Wanderer W 23 car history

Manufacturer:	Wanderer
Production period:	1937 to 1941
Class :	upper middle class
Body versions :	Touring Car , Limousine , Pullman Limousine , Station Wagon , Cabriolet
Engines:	Gasoline 2.65 liters

The Wanderer W23 is a passenger car of the brand Wanderer with 2.65-liter six - cylinder inline engine and rear-wheel drive . The Auto Union introduced him in 1937 as a successor to the models W45 / W51 . By 1940, about 7,900 W23 were sold. At the end of 1941 / beginning of 1942, another 100 convertibles were built for the Reich Labor Service .

The built in the Auto Union plant Siegmar at Chemnitz W23 had a newly designed engine with a displacement of 2651 cc and a power of 62 hp at 3300 rpm, which was only side-controlled compared to the predecessors with OHV valve control , but seven horsepower more power offered. About a four-speed gearbox with shift lever in the center of the car, the rear wheels were driven. The chassis with the shortened by 10 cm to 2.9 meters wheelbase had rear instead of the elaborate swing axle a " swaying axis"(Rigid axle with raised transverse leaf spring). In addition, the vehicle electrical system voltage was lowered from 12 to 6 volts. These changes - which were actually setbacks - were needed for price reasons. A four-door sedan , a two-door convertible and a station wagon with outboard body struts (called "woody" in the USA) were offered. Gläser built the Cabriolet bodies in Dresden on the W23 chassis delivered from Siegmar .

In parallel, the Wanderer W26 was built with the same engine and a longer wheelbase of 3.15 m as a touring car and Pullman sedan , each with six seats. The rear "swing axle" ( pendulum axle ) of the W26 predecessor W50 was retained because the high-lying spring assembly of the floating axle took up too much space.

As a sister model of the W23 was also the Wanderer W52 with the same engine, 10 cm more wheelbase (3 m) and rear swing axle in the Auto Union program to make customers who placed emphasis on modern suspension technology, also an offer. However, there were only about 1,400 buyers, so this model disappeared at the end of 1937 again. The car was available as a four-door sedan (6 windows) and as a two-door convertible (4 windows).

Due to the war, the production of Wanderer passenger cars was discontinued in 1941 and was not resumed due to the liquidation of the "old" Auto Union after the Second World War .

Wanderer W23 Technical specifications

• Engine fuel: Gasoline
• Engine size: 2.65 liters
• Engine power: 62 HP (45.6 kW)
• Bore × stroke: 75 mm × 100 mm
• Electrical: 6 volts
• Length: 4600-4800 mm
• Width: 1680-1700 mm
• Height: 1650-1750 mm
• Wheelbase: 2900-3150 mm
• Turning circle: 12 m
• Curb weight: 1790-1940 kg
• Top speed: 115 km / h