Faults:

It's a low-mileage car, very well maintained, like all classics these days.

It only needs a battery and spark plug replacement.

The roof had to be restored due to pitting (the vinyl roof is a different color from the rest of the car).

It's not a car that's friendly to very cold climates. When temperatures are very low, it sometimes takes two or three attempts to start it, but then it resumes its normal course. Therefore, it's recommended to keep this type of car in a garage. In spring or summer, it's more than pleasant and causes no problems.

General Comments:

Before giving details about the car, I can only repeat the opening line with which I begin this review. I saw it and fell in love. It's one of the best-designed european cars of the 1950s and 1960s, with its rounded shapes (before rectilinear designs became the norm). I bought mine in Austria with almost 10,000 km on the clock in very good condition and for a fairly low price for a classic. That was in mid-2008.

The first impression you get when you sit in the DKW is that it's a large car, even though it's a small car. The interior space is surprising; despite having a chassis, it's worth noting that the floor is higher than that of a compact car, the vertical space is adequate, both in the back and in the front.

The front seat is solid and can be easily adjusted using a knob located on the floor to the driver's right.

The front doors open backward; the rear doors open forward. Getting in and out is easy and convenient. The rear doors lock with a push-button raise and lower; the passenger door locks with an additional lever stroke; and the driver's door doesn't lock and can only be locked from the outside with the key, which also serves as a key for the trunk.

The dashboard is spacious, with neat instruments, and the night lighting deserves ten points; it's good and doesn't dazzle despite its brightness. It has no rheostat. The instruments are: speedometer with odometer, fuel gauge, temperature gauge (marked "Temparature"), dynamo charge light, and high beam warning light.

The gearshift is located under the steering wheel, and the position diagram is exactly the opposite of other cars; you do have to get used to it, but it's a matter of two or three days.

The fabric upholstery is nice and cool in the summer. There are cup holders, but they're rather small and sharp (their real purpose is to lock the doors). The windshield washer is foot-operated and works well. The turn signals are activated with a small lever that doesn't return, but it has a large, bright indicator light that makes it impossible for the driver to forget to manually cancel it.

The car's negative points are: poor lighting (not recommended at night, especially on unlit streets), the small rear window, which makes rear vision difficult, and the brakes are good. The pedal is quite hard, but it takes some getting used to.

Easy to drive, even though it's just over 60 years old. Despite its small, almost 1000cc, two-stroke engine, it accelerates really well. It's quite flexible and runs perfectly smoothly at a cruising speed of 110-120 km/h.

It's not a car for daily city driving (I live in a rural area, but I don't use it daily either), especially today with anti-pollution regulations. The two-stroke engine wasn't the most eco-friendly in its day, but today, with the superior quality of oils and fuels, this isn't a serious problem.

In short, it's a car for occasional use and enjoyment, because it's worth it.