DKW

DKW was a German car and motorcycle manufacturer known for their two-stroke engines. The name DKW originally stood for "steam-powered car" in German but later became associated with various other phrases including "German children's car" and "the little wonder." In 1932, DKW was one of four companies that merged to form Auto Union, which eventually became the modern-day Audi company.

In 1916, Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen founded a factory in Germany to produce steam fittings and later attempted to produce a steam-driven car, which was unsuccessful. However, in 1919, he made a two-stroke toy engine called "Des Knaben Wunsch" and put a slightly modified version of it into a motorcycle, calling it "Das Kleine Wunder" - the DKW brand was born. By the late 1920s, DKW had become the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer. In 1932, DKW merged with Audi, Horch, and Wanderer to form Auto Union. After World War II, DKW moved to West Germany, and the original factory became MZ. DKW-badged cars continued to be built under license in Brazil and Argentina until the late 1960s. The DKW trademark is currently owned by Auto Union GmbH, a subsidiary of Audi AG.