Protos of Nonnendamm was a German car manufacturing company founded in 1898 in Berlin by engineers Alfred Sternberg and Oscar Heymann.

In 1905 he began producing Protos automobiles, developing the new 'kompensmotor' or compensated motor, giving a smooth, fast ride.

This revolutionary design worked well and was much quieter than other twin engines in the country, providing up to 14 hp and remaining in production for several years.

The Protos gain worldwide acclaim in 1908 when it was first to cross the finishing line in the 1908 New York to Paris Race organised by the newspapers Le Matin of Paris, and The New York Times - six competitors covered some 13 000 miles, an additional 10 000 miles being over sea.

This utility E-LKW was also supplied by Protos as a normal truck of four-ton payload and as an omnibus.