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Audi or DKW F 103 - the joy of driving in the first Audi of modern times

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Created on February 9, 2016

Reading time 7min

Written by:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

Daimler AG

Audi / Werk

Audi Pressedienst

Archiv Reinhard / Max Pichler

Archiv

Bruno von Rotz

Daimler AG

Audi / Werk

Audi Pressedienst

Archiv Reinhard / Max Pichler

Archiv

101 1

Audi (1965) - mit gut verteiltem Chrom-Schmuck

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Audi (1965) - dieses Gesicht prägte Generationen von Autos

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Audi (1965) - nahm die Formgebung des folgenden Audi 100 vorweg

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Audi (1965) - das Heck war gegenüber dem F 102 nur minimal verändert worden

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Audi (1965) - der erste Audi der Moderne

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Audi (1965) - geschaltet wird am Lenkrad

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Audi (1965) - gute Platzverhältnisse vorne

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Audi (1965) - verspielter Instrumententräger

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Audi (1965) - optimistischer Tacho, bei 145 km/h war meist Schluss

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Audi (1965) - Instrumente für Wassertemperatur, Benzinstand und Uhrzeit

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Audi (1965) - auch hinten kann man es selbst zu Dritt aushalten

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Audi (1965) - längs eingebauter Reihen-Vierzylinder

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Audi (1965) - dank Verwirbelung des Gemisches konnte höher verdichtet werden

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Audi (1965) - der Motor ist vor der Vorderachse eingebaut und geneigt

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Audi (1965) - die vier Ringe von Auto Union

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Audi (1965) - die vier Ringe auf dem Kühler

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Audi (1965) - Reckteck-Frontscheinwerfer unterschieden den F 103 vom F 102

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Audi (1965) - Rückleuchten wie beim F 102

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Audi (1965) - Lufteinlass auf der Motorhaube

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Audi (1965) - dieser Schriftzug hat mit nur geringen Anpassungen lange überlebt

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Mercedes-Benz W 119 (1960) - Nallinger nannte diesen Prototypen "Auffangtyp"

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Mercedes-Benz W 119 (1960) - Prototyp für einen Einstiegs-Personenwagen

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Mercedes-Benz W 119 (1960) - dieser Prototyp wurde als Zwei- und Viertürer konzipiert und schliesslich beim DKW als Auto Union F 102 und Audi (F103) weiterverwendet

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Mercedes-Benz W 119 (1960) - das Interieur ist Mercedes-typisch

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Mercedes-Benz W 119 (1960) - komfortabel ausgelegtes Interieur des Prototypen

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Grosser Preis von Italien in Monza am 5. September 1954 - von links nach rechts - Oberingenieur Rudolf Uhlenhaut, Prof. Dr. Fritz Nallinger, Prof. Dr. Hans Scherenberg und Oberingenieur Ludwig Kraus

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Die Sieger der Mille Miglia 1955 - von links nach rechts - Oberingenieur Ludwig Kraus, Oberingenieur Rudolf Uhlenhaut, Denis Jenkinson, Stirling Moss und Dr. Hans Scherenberg

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DKW F 102 (1963) - Internationale Automobilausstellung (IAA) in Frankfurt 1963 - höbsche kleine Limousine

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DKW F 102 (1964) - neu im Bauprogramm als Zwei- oder Viertürer ausgelegt und mit dem 1175 cm3 grossen Dreizylinder-Zweitaktmotor ausgerüstet - Genfer Automobilsalon 1964

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DKW F102 (1965) - weiterhin mit Dreizylinder-Zweitakt-Motor - Genfer Automobilsalon 1965

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DKW F 102 (1964) - kontinuierlich weiterentwickelter Zweitakter mit drei Zylindern - Genfer Automobilsalon 1964

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DKW F 102 (1965) - der Vorgänger des Audis profitierte von dessen Entwicklungsfortschritten

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DKW Auto Union F 102 (1964) - auch Frauen wurden spezifisch angesprochen

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DKW F 102 (1964) - massgeschneiderte Perfektion

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DKW F 102 (1964) - noch ohne Chromstreifen auf der Flanke

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DKW F 102 (1964) - Heck - die Ähnlichkeit zum Mercedes-Prototyp W 119 ist augenfällig

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Audi 72 (1965) - die Präsentation an der IAA 1965 in Frankfurt

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Audi 72 (1965) - der Motor auf der IAA in Frankfurt

