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1954 Daus

Engineer Otto Daus came from an aviation background, as did many microcar builders. He worked for a long time- from 1929 to 1947- as chief design engineer for the company Vidal und Sohn, makers of the well-known Tempo three-wheeled trucks. He formed his own independent engineering office, taking with him several Vidal people. He remained on good terms, and continued to do design work for Vidal, including a "Gelaendewagen" some ten years later.

Daus built this one-off microcar fitted with an ILO two-stroke 197cc motor with thermo-syphon cooling and electric preselector transmission. There were three forward and three reverse speeds, and the engine could be removed and reinstalled in 16 minutes.

The car was never given a "KFZ-Brief" (vehicle registration document).

Manufacturer: Daus Werke, Hamburg, Germany

Model: Daus Motor: ILO 200 Body: Steel
Years Built: 1954 No. Cylinders: 1 Chassis: None
No. Produced: 1 Displacement: 197 cc Suspension Front: leaf spring
No. Surviving: 1 Horsepower: 9.5 Suspension Rear: leaf spring
Length: 267 cm Gearbox: 3 + rev Steering: Rack & Pinion
Width: 120 cm Starter: Dynastart Brakes: Cable
Weight: 270 kg Electrics: 12 v 4 Wheels: 3.5 x 12"
Interior: Bench Ignition: Coil Top Speed: approx. 75 kph

© 2002