material is not easy to find, even to German speakers. I have subsequently updated this history to incorporate this material into a detailed history, which is published on my DKW-Auto Union blog here
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2019/09/east-german-iwl-scooters.html
This version will be left as the 'simple' history.

1963 IWL Troll review

As briefly reported in Issue 1/1963, the first new "Troll l" scooter rolled off the assembly line of VEB Industriewerk Ludwigsfelde in January. The scooter "Berlin", which is an integral part of our street scene, has been replaced by a new development which offers considerably more in terms of driving comfort, driving performance, and driving safety. The starting point for this new development were demands for improved suspension, seating position and easier maintenance and repair options. In-depth studies of the city scooter "Berlin" showed that further development of the design was exhausted and a completely new development was necessary. To ensure trouble-free use, the greatest possible degree of standardization with the motorcycles of the VEB motorcycle factory in Zschopau was decisive for the technical design.

1. Frame
For the designers in Ludwigsfelde, guiding the choice of the chassis was the good experience that MZ has with the full-swing chassis of the large ES types (in addition, small types like the ES 125/150, were under development in Zschopau). This resulted in the design with front and rear long swing arms and the utilization of the shock absorbers of the ES 125/150 for the scooter "Troll l". In addition to the exceptional driving characteristics, this also has an economic benefit for our economy, which confirms the correctness of standardised development. With the spring travel of 100 mm for the rear wheel and 130 mm for the front wheel, the "Troll l" is at the top of all known vehicles of the same type.

The backbone of the new vehicle is a welded sheet metal frame that is manufactured in-house using our own welding systems. The basic profiles are welded in one operation by a modern multi-spot welding machine. This results in an absolute guarantee of flawless processing quality and economical production times. The front carrier, which comes from the MZ ES 125/150, and the rear body carrier are made of cast iron. The rear body support is also designed as a fender. The extremely torsion-resistant frame together with the hydraulically damped long swing arm suspension provide excellent driving characteristics of the "Troll l".

2. Motor
The MZ motors ES 125, ES 150 and RM 150/1 represent the modular series of the new standard motor. The RM 150/1 scooter motor is the only one equipped with a cooling fan. The performance of these motors could be further improved with further systematic development. Among other things, the connecting rod was improved with the use of a cage-guided needle bearing. The main bearings are externally lubricated by the gear oil from the clutch chamber, with the crankshaft seals now being located directly on the lifting discs. The alternator side is closed with a seal on the outside. The compensating holes required in the full lifting disks were sealed with plastic plugs to increase the pre-compression. To improve the thermal stability, light alloy composite cast cylinders with cast-in grey cast iron bushings are used, which are manufactured according to the Alfer method. The excellent heat dissipation for this type of cylinder enables operation with 0.03 mm piston clearance.

With the use of VK "Extra" (OZ 78) and the improved shape of the combustion chamber, the compression ratio could be increased to 9: 1, so that the RM 150/1 scooter engine now delivers 9.5 HP at a speed of 5500 rpm. Maximum torque is 1.25 kpm at 4000 rpm (Fig. 2). Intake and exhaust silencers have been carefully matched to the engine; the exhaust silencer especially has been completely redeveloped. The normal driving state diagram in Fig. 3 shows the gradation. The ratio of the primary chain drive has been changed to relieve the multi-disc clutch running in an oil bath. A new material is used for the primary chain, which guarantees a mileage of 25,000 km.

The housing cover shape was changed on the alternator side. Now you can get to the alternator by loosening just one screw and removing a small additional cover, which is particularly pleasant for making small adjustments on the way. The alternator is now vented through a plastic hose directly into the intake silencer.

3. Shape design and details
The rear hood has a modern three-part design, with quick-release, removable large side panels ensuring effortless access to the drive unit. Pictures 4 and 5 show the rear part with the side shells removed. The leg mudguards are high and wide and provide optimal dirt and weather protection. A comfortable, wide seat enables every driver to find the right seat position. It can be folded up to gives access to the control for the fuel tap. The fuel tank cap is also located under the seat. Other important details are the folding side stand and the exhaust completely hidden beneath the running board. Injuries from the hot exhaust, such as have previously occurred with the "Berlin" are therefore completely avoided.

There is a lockable box immediately behind the leg guards (Fig. 6). It offers plenty of space for storing tools, spares, etc. In addition, the anti-theft device, which is activated by a push button, is placed in this box.

The scooter "Troll 1" has become slightly higher than its predecessor "Berlin". This resulted from the large spring travel and the need to ensure sufficient ground clearance. However, the seating position is still within normal limits compared to other vehicles of the same type, although the slightly higher seating position is pleasant when driving. It gives the driver the impression of sitting on a motorcycle and gives extremely good contact with the road.

