DKW FA 600 (F1)

This is the first DKW model with front-wheel drive. It establishes, more than the previous and future rear-wheel driven models of DKW, the rise to becoming the second largest enterprise in Germany. This success even still keeps up for a while after the Second World War.
Maybe bad times are favourable for innovations. Indeed, the years shortly before 1930, and shortly thereafter are bad times with miserable sales prospects. In France, a Citroen with front-wheel drive is developed in the record time of a few months. DKW manages even faster, in just six weeks, once the design objective is unambiguously clear. The front-wheel driven DKW and the Citroen feature the same Tracta joints in the axle drive shafts.
Of course, the very obvious question arises why a car that was invented in 1886 only now receives a front-wheel drive, nearly 35 years later? This is unambiguously due to the axle drive shafts, which have to sustain much stronger bents when used in front-wheel driven vehicles than with rear-wheel driven vehicles. The rigid axle design is still used for a long time and in such a way that only one single shaft, namely the cardan shaft, is necessary. The cardan shaft equalizes slight differences in rotary movements, using two 90° mutually twisted universal joints.

The fast development of the DKW F1 is founded not only on the economic situation in Germany, but also on the drive shaft technology progressing in the Twenties. The time has come for a front-wheel driven vehicle, and facing fierce competition, all car producing manufacturers fear that others could be quicker.
Time is something Rasmussen, the founder of DKW, does not have. Sales are lousy, he has just dismissed DKW's chief designer, but he does have an idea. It is already October and he has a notion of which competitor would probably introduce a brand new front-wheel driven vehicle at the end of the year. He is determined to introduce a new front-wheel driven vehicle on the next motor show at the end of February, 1931, particularly as the motor show had exceptionally not taken place the year before.
With his need and determination he approaches an Audi developing team, another company he owns. There he finds a team that is willing to listen and a team spirit which allows the development of three prototypes in just 6 weeks (!). This DKW which was later called "F1" is predestined to receive the title of 'fastest designed series car of all times'. Of course, they did not start from scratch; some preliminary works were already performed by the DKW developers in Zschopau. In addition, mature motorcycle technology is used as power drive. But, at least, it is the first vehicle with front axle drive. It is very soon afterwards used for wintry races, bringing other vehicles with far more horse powers but customary drive into trouble.