Produced in Eisenach, Germany
IFA F9 - 53
The IFA F9 was a compact saloon manufactured under the
auspices of the Russian and East German states between
1949 or 1950 and 1956. It was initially built at Zwickau at
the plant previously owned by Auto Union. In 1953
production was transferred to the former BMW
manufacturing plant at Eisenach where its underpinnings
subsequently found their way into the Wartburg 311.
Origins
Mechanically
the
F9
derived
from
the
DKW
F8
which
had
been
available
between
1939
and
1942.
The
body
closely
followed
the
design
of
the
DKW
F9,
a
prototype
with
which
Auto
Union
would
have
replaced
the
F8
on
the
Zwickau
production
lines
earlier,
had
the
war
not
intervened.
After
the
war,
the
first
car
assembled
at
Zwickau
was
the
prewar
DKW
F8,
but
the
more
modern
F9
started
to
appear
in
1949
or
1950
(sources
differ).
Materials
shortages
probably
delayed
introduction
in
both
German
states,
but
the
eastern
car
beat
the
western
to
the
market,
and
certainly
featured
the
three-cylinder
motor
from
the
1938
F9
prototype
(rather
than
the
two-
cylinder
motor
that
had
been
in
serial
production
in
1942)
at
least
three
years
before
Auto
Union
in Düsseldorf were installing it in their F91.
The bodies
Surviving
F9s
appear
largely
restricted
to
saloon
versions,
but
various
sports
and
cabriolet
versions
were
also
produced.
Steel
for
consumer
industries
was
in
short
supply
across
many
parts
of
Europe
during
this
period,
and
the
F9’s
body
construction
increasingly
involved
plastic
panels,
especially
after
production
was
moved
to
Eisenach
in
1953.
The
car
was
accordingly
usefully
lighter than its western built Auto Union equivalent.
Technical
The
F9
featured
a
three-cylinder
two-stroke
water-cooled
engine
of
910
cc
with
a
claimed
output,
at
launch,
of
28
bhp
(21
kW).
The
engine
was
water-cooled,
the
radiator
being
located
behind
the
engine,
an
unusual
configuration
but
one
also
found
on
the
DKW
F91.
The
front
wheels were driven via a four-speed manual gear box with a free wheel.
1953
Engine
900 cc
3 cylinders
Power
20 HP
Top speed
120 km/h
The collections -53 F9 has gone
through complete restoration in 1998.
Photos mainly by Matti Kreivilä. Historical facts and technical details of the vehicles provided by Wikipedia. Movies YouTube.