The accessories that are available commercially, such as luggage racks, unicycle trailers, etc., add to the vehicle’s versatility. The spare wheel is no longer supplied as standard but can be purchased as required. This fulfills numerous customer requests that reject the standard spare wheel as unnecessary ballast. In addition, it was found in tests of the frequency of breakdowns that a tyre puncture only occurred on average every 20,000 km, so that the constant carrying of a spare wheel did not appear to be necessary. An air pump is supplied as standard and is located in the upper part of the rear hood. Cautious drivers still have the option of taking their spare wheel with them.

The "Troll " is the first motor scooter with the asymmetrical dipped beam as standard! With a power consumption of 45/40 W and a light exit diameter of 136 mm, illuminating conditions of the road surface which were previously unknown in two-wheelers. Furthermore, this scooter has a flashing light and high-performance handlebar turn signals (15 W) as standard. A brake, tail and license plate light with a 95 mm light emission completes the electrical equipment.

4. Mileage
The powerful engine gives the vehicle a top speed that is still unknown in this class. With a max = 90 km/h, the character of the “Troll” touring scooter is a quick and easy way to cover long distances.

The equally high torque ensures fast driving and fast acceleration. Conditions that bring the well-known great advantages to a two-wheeled vehicle in road traffic. 60 km/h are achieved from a standing start after 11.6 seconds and 80 km/h after 23 seconds. The fuel consumption is shown in Figure 7. Fuel consumption for regular road use has a favorable value of 3 to 4.41 / 100 km. The extremely rigorous testing of the "Troll 1", which was carried out in a non-stop three-shift operation in 1961 and 1962, demonstrates the maturity of this design and the quality of the product of vehicles produced. Finally, we explain how the name "Troll" came about. This name is the summary of the first letters from the word combination "Touring-roller-Ludwigsfelde". It is to be hoped that the "Troll" confirms itself as the good spirit of its owners.

This is my English translation of the 1963 KFZ review of the IWL Troll. The original can be found here: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/06/1963-kraftfahrzeugtechnik-volume-2.html


Come with me for a quick walk around my 1964 IWL Troll scooter.

For more information about these interesting East German scooters and the restoration story of my example, check out the blog posts here: https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/search?q=IWL+Troll

Classic Cars and Coffee - Sunday 6th February 2022

The first Classic Cars and Coffee for the year was held on 6th February 2022. The weather was very hot!

I wasn't there are the start - of course - but the organizers and others took lots of photos.

The Datsun crew arrives in convoy

Renault Gordini

Abarth

Jensen FF photographed by Hiroshima Screamers

I chose to ride my IWL Troll scooter instead of drive. Photograph by Hiroshima Screamers. https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/08/iwl-troll-review-1963.html

My friend James on his IWL Berlin. Photographed by Hiroshima Screamers

James has recently acquired his IWL Berlin and this was the first time we were able to get the two scooters together. It's quite noticeable how much larger the Troll is compared to the Berlin.

The Berlin was IWL's best selling and most beloved scooter. It is known in Germany as 'the Legend from Ludwigsfeld.' It was introduced in 1959 and remained in production until 1963. It was powered by a 150cc engine derived from the DKW RT125 motor that had been redeveloped by IWL. In 1963 the Berlin was replaced by the larger touring scooter, the Troll. The Troll shared many features with MZ motorcycles of the period, including its engine. https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/05/iwl-scooters-legend-from-ludwigsfelde.html

It's great to see there is another IWL in Perth. That makes two.

Jaguar XK120

Lancias

Chrysler Valiant S

Volkswagen Beetle

Volkswagen Thing

Cadillac

MG

Not sure what this military monster was but it did make a statement

Landrover club

Wolsley and Citroen 2CV

Wolsley

1934 Singer

Vauxhall Velox (this one was built in Perth)

1958 Chevrolet

The French contingent

Citroen Traction Avant

Holden EK

Jensen 54

Jensen 54

Erskine

Holden FB

https://www.facebook.com/perthclassiccarsandcoffee

East German Motorcycle Museum

One of my 'must see' destinations in Berlin was the East German Motorcycle Museum. It is situated on metro line between Hackescher Market and Alexanderplatz, near the TV tower. It's directly under the rail line in fact. The museum displays a large collection of MZ and Simson motorcycles with a small collection of IWLs, IFAs and Trabant cars. The collection was attractively displayed, but the cramped location under the arcades of the railway line meant many bikes were crammed quite close together making them difficult to photograph. It was a good museum though and I spent around an hour there taking photos of virtually everything.

