DKW - DKW in South America

DKW in South America

From 1956 to 1967, DKW cars were made in Brazil by the local company Vemag (Veículos e Máquinas Agrícolas S.A.). The first model was the F91 Universal.

Then, in 1958, the F94 four-door sedan and station wagon were launched. In the early '60s, these same cars were renamed as Belcar and Vemaguet. The company also produced a luxury coupe (the DKW Fissore) and the off-road Munga (locally called Candango).

Vemag had also a successful official racing team - thus was born the coupe GT Malzoni, with fiberglass body. This project ended up becoming the foundation of the long lasting Brazilian sports car brand Puma. Over the years, the Brazilian F94 line has been improved with several cosmetic changes and became more and more different from the German and Argentine models. Vemag, however, had no capital to invest in necessary new products. So, in 1967 Volkswagen bought the company and phased out the DKW-Vemag production. A total of 109,343 DKW-Vemag cars were built.

DKW vehicles were also made in Argentina from 1960 through 1969 by IASF S.A. (Industria Automotriz Santa Fe Sociedad Anónima) in the city of Sauce Viejo, Santa Fe. The most beautiful were the Cupé Fissore which had many famous owners (Julio Sosa, César Luis Menotti and others). Other models are the Auto Union 1000 S Sedán (21.797 made until 1969), the Auto Union 1000 Universal S (6.396 made until 1969). and the Auto Union Combi/Pick-up. The last version of the Auto Union Combi/Pick-up (DKW F1000 L) launched in 1969, survives a few months and is bought out by IME which continued production until 1979.