Wanderer (company)

Last updated
Wanderer
Industry Bicycles, Automobiles
Founded1896 by Johann Baptist Winklhofer und Richard Adolf Jaenicke
Defunct1945
Fatemerged into Auto Union (car division only)
Headquarters Saxony, Germany
Parent Auto Union   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Wanderer was a German manufacturer of bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles, vans and other machinery. Established as Winklhofer & Jaenicke in 1896 by Johann Baptist Winklhofer and Richard Adolf Jaenicke, the company used the Wanderer brand name from 1911, making civilian automobiles until 1941 and military vehicles until 1945.

Contents

Wanderer was last active as a financial holding company without its own business operations and went bankrupt in July 2010. The brand was then acquired by Cologne-based manufacturer Zweirad Einkaufs Genossenschaft (ZEG). [1]

History

Wanderer W 23 Cabriolet 1938 Wanderer W23 Cabriolet 1938.jpg
Wanderer W 23 Cabriolet 1938
Wanderer W 24 1937 Wanderer W24.jpg
Wanderer W 24 1937
Wanderer W 24 1939 Wanderer W24 1939.jpg
Wanderer W 24 1939
Wanderer W25K (1936-1938) Wanderer-w25k.jpg
Wanderer W25K (1936–1938)
Wanderer W51S Wanderer W51S.JPG
Wanderer W51S
Continental typewriter from Wanderer, currently at the MEK MEK II-332.jpg
Continental typewriter from Wanderer, currently at the MEK

Winklhofer & Jaenicke was established in 1896 in Chemnitz. It built motorcycles from 1902 and automobiles from 1903. The Wanderer brand was chosen in 1911 for overseas exports and was soon adopted for domestic sales.

The first two- or three-seater models used four-cylinder 1145 cc and 1220 cc engines. The 1220 cc model lasted until 1925. The first six-cylinder model appeared in 1928. By 1926, when Wanderer introduced a successful Typ 10, the company was making 25 vehicles a day; parts were made at the old plant in Chemnitz and assembled at the 1927 built new site in Siegmar, delivered by rail right to the assembly line. Motorcycle production continued in Chemnitz alone.

During the Great Depression, in 1929, the company owner, Dresdner Bank, sold the motorcycle business to František Janeček, and in 1932 divested the rest of Wanderer. The car division with its Siegmar factory became part of Auto Union together with Horch, Audi and DKW. In this quartet, Horch was positioned as the luxury brand, DKW and Slaby-Beringer built cheap two-stroke cars, and Audi and Wanderer competed in the Middle class and Upper Middle class segments the same way GM's Buick and Oldsmobile divisions were used, technologically advanced small cars (the heaviest, 6-cylinder Wanderers reached 1.5 tons dry weight). Wanderers of the Nazi period acquired a trademark radiator design, shaped as a heraldic shield.

The next model W17 7/35 PS was propelled by a new 1692 cc OHV four-cylinder engine developed by Ferdinand Porsche. In 1933 the new Audi Front was equipped with the Wanderer W22 engine, a 1950 cc OHV six-cylinder, also a Porsche design. The top model from 1936 to 1939 was the W50, propelled by a 2257 cc six-cylinder engine. From 1937 on there were also sporting fours (W24 and W25) and another six-cylinder model of 2632 cc (W23), propelled by new Flathead engines constructed by Auto Union itself. Wanderer cars were always admired for their high quality and sporting character.

During World War II, all civilian production was replaced in 1941 with licence-built military vehicles, such as Steyr 1500A light truck. A subcamp of Flossenbürg concentration camp, KZ Siegmar-Schonau, was operated during the war to provide slave labour for the Wanderer vehicle plants. [2] From 1943 on the Auto Union Siegmar plant produced Maybach HL230 V12 engines, used in many heavy tanks of the German Wehrmacht.

The Wanderer Siegmar plant (now Chemnitz) of Auto Union was destroyed in early 1945, closing this chapter in the history of automobiles. Post-war efforts to restore East German auto industry concentrated on Auto Union facilities in Zwickau and Zschopau: Wanderer car production never recovered, with Auto Union relocating to Ingolstadt, West Germany, where the company was rebuilt based using the DKW and, ultimately, the Audi brand.

