Neither the windscreen nor the name changes entirely concealed the fact that at a time when competitor designs employed the modern ponton, three-box form, this Auto Union's body along with most of its technical features descended directly from that of the Zwickau-developed DKW F9 prototype of 1938.

The 1000 Sp was lower, but not (assuming only two people were in the car) significantly lighter than the standard-bodied saloon; a claimed maximum speed of 140 km/h (87 mph), nevertheless, put its performance at the top of the range.

The lineup consisted of the two- and four-door sedans, the three-door Universal estate (station wagon), and the Carrozzeria Fissore-designed[16] Coupé and Spyder "1000 SE" on the basis of German 1000 Sp.

[19] Auto Union 1000S cars have, more recently, featured prominently in Argentine films, such as The Games Maker[20] and The German Doctor (Wakolda).

"[22] The August 1960 edition of the South African "CAR" magazine tested the 1000S Coupé, recording a top speed of 82 mph (132 km/h) and a fuel consumption of 33.5 miles per imperial gallon (8.43 litres/100 km).

[2] In the same year, the much larger Austin Westminster retailed for only £1148[24] in the UK, reflecting, in particular, the extent to which British automakers were still protected by import tariffs in their home market.

Sports Cars Illustrated magazine January 1959 edition wrote of the 1000 Coupe de luxe:[25] "Probably the most striking impression of the AU1000 is its extraordinarily high cornering power.

On a loose gravel surface the stability and "sticktion" of the DKW borders on the incredible and we began to understand the reasons why and how these cars have enjoyed such tremendous success in international rallies.

The Auto Union 1000 is a rugged automobile, its beefy leaf springs and solid frame as well as the unburstable 980cc engine, all substantiating this impression" The South African "CAR" magazine wrote in its August 1960 edition;[23] "From what we have stated and we refer particularly to the positions of the gears, front-wheel drive, the free-wheel unit and the need for frequent changes of the gears it is obvious that the Auto Union takes some getting used to before its full worth is appreciated.

At the end of our temporary ownership, we found ourselves enjoying to the full the tractive advantages of front-wheel drive and the ability of the Auto Union to corner in complete safety under power.

We were also able to take the 1000S over considerable stretches of badly corrugated farm surfaces without distress to elderly passengers; the car does not pitch unduly and stability under all conditions was of high order".

The Auto Union 1000 model experienced an unexpected increase in crankshaft damage because the oil, its viscosity affected by the cold weather, was unable to flow freely through the narrow feeder pipe in the carburettor.

[26] The Düsseldorf plant (in the old Rheinmetall - Borsig factory) produced most of the 171,008 Auto Union 1000 cars built during the six-year model run.

In 2012, the South African artist Steve Hofmeyr released a song, "DKW" which, taking in the Auto Union 1000, expressed a nostalgia for the car as a representation of solidity and reliability.

[29] Import tariffs made the Auto Union 1000 a costly car in certain markets, and sales were slow in countries where the 1960s "Buy British" campaigns were effective.

In 1970, well after the car's production ended, an Auto Union 1000S featured as the star in the German comedy film Das kann doch unsren Willi nicht erschüttern.

[32] As with its predecessor, the DKW 3=6, the Auto Union 1000 enjoyed the attention of a number of famous owners, such as the famous aviator, Elly Beinhorn (her white and red 1958 Auto Union 1000 Coupe de luxe was named "Alwine VIII"), Hollywood film maker Billy Wilder[33] (1000SP), Big band bandleader Max Greger (1000SP), Graf von Brandenstein-Zeppelin (1000SP) and German fashion designer Katja Nieborg (1000S Coupe).

The older-model DKW 3=6 continued in production in a slightly modified form in Brazil until 1967, but it was produced without modification in Santa Fe, Argentina, until late 1969, with about 30,000 cars manufactured.