DKW 3=6: which version to buy and why
The DKW 3=6 ran as 1 generation from 1953-01-01 to 1955-12-31, as a Cabrio, with 2 factory versions. Both are listed as 0.9 MT. They share the same 34 hp (25 kW at 4000 rpm), the same 69 Nm at 2000 rpm, the same 896 cc Gasoline Inline 3, the same 850 kg kerb weight, and the same FWD layout.
The DKW 3=6 ran as 1 generation from 1953-01-01 to 1955-12-31, as a Cabrio, with 2 factory versions. Both are listed as 0.9 MT. They share the same 34 hp (25 kW at 4000 rpm), the same 69 Nm at 2000 rpm, the same 896 cc Gasoline Inline 3, the same 850 kg kerb weight, and the same FWD layout. The buying decision is not “which engine.” It is which gearbox and which top speed you take with that identical engine.
Both versions are named 0.9 MT in the catalogue. They must stay under that exact name. They are told apart by gearbox and top speed: 0.9 MT with 3 gears and 115 km/h, versus 0.9 MT with 4 gears and 120 km/h.
Generations: what one generation actually changed
There is 1 generation. It starts 1953-01-01 and stops 1955-12-31. Body type is Cabrio. Count of versions: 2. There is no later generation to “wait for,” no restyling as a separate generation, and no second body type in the data. If you buy a 3=6, you buy this generation or you do not buy the model.
That matters for the purchase question. You are not choosing between a first-generation chassis and a later one with more power, a different tank, or a different drive. You are choosing between two 0.9 MT cars that sit on the same years, the same Cabrio shell, and the same measured hardware except two lines: number of gears and top speed.
Specs compared: the two 0.9 MT versions
| Version | hp | Nm | Displacement, cc | Fuel | Cylinders | Layout | Boost | Gearbox | Gears | Drive | Top speed, km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.9 MT | 34 | 69 | 896 | Gasoline | 3 | Inline | No | Manual | 3 | FWD | 115 |
| 0.9 MT | 34 | 69 | 896 | Gasoline | 3 | Inline | No | Manual | 4 | FWD | 120 |
Engine placement is Front, longitudinal on both. Fuel system is Carburetor. Compression is 6.5. Bore × stroke is 71 × 76. Fuel grade is 76. Valves per cylinder: not measured. Front suspension: Independent, spring. Rear suspension: Dependent, leaf spring. Front brakes: Drum. Rear brakes: Drum.
Power per litre is the same on both: 34 / 0.896 ≈ 37.9 hp per litre. Torque per litre is 69 / 0.896 ≈ 77.0 Nm per litre. Kerb weight per horsepower is 850 / 34 ≈ 25.0 kg per hp on both. Gross weight per horsepower is 1260 / 34 ≈ 37.1 kg per hp on both. Those ratios do not pick a winner. The gearbox does.
Performance and economy: what the extra gear actually buys
0–100 km/h: not measured on either 0.9 MT. Do not treat a missing sprint as “slow” or “fast.” It is not in the data.
Top speed is measured. 0.9 MT with 3 gears: 115 km/h. 0.9 MT with 4 gears: 120 km/h. The four-speed car is 5 km/h faster, which is 5 / 115 ≈ 4.3% more top speed from the same 34 hp and the same 850 kg.
City consumption: not measured. Highway consumption: not measured. Combined consumption: not measured. CO2: not measured. Eco class: not measured. MPG is not a number you can use to choose between these two cars. Fuel tank is 42 litres on both, so range cannot be ranked either.
What the extra gear buys, in the numbers we have: one more ratio in a Manual box, and 5 km/h more top speed. It does not buy more horsepower, more torque, a different boost state (No on both), a different drive (FWD on both), or a lighter kerb weight.
If your use is low-speed Cabrio running and you value a simpler 3-speed Manual, the slower 0.9 MT is the complete car as specified: 115 km/h, same 34 hp, same 69 Nm. If your use includes the highest speed the catalogue records for this model, the 4-speed 0.9 MT is the one that reaches 120 km/h.
Dimensions and weight: no size advantage between versions
Kerb weight is 850 kg on both 0.9 MT versions. Gross weight is 1260 kg on both. Payload by subtraction is 1260 − 850 = 410 kg on both. Ground clearance: not measured. Wheel size: not measured. Tank: 42 litres on both.
You cannot pick a “lighter” 3=6. You cannot pick a “roomier tank.” You cannot pick a clearance figure. Weight-to-power stays ≈ 25.0 kg/hp either way. The four-speed car does not carry extra measured mass for the extra gear in this dataset.
Which version to choose
Choose the 4-speed 0.9 MT if the goal is the faster catalogue car. Same 34 hp, same 896 cc Gasoline Inline 3, same FWD, same 850 kg — and 120 km/h instead of 115. The extra item on the spec sheet is the 4-speed Manual versus 3. That is the only measured performance gain in the data.
Choose the 3-speed 0.9 MT if you want the same engine with fewer gears. You give up 5 km/h of top speed and one ratio. You do not give up power, torque, tank size, or payload. Compression stays 6.5, boost stays No, brakes stay Drum / Drum.
Do not choose by generation. There is 1 generation (1953-01-01–1955-12-31). Nothing later in this model line offers a different hp figure, a different body, or a restyle counted as another generation.
Do not choose by fuel economy, 0–100, clearance, or wheels. Those are not measured. Ranking versions on them would invent a difference the data does not contain.
Do not choose by engine layout or cylinder count. Both 0.9 MT cars are Inline 3, Front, longitudinal, Carburetor, Gasoline, fuel 76. Power per litre is ≈ 37.9 hp/l on both. There is no “stronger engine” SKU.
Practical split. If you need the highest recorded speed for a 3=6 Cabrio, take 0.9 MT with 4 gears (120 km/h). If you need the same 34 hp Cabrio with the simpler 3-speed Manual, take 0.9 MT with 3 gears (115 km/h). Same name in the database, different gear count, 5 km/h apart. That is the whole buying difference the numbers support.