A 1936 DKW SB200 motorcycle. MZ was the successor of DKW in East Germany.
In the immediate aftermath of the war IFA began assembling the famous pre-war DKW RT125s from left over parts and spares. From this humble beginning Motorrad Zchopau (MZ) was reborn from the ashes of DKW. Although first built in the 1930s, the MZ RT125 remained a popular selling motorbike well into the 1950s. For contemporary advertising and history, see here:
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2019/04/1949-ifa-rt1251-brochure.html

A pair of IFA racing motorcycles. IFA, as the East German DKW factory was originally designated, quickly picked up where DKW's pre-war racing team left off. IFA motorcycles was soon renamed MZ and went on to make its name in European racing circuits.

A beautiful 1956 MZ 250. No longer just an East German DKW, MZ is beginning to evolve its own look.

Another beautiful MZ 250 with a Stieb sidecar. Stieb also found themselves on the wrong side of the east/west divide but they managed to retain an export market to the west and their popular and stylish sidecars were found attached to many German motorcycles and scooters.

By the 1960s MZ had taken on their distinctive look. These are a range of ES and ET models which had engines ranging from 125 to 250cc.

Das eisen schwein - the Iron Pig. The MZ Trophy was built for export and was a popular seller across Europe The Trophy was pretty much East Germany's answer to the Japanese invasion. They were basic machines, very cheap when new, relatively reliable and unkillable. Behind the Trophy is another beautiful 1950s model for stylistic comparison.

MZ began manufacturing their own sidecars in the 1960s.

MZs were used by the East German police

And by the fire department.

East Germany inherited more than just DKW motorcycles. This is a EMW R35 built by Eisenach Motorwerkes based on the pre-war BMW R35. VEB stopped production of Eisenach motorcycles in 1953 in favour of MZ motorcycles. Eisenach went on to produce the Wartburg car from 1956 to the 1990s.

Not all motorcycles were German. This is a Czechoslovakian Jawa. Jawa's two strokes were based on DKW technology.

Simson-Suhl started manufacturing motorcycles in the 1920s. In 1948 they produced the AWO 425. The name refers to the four stroke engine of 250ccs. It was a popular but short lived machine as VEB stopped production in favour of MZ motorcycles when they re-organised the auto industry.

VEB assigned Simson the market for 50cc mopeds. The ubiquitous Simson Schwabe (Swallow) was probably their most popular machine. These lovely little mopeds were built from the 1950s to the 1980s. There were plenty of them on the streets in Berlin, Dresden and points east (even saw three in the far western university town of Aachen).

A large collection of Simson mopeds. Simson were a long time in production and released a wide range of machines, from powered bicycles to 50cc 'sports' bikes.

A Simson Spatz with a Simson SR-2 moped behind.

A Simson Star and Simson Spatz. This later model has the ubiquitous square headlamp like the MZ Trophy and IWL Troll.

A modern Simson scooter. Unlike the rest of VEB, Simson survived the fall of Communism. They continue to manufacture a small range of motorcycles and scooters as well as spare parts for many of their more popular oldtimers. http://www.simson.de/

IWL were originally a manufacturer of BMW aero engines. The factory was badly bombed during the war and then completely stripped of all remaining assets by the Soviets as part of war reparations. The factory struggled back into existence building kitchenware and farming equipment, but in 1954 VEB assigned them a contract to build motor scooters. IWL did not build the engine but were assigned the DKW/MZ RT 125cc engine as their powerplant. Their first scooter, the Pitty (left) was heavy and underpowered. It was in production only two years before it was replaced by the lighter, more conventional Wiesel (right).

The lovely IWL Berlin and Campi trailer. This was IWL's most successful machine, selling over 160,000 units.

The IWL Troll's styling was clearly influenced by MZ, which had become more deeply involved with IWL by 1963. In 1964 MZ completely took over manufacture of the Troll but stopped production the next year.

Some of the oddies of the collection. The Simson Duo was effectively a three wheeled 'micro-car.' The Krauz-Piccolo Trumpf was a three wheeled invalid carriage built out of surplus IWL Pitty components with a 50cc Simson moped engine.

The museum featured an interesting 'barn-find' display. This is how many old bikes are found - rusting, scattered in pieces.

The Trabant Collection

The Sachsenring P-50 was the first Trabant. For the Trabant story, see here: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2017/07/trabant-east-german-peoples-car.html

The AWZ P-70 was the progenitor of the the Trabant. These were an attempt to modernize the IFA F8, which was a post-war update of the pre-war DKW F8. The F8's engine and chassis were unchanged by a new, modern style body constructed out of Duraplast was laid on top. The later Trabant was a completely new design using some of the techniques pioneered on the AWZ P-70.
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2018/04/1955-awz-p70-prospekt.html

The museum is located here:


Here is a link to another review of the museum -http://www.helmethairblog.com/entries/review-of-berlin-motorcycle-museum/