Small off-road hopper - Auto-Union Munga in the (historic) test

Premium

Small off-road hopper - Auto-Union Munga in the (historic) test

This article was auto-translated. We apologize if some words are confusing or simply amusing. Would you like to help us improve?

Created on May 1, 1962

Text:

Harro Esmarch

Photos:

Automobil-Illustrierte / Archiv

5

Audi AG

1

Motorbuch Verlag (div. Bildautoren)

1

Archiv Siegfried Rauch/Frank Rönicke

1

Archiv

8

16

DKW Munga (1957) - with three-cylinder engine, 45 hp, 8-speed gearbox and all-wheel drive

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Auto-Union Munga (1962) - Almost looks like a truck from this perspective

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Auto Union Munga (1964) - part of an extensive model range

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Auto Union DKW Munga (1957) - the DKW off-road passenger car with the three-cylinder engine can be seen for the first time in Switzerland - Geneva Motor Show 1957

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

DKW Munga (1957) - the "DKW off-roader" in the snow

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

DKW Munga (1957) - robust and suitable for any terrain

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

The DKW Candango 2 was often also called the DKW Jipe or Munga

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Auto-Union Munga (1962) - View of the cockpit with the offset center gearshift and the two separate wiper motors

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

DKW Munga (1957) - the "DKW off-road vehicle" in practical use

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Auto-Union Munga (1962) - View of the interior with plenty of knee room in the rear seat. Rather flat-bottomed steering wheel

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Auto-Union Munga (1962) - The two-stroke with encapsulated ignition and raised air filter

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Auto-Union Munga (1962) - The standard on-board tool kit

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

DKW Munga (1957) - Chassis with independent suspension

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Two-strokes to the bitter end. Adjusting the ignition on the three-cylinder engine of the DKW Munga, which was the last two-stroke engine to roll off the Ingolstadt production line for the German army

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

The last two-stroke engine from Ingolstadt went into the DKW Munga. The employees discontinued the engines until 1968. Then two-stroke production was discontinued - from the book "2 Takte, 4 Räder"

You have only

2 out of 16

images seen in high resolution

Summary

Although originally developed for the military, the Auto-Union Munga soon became very popular with foresters and farmers for civilian use. Unlike many of its competitors, it could also be driven like a passenger car on asphalt roads despite its off-road talent. This article reproduces a test report (more of an experience report, according to the author) from 1962 and shows the "multi-purpose universal all-terrain vehicle with four-wheel drive" in historical photos.

This article contains the following chapters

The purpose of an off-road vehicle
Reminiscences
A look under the hood and at the chassis
How it sits inside
Driving impressions
the fuel consumption
Saying goodbye
Technical data and measured values:

Estimated reading time: 9min

Preview (beginning of the article)

"Munga", that is not a misprint, is not actually supposed to mean "mongoose". No, "Munga" is the abbreviation for Auto Union's "multi-purpose universal all-terrain vehicle with four-wheel drive". "But that's just a military vehicle!", some of our readers will surely think. That's not the case at all. Many thousands of these "four-footed vehicles" are in use today by hunters, farmers and researchers, and have proven their universal usefulness in the hot tropical sun of the black continent as well as in the icy cold of the Arctic. And to date, well over 25,000 Mungas have been built. Yes, and that's why "automobil" once took a closer look at this all-wheel-drive special vehicle, took part in a rally for this species with a Munga, chased it over hill and dale, uphill and downhill, through the forests and mountains of the Harz mountains, over snow-covered and dry roads.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

Continue reading this article for free?

Images of this article

Source: