The Inside Lane - 1958 DKW Monza

Welcome to The Inside Lane, where we give you a quick rundown of some of the more notable pieces of Lane Motor Museum's collection. On this episode, we tell you the story behind the DKW Monza. This fiberglass-bodied coupe has a three cylinder, two stroke engine, delivering a power stroke and 55 horsepower with every crank shaft revolution. Built by German manufacturer Auto Union, this rare automobile is front-wheel drive, with a column-mounted shifter. Contrary to popular belief, this car is not actually an Audi. Auto Union was formed in 1932 when Audi, DKW, Horsch, and Wanderer were combined to form the Auto Union brand. DKW is kind of like Chevrolet to Auto Union’s General Motors. Volkswagen acquired Auto Union in the late 1960s, and decided to keep the Audi name for its new premium division of cars, and retain the classic 4-ring logo you see here. Lane Motor Museum is one of the few museums in the U.S. to specialize in European cars. The Museum also showcases specialized cars, historically significant cars, and prototypes and home-built one-offs. It is a working museum with the goal of maintaining all vehicles in running order. Some cars are in showroom condition, while others represent typical aging. Efforts are made to restore each vehicle to near-original specifications. The Museum has been developed in a well-known Nashville landmark, the former Sunbeam Bakery on Murfreesboro Pike. Home to the bread company beginning in 1951, the 132,000 square-foot facility was the largest and most modern bakery in the area at the time of its opening. The bakery building, outfitted for the museum’s needs but left with many of its original characteristics, has a high ceiling, natural light, and hand-crafted brick and maple wood flooring. The architectural style complements the age of the cars represented. The main floor has approximately 40,000 square feet of open space, ideal for displaying about 150 of the museum’s total 560-vehicle collection. To purchase your copy of "a hobby gone wild," be sure to visit our online bookstore: https://www.lanemotormuseum.org/bookstore Special thanks to our volunteer videographer Corey Gibb with LifeLike Imageworks: https://lifelikeimageworks.com/index.php/about/