AWZ | gamas43

The Automobilwerk Zwickau (from the German, Zwickau Automotive Factory) was a German car manufacturer active from 1955 to 1958, but already active since 1949 exploiting the former Audi factory in Zwickau.

History

The Automobilwerk Zwickau was born on the ashes of the old Zwickau plants, where the DKW and Audi cars were assembled before the war. On 12 July 1945 several areas of eastern Germany were occupied by the Soviet army, which confiscated many establishments. Even the Zwickau plant suffered the same fate, but the DKW leadership managed to escape Ingolstadt, in the future West Germany, where it would revive a plant capable of continuing DKW production.
The Audi and Horch factories were taken over by the Soviet authorities. Initially renamed as VEB Kraftfahrzeugwerk Audi, the Zwickau plant was later used for a new house, founded in 1955 under the name Automobilwerk Zwickau (AWZ), which was one of the main automotive hubs for the varied production of the IFA.
From this period IFA F8 and IFA F9, left the VEB Kraftfahzeugwerk Audi factory. In 1953, the production of the F9 was moved from Zwickau to Eisenach, following the acquisition of the IFA by the AWE.
In 1955 the IFA was extinguished, absorbed by the AWZ: under the control of it passed the numerous brands detected by the IFA during its short existence. The IFA brand models were instead suppressed or re-proposed with other brands, often it was the same brand AWZ to appear on the models of the new course. That is how the AWZ P70 was born, a car with a new body compared to the F8 that was called to replace, but the mechanics unchanged.
In the meantime, the old Horch plant, still located in Zwickau, changed its name to VEB Sachsenring Kraftfahrzeug- und Motorenwerk (from the German car factory and Sachsenring engines) and began production of the Trabant in 1957, a car that will become a real institution over the years.
With the latter factory the AWZ merged in 1958, giving rise to the VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerk Zwickau, putting an end to the Automobilwerk Zwickau of origin. The former plant of the AWZ was used for the production of engines for the Trabant and its final assembly, while the former factory Horch took care of the production of the frames for the small car, but also the last examples of the P70, not more with AWZ brand, but with the new brand. A third plant, still belonging to the new company, took care of the production of the bodywork in Duroplast and their painting.