Thought you might get a kick out of my latest 'Dream Car' - or at least the virtual rendition of it:
> http://www.carcentric.com/sondercoupe.htm

I was thinking of putting in the 4.5 (117) engine and trans from my '72 350SL . . . (that makes it appropriate for the Vintage Mercedes forum!).

Actually, there was a DKW Clubmember, here in Harrisonburg Virginia that was going to build a funny-car by dropping his '57 DKW bodyshell onto a RWD V8 chassis, without the radical restyling you've suggested.
As for my '57 DKW Sonderklasse, it's already been 'souped up' with a 1958, 1 liter Auto-Union engine, producing a firebreathing 44 horsepower! I've had it up to 50!
By the way, one of my 'dream cars' is the Euro 350SL with the 4 speed manual shift (so I can decide when to start out in first gear.) There was a '75 on Ebay over a year ago. I was SO tempted!

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

Actually they (DKW's) were sold in the US at many Mercedes dearlerships back in those days. As you probably know they were pre Audis and the first post war production of what was once the competitor in racing to Mercedes, namely Auto Union. The car in the virtual pictures is by the way not a '57 but a '55 or so, as the grille is wrong for '57. Have not found many pics of '57's on the web.

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1961 190Db retired
1968 220D/8 325,000
1983 300D 164,150

Here's the one that got me interested in the virtual customizing project:
http://adcache.collectorcartraderonline.com/10/6/0/43027660.htm

I know about the grill difference, but don't like the '57 grill and planned to find a '55 grill if I were to do the project - hence it would still be a '57, but with a '55 grill.

Ya havta remember, I'm the one with the 5.6 in the '72!