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Audi (1965) - Internationale Automobilausstellung (IAA) in Frankfurt 1965 - wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit steht im Vordergrund

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Audi F103 (1965) - Werbung für den Mitteldruckmotor

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Audi (1965) - Werbung für den Viertakter

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Audi (1966) - Prestige - Werbung für den Viertakter

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Audi 72 (1965) - hier als zweifarbiges Modell

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Audi 72 (1965) - das Cockpit, das weitgehend unverändert vom F 102 übernommen wurde

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Audi 72 (1965) - vorgeklappter Fahrersitz

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Audi 72 (1965) - neue Front mit Rechteckscheinwerfern

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Audi 72 (1965) - als viertürige Limousine

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Audi 72 (1965) - Blick in den Kofferraum

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Audi 72 (1966) - viertürige Limousine in freier Wildbahn

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Audi 72 (1966) - der Motor findet problemlos Platz

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Audi 60 L (1971) - eine späte Variante mit dem 60-PS-Motor

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Audi (1965) - im September wurde der erste Viertaker aus Ingolstadt vorgestellt, er hiess schlicht 'Audi'

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Audi 60 L (1971) - 1,5 Liter Hubraum und 55 PS

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Audi Variant (1966) - am Genfer Autosalon 1966

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Audi Variant (1966) - am Genfer Autosalon

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Audi Variant (1966) - der zweitürige Kombi

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Audi Variant (1966) - mit praktischer Heckklappe

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Audi 75 Variant (1969) - seltene Kombi-Variante

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Audi Karmann Cabriolet (1967) - offene Individualversion - Internationale Automobilausstellung (IAA) in Frankfurt 1967

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Audi Super 90 (1968) - die schnellste Variante des F103 im Test

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Audi Super 90 (1968) - Heckansicht des 2002-Gegners

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Audi Super 90 (1968) - das Cockpit sah gleichzeitig sportlicher und edler aus als bei den Vorgängern

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Audi Super 90 (1968) - grosszügige Platzverhältnisse

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Audi Super 90 (1968) - Interieur, Fahrerunterbringung

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DKW F 102 (1964) - das Interieur wurde als nicht besonders geschmackvoll empfunden

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Audi Super 90 (1968) - die Handbremse war wegen des fehlenden Kardan-Tunnels etwas schwierig zu ergreifen

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Audi Super 90 (1968) - der H-Motor mit maximaler Verdichtung

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Audi Super 90 (1968) - Blick in den Kofferraum des Testwagens

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Audi Coupé S (1971) - in der Mitte der Modellpalette der Audi NSU Auto Union AG im Jahre 1971, zusammen mit NSU Ro 80, NSU Prinz 1000 TT, NSU Prinz 4, Audi 75 Variant, NSU 1200, Audi 60 L, Audi 100 LS

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Audi 80 (1970) - die Designarbeiten am neuen Mittelklassewagen begannen 1969, Ludwig Kraus setzte die Trapezlinie, wie hier an einem Entwurf gezeigt, durch

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Audi 80 Variant (1967) - an der Rallye Historique der Schloss Bensberg Classics 2014

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Audi (1965) - wirkte erwachsen und modern

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Summary

With the help of Mercedes-Benz, Auto Union created the F 103, the first Audi of the post-war era, a successful vehicle that paved the way into the future for the four rings. The fact that the brand already belonged to Volkswagen and that the car could just as easily have rolled off the production line as an entry-level model at Mercedes is one of the best stories in 130 years of the automobile. If it hadn't been for the Audi (F 103), who knows what the brand landscape would look like today ... This vehicle report describes the development history of the F 103 and shows the car in many historical and present-day illustrations.

This article contains the following chapters

The DKW F 102 as the successor to the pre-war model AU 1000
The first Audi of the post-war era
Beautifully packaged
Positive reception
At the wheel 50 years later
Continuous further development
Further information

Estimated reading time: 7min

Preview (beginning of the article)

"New direction, new name, new engine and new face - a lot would have to go wrong for this not to lead to success," wrote Reinhard Seiffert in 1965 in the German magazine "Auto Motor und Sport" in his test report on the Audi. And in doing so, he summarized a number of important events. In October 1964, Volkswagen had taken over Auto Union from Daimler-Benz. The so-called "F 103" was the first post-war car to bear the name "Audi". The main new feature was the four-stroke engine, which had been developed by Mercedes. And the new front design distinguished the F 103 externally from its predecessor, the F 102 with its two-stroke engine. But first things first.

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