Company History from 1945

Following the end of World War II, a referendum on 30 June 1946 saw the expropriation of war and Nazi criminals by the occupying Soviet forces. This resulted in both the Wanderer works company and Auto Union enterprises being partially dismantled and their assets taken as reparations to the Soviet Union by 1948. This gave way to the rearrangement of state-owned enterprises (VEB):

Automobile models

TypeYearsEngine typeDisplacementEngine powerTop speed
W1 (5/12 PS) "Puppchen" 1912–1913 straight-4 1147 cc 12  PS
(8.8  kW ; 12  hp )
70 km/h
(43 mph)
W2 (5/15 PS) "Puppchen" 1913–1914straight-41222 cc15 PS
(11 kW; 15 hp)
70 km/h
(43 mph)
W3 (5/15 PS) "Puppchen" 1914–1919straight-41286 cc15 PS
(11 kW; 15 hp)
70 km/h
(43 mph)
W4 (5/15 PS) "Puppchen" 1919–1924straight-41306 cc17 PS
(13 kW; 17 hp)
78 km/h
(48 mph)
W6 (6/18 PS) 1921–1923straight-41551 cc18 PS
(13 kW; 18 hp)
80 km/h
(50 mph)
W9 (6/24 PS) 1923–1925straight-41551 cc24 PS
(18 kW; 24 hp)
85 km/h
(53 mph)
W8 (5/20 PS) “Puppchen” 1925–1926straight-41306 cc20 PS
(15 kW; 20 hp)
78 km/h
(48 mph)
W10/I (6/30 PS) 1926–1928straight-41551 cc30 PS
(22 kW; 30 hp)
85 km/h
(53 mph)
W10/II (8/40 PS) 1927–1929straight-41940 cc40 PS
(29 kW; 39 hp)
95 km/h
(59 mph)
W11 (10/50 PS) 1928–1930 straight-6 2540 cc50 PS
(37 kW; 49 hp)
90 km/h
(56 mph)
W10/IV (6/30 PS) 1930–1932straight-41563 cc30 PS
(22 kW; 30 hp)
85 km/h
(53 mph)
W11 (10/50 PS) 1930–1933straight-62540 cc50 PS
(37 kW; 49 hp)
97 km/h
(60 mph)
W14 (12/65 PS) 1931–1932straight-62970–2995 cc65 PS
(48 kW; 64 hp)
105 km/h
(65 mph)
W15 (6/30 PS) 1932straight-41563 cc30 PS
(22 kW; 30 hp)
85 km/h
(53 mph)
W17 (7/35 PS) 1932–1933straight-61690 cc35 PS
(26 kW; 35 hp)
90 km/h
(56 mph)
W20 (8/40 PS) 1932–1933straight-61950 cc40 PS
(29 kW; 39 hp)
95 km/h
(59 mph)
W21 / W235 / W35 1933–1936straight-61690 cc35 PS
(26 kW; 35 hp)
95 km/h
(59 mph)
Wanderer W23S 1937–1939straight-62651 cc62 PS
(46 kW; 61 hp)
90 km/h
(56 mph)
W22 / W240 / W40 1933–1938straight-61950 cc40 PS
(29 kW; 39 hp)
100 km/h
(62 mph)
W245 / W250 1935straight-62257 cc50 PS
(37 kW; 49 hp)
100 km/h
(62 mph) - 105 km/h
(65 mph)
W45 / W50 / Spezial W51 1936–1938straight-62257 cc55 PS
(40 kW; 54 hp)
100 km/h
(62 mph) - 105 km/h
(65 mph)
W25K 1936–1938straight-61950 cc85 PS
(63 kW; 84 hp)
145 km/h
(90 mph)
W52 1937straight-62651 cc62 PS
(46 kW; 61 hp)
115 km/h
(71 mph)
W24 1937–1940straight-41767 cc42 PS
(31 kW; 41 hp)
105 km/h
(65 mph)
W26 1937–1940straight-62651 cc62 PS
(46 kW; 61 hp)
115 km/h
(71 mph)
W23 1937–1941straight-62651 cc62 PS
(46 kW; 61 hp)
105 km/h
(65 mph)

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi</span> German automotive manufacturer

Audi AG is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. A subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DKW</span> German car and motorcycle marque, now Audi

DKW was a German car- and motorcycle-marque. DKW was one of the four companies that formed Auto Union in 1932 and thus became an ancestor of the modern-day Audi company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen</span> Danish engineer and industrialist

Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen was a Danish engineer and industrialist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MZ Motorrad- und Zweiradwerk</span> German motorcycle manufacturer

Motorenwerke Zschopau GmbH is a German motorcycle manufacturer located in Zschopau, Saxony. The acronym MZ since 1956 stands for Motorenwerke Zschopau GmbH. From 1992 to 1999 the company was called MuZ, an acronym for Motorrad und Zweiradwerk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auto Union</span> German automobile manufacturer

Auto Union AG was an amalgamation of four German automobile manufacturers, founded in 1932 and established in 1936 in Chemnitz, Saxony. It is the immediate predecessor of Audi as it is known today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NSU Motorenwerke</span> German manufacturer (1873–1967/1977)

NSU Motorenwerke AG, or NSU, was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles and pedal cycles, founded in 1873. Acquired by Volkswagen Group in 1969, VW merged NSU with Auto Union, creating Audi NSU Auto Union AG, ultimately Audi. The name NSU originated as an abbreviation of "Neckarsulm", the city where NSU was located.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horch</span> Defunct German car brand

