1958 Auto Union 1000

After having been put together in Ingolstadt early in 1958, this 1000 headed for the far side of the globe, to South Africa. And there it stayed until very recently. According to the vendor, it was with same family from initial purchase until 2020, being passed down almost as an heirloom. However, after 62 years, the decision was reluctantly made to sell it on. It came to the attention of the current owner, Richard, and, appreciating how rare it was, he decided to bring it to Britain. It arrived at the tail end of 2020.

‘It’s been very well looked after and maintained,’ reports Richard, who believes it to also be largely original and unrestored, albeit with some paintwork rectification over the years. That it was fortunate enough to be exported to South Africa, with its dry climate and salt-free winter roads, has undoubtedly aided its preservation. Although, as a historic vehicle, it didn’t need to be MOT’d, Richard decided to put it through one when it arrived here because he was so confident of its condition. The only fault found was that the nearside headlamp wasn’t working on dipped beam. It now has a ticket until 5th January 2022. The Notification of Vehicle Arrival (NOVA) has been carried out, all fees, VAT and duty accounted for, so all the successful bidder will have to do is register and license the car and it will be good to go.

One bonus is that, being from South Africa where they drive on the right - i.e. left - side of the road, the Auto Union is right-hand drive, unlike a lot of imported classics. That will make it easier to pilot on the highways of Britain.

Being a pillarless coupé, this variant is somewhat rarer than the saloons, and it’s also a Saxomat, denoting an automatic clutch. The current mileage readout on the odometer is 80,565 miles, and while this can’t be verified by the paperwork, the general good condition of the car seems to back this up. The vehicle is with us at The Market’s Abingdon offices, so inspection can be arranged within current COVID-19 guidelines.

This is a lovely looking car, with its voluptuous curves so redolent of German styling of the immediate pre- and post-war era - you can see echoes of the Volkswagen Beetle, the larger BMW 501 and Mercedes-Benz 300 in its make-up. The colour scheme is very evocative of the time too; a gorgeous burnt orange main shade complemented by a white roof and wheels, and chrome/stainless steel embellishments such as the rear wing guards. It’s an eye-catching car and, being so rare, bound to turn heads wherever you venture in it.

Looking to us largely original, there are understandably some signs of age on the exterior. Although the car is very presentable overall, and quite solid, there are marks of wear and tear here and there, the occasional rust bubble, plus areas where the paint has worn a little thin. These include the roof, where cracks are apparent in the white paint, and around the boot lid area. But there’s little indication of any major corrosion or anything requiring urgent attention although the footwells under the rubber mat could do with a brush and a preventative layer of paint. All the wheel arches - locations where rust can easily set in - look in good order. If paintwork rectification has been done, it’s been carried out to a high standard, as we can’t see any obvious mismatches between shades.

One thing that will have to be looked at before this Auto Union goes into regular use is the boot lid hinges, as they look like the ‘pin’ is missing from both so the entire lid can be lifted off currently. Granted, it makes loading luggage a snip! As with a few seals, the boot’s weatherstrip is also quite perished - in hot countries, it’s often the rubber items that suffer rather than the metal bits.

The bumpers have a smattering of rust and tarnishing, with a small hole in the rear mounting panel, on the nearside. No numberplates are fitted, ready for the British ones that will need to go on. The chrome hubcaps have also suffered over the years; they look fine from a distance, but up close, you will find some surface corrosion. The rest of the brightwork is quite well-preserved, but the driver’s side door mirror isn’t fixed to its arm - you’ll find it loose inside the car. And the gutter trim above the same door is a little kinked.

Three Nanking radial tyres are fitted, the fourth (the nearside front) is a Uniroyal. There’s a fair bit of tread left on all of them but they're slightly cracking. If we were the new owner we would certainly replace all four with all-matching new ones. 

The front grille features a five-sided Automobile Association of the Republic of South Africa badge, while the badging on the boot also makes reference to the preceding 3=6 model on which the 1000 was based. Just in case any previous DKW devotees were confused as to what they might be buying.

Although the 1000 was a relatively compact car, it was a cut above similar-sized cars such as the Volkswagen Beetle. Thus the interiors were quite well-specced. With its brown and white upholstery, nicely set off by door cards in the same colour scheme, white steering wheel and metal areas painted the same hue as the exterior, it is a classy, welcoming and stylish cabin.

The interior has survived well. That the seats and door cards are in such good order and show few signs of fading, despite years of exposure to the South African sun, may hint that they’ve been re-done at some point. But there’s still a nice patina to them that matches the ambience of what surrounds them. So, even if they haven’t been in place for 62 years, they’ve certainly been there for quite a while and, like a much-loved armchair, have a comfortable and inviting appearance. The driver’s side door card has some of its securing clips missing and the chrome trim attached to its centre is loose at the front end.

The grey-painted seat frames do have rust marks in-keeping with a sexagenarian German vehicle. Rubber floor mats are fitted, and although they show the passage of decades in places, they’re standing up well to, well, being stood on a lot. Underneath the mats, the floor appears solid, albeit with patches of surface corrosion. We’ve included some shots of the floor in our gallery so you can check it for yourself.

The metal dash has a few areas of wear, most of it around the column-mounted ignition barrel where the paint has been rubbed off by keys and fobs over the years. The three gauges behind the steering wheel display the speed, time, fuel and water temperature. However, the clock doesn’t appear to be functioning, while the speedo is decorated with a note reminding the driver to use choke when the car is cold. There’s also a further, more recent auxiliary temperature gauge bolted under the centre of the dash. The white steering wheel has a few cracks, two of the bigger ones around the hub, but it still seems very secure - and no issues were noted during the MOT. Plastic the wheel may be, but there’s a metal framework underneath, and that’s the crucial bit.

A wonderful-looking Blaupunkt Hannover I push-button radio, appropriate to the age and origins of the car, is fitted. But there’s also a newer Supersonic AM/FM unit, which looks to be of 1960s’ or 1970s’ vintage, tucked away under the middle of the fascia. Not that it will be delivering stereo, as there’s still just the single speaker fitted, behind a chrome grille in the dashboard’s centre.

The overall impression is of a tidy cabin that has aged and matured nicely. A few things could perhaps do with some improvement, but we can’t help but find the signs of age quite endearing. It would be a shame to lose them.

Turning to the boot, the floor is wooden, with a hinged section covering the spare wheel. There are a few marks, but not much considering how much stuff must have been carried over 60-plus years. It’s all pretty tidy. The spare wheel is a General-branded crossply, which may well be the original one supplied with the car.

You’ll see from our video, it starts easily enough and runs well, with the sort of lawnmower urgency so typical of two-stroke engines. Bear in mind that, being two-stroke, oil will need to be mixed with petrol when filling up, to the ratio of 1:40, in order to lubricate the motor properly. It means a little more patience needs to be taken at garages.

The underneath of the car is solid, but we’d advise undersealing in order to keep it that way, now it has the British climate to contend with, rather than a South African one. There are signs of welding having been carried out to some areas such as at the back of the offside sill, but it looks to have been done to a good standard and obviously satisfied the British MOT tester. We’ve included a lot of images of the car’s nether regions in our gallery section so please take a good look.

The 1000 drives as it should and, even with drum brakes, stops in good time. The gearbox is operated by a column-mounted lever and, once you get used to it and the Saxomat system - with its centrifugal clutch, meaning there’s no pedal for the driver to push - it’s quite easy to hustle the car through its ratios. After a little research, we found all four forward gears and reverse on our brief test drive, our only issue being a driver's door that sometimes refuses to slam shut! 

There is a good pile of paperwork included but not a great deal of service history, the vendor informing us that cars from South Africa often come with little paperwork making this one an exception in fact. There is a photocopied Auto Union/DKW guide, a 2001 newspaper article on the car - albeit in (we assume) Zulu - and a service book, which only goes up as far as 6400 miles. There’s also an operating manual for a DKW Junior - mechanically similar to the 1000, albeit regarded as slotting in below the bigger Auto Union - along with a workshop manual, maintenance chart, and service information concerning the Blaupunkt Hannover I radio. Rather quaint items are a South African learner driver’s guide and some cardboard tags showing how to operate the ignition and the heater/cooling system. These would have been on the vehicle when it was delivered, so their survival is remarkable.

The history folder also contains a South African registration document, documentation regarding the NOVA, and the current UK MOT certificate. The 1000’s past family owners were obviously keen DKW enthusiasts, as there are magazines, newsletters and a 2006 calendar from the DK Owners Club of South Africa plus a letter from the organisation confirming the car as in original condition back in 2002.

Just try finding another one of these models for sale in the UK - especially in largely original condition. You could probably find some in their homeland of Germany, where there’s quite a following, but then they’d be left-hand drive and, having been exposed to a European climate, either needing work or fully restored. This is a quirky and appealing machine that offers a very different experience to many classics of its era - front-wheel drive, two-stroke, three-cylinder, semi-automatic… the list goes on. It also has charming 1950s’ looks and a big personality. With those big headlamps and large, shiny grille, it has a very friendly, almost slightly astonished appearance that can’t help but prompt smiles whenever you look at it. In short, it’s quite delightful.

The sheer originality is a big bonus. And while it does mean there will be some jobs to be done, such authenticity counts for a great deal. It’s refreshing to see such an unusual machine as this that wears its signs of over six decades of usage so well.

We’ve put an estimate of between £5,000 to £10,000 on this car, reflecting how out of the ordinary it is. If you appreciate a classic with a difference, then this Auto Union could well be the ideal vehicle for you. And just think of all the fun you’ll have explaining to people that, despite the rings on the front, it really isn’t an Audi at all.

Inspection is always encouraged (within government guidelines of course), and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.