Horch was a German car manufacturer, which traced its roots to several companies founded in the very late 19th and early 20th century by August Horch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DKW F102</span> Motor vehicle

The DKW F102 is a passenger car that was produced from August 1963 to 1966 by the German manufacturer Auto Union. Superseding the Auto Union 1000, it was the last model branded as a DKW by the manufacturer and also one of the last West German production car equipped with a two-stroke engine, the last being the Goggomobil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi F103</span> Motor vehicle

F103 is the internal designation for a series of car models produced by Auto Union in West Germany from 1965 to 1972, derived from the earlier DKW F102. To signify the change from a two-stroke to four-stroke engine, the DKW marque was dropped in favour of Audi, a name that had been dormant since before the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auto Union 1000</span> Motor vehicle

The Auto Union 1000 is a luxury compact front-wheel drive automobile manufactured by Auto Union GmbH between 1958 and 1965. It was the first model branded as an Auto Union by the manufacturer since the 1930s; it replaced the DKW 3=6, although the latter continued in production until the end of 1959. The two cars were broadly similar, but the new car had its two-stroke engine enlarged to 981 cc yielding a 10% - 37% power increase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DKW F89</span> Motor vehicle

The DKW Meisterklasse, also known as the DKW F89, is a compact front-wheel drive saloon manufactured by Auto Union GmbH between 1950 and 1954. It was the first passenger car to be manufactured by the new Auto Union company in West Germany following the re-establishment of the business in the west in 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DKW F8</span> Motor vehicle

The DKW F8 is a compact front-wheel drive two-stroke engined saloon, introduced in 1939. The F8 was slightly shorter than its predecessor despite having a marginally increased wheelbase. The base model, known as the Reichsklasse, was manufactured only till 1940 but the Meisterklasse sedan continued in production until 1942. In addition to the saloons, cabriolet versions were offered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria (motorcycle)</span> Defunct German bicycle and motorcycle manufacturer

Victoria was a bicycle manufacturer in Nürnberg, Germany that made motorcycles from about 1901 until 1966. It should not be confused with a lesser-known, unrelated Victoria Motorcycle Company in Glasgow, Scotland that made motorcycles between 1902 and 1928.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automotive industry in Germany</span> Overview of the automotive industry in Germany

The automotive industry in Germany, is one of the largest employers in the world, with a labor force of over 857,336 (2016) working in the industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi Front</span> Motor vehicle

Initially presented early in 1933, the Audi Front UW 220 was Europe’s first car to combine front-wheel drive with a six-cylinder engine. It remained in production for slightly under two years before being replaced by the Audi Front UW 225 featuring a larger 2.25-litre engine. The larger-engined car introduced in 1935 was built till April 1938 and continued to be listed into 1939. Between 1933 and 1938, the Front was the only Audi in volume production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi 920</span> Motor vehicle

The Audi 920 is a car introduced in 1938 by the Audi division of Auto Union to replace the Audi Front UW 225. Its engine was a shortened version of the eight-cylinder in-line engine used by sister company Horch. The car was planned to occupy a niche in the Auto Union range between the large Horch products and the middle market cars produced by Wanderer. Audi had no stand-alone production facilities at that time and the car was produced, like its predecessor, at the Horch plant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wanderer Puppchen</span> Motor vehicle

The Wanderer Puppchen was a small passenger car introduced by the Chemnitz-based Wanderer automotive company in 1911. It had a tiny 4-cylinder engine and a 3-speed gearbox, and went on sale the following year. The car was delivered as an open topped tourer with two seats positioned one behind the other. There were two doors, also one behind the other, and both on the left-hand side of the car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi Type P</span> Motor vehicle

The Audi Type P was a small two-door sedan/saloon car introduced by Audi in 1931. It was discontinued by 1932.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DKW F1</span> Motor vehicle

The DKW F1 was a small car produced by DKW between 1931 and 1932. It was launched at the Berlin Motor Show in February 1931.

The Volkswagen Zwickau-Mosel Plant is an automobile factory in today's Zwickau district of Mosel, Germany. Founded on 26 September 1990, together with the Chemnitz plant and the Transparent Factory, it belongs to Volkswagen Sachsen, based in Zwickau. Currently, the Zwickau plant has about 8,000 employees. Signalling a milestone the last combustion vehicle was produced on 26 June 2020.

References

  1. "ZEG Zweirad-Einkaufs-Genossenschaft eG". www.zeg.de. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
  2. "Appendix F: Concentration Camps: Endlösung – The Final Solution". Christine O’Keeffe Tartan History. Tartanplace.com. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
  3. "Historisches Chemnitz". www.historisches-chemnitz.de. Retrieved 2023-08-17.