Solved - NEH 4141: Daniel Zimmermann 500 cc Special - 1951

[Carnut]

What's this, who built it and when - for 1 point?:

Remember - solving puzzles using 'Google Search by Image' is BANNED on AutoPuzzles!

[Carnut]

Experts?

[Carnut]

Professionals?

[Paul Jaray]

Daniel Zimmermann's car, 1951

[Carnut]

Daniel Zimmermann's car, 1951

Indeed.  Powered by a 500 cc 2-stroke engine.
Well done.

[nicanary]

Daniel Zimmermann's car, 1951

Indeed.  Powered by a 500 cc 2-stroke engine.
Well done.

DKW engine. Probably being driven in this photo by Werner Lehmann.

This was another one I had tagged for an answer. I was at B & Q discovering that they had every wall plug in existence except the ones I wanted.

[Carnut]

Daniel Zimmermann's car, 1951

Indeed.  Powered by a 500 cc 2-stroke engine.
Well done.

DKW engine. Probably being driven in this photo by Werner Lehmann.

This was another one I had tagged for an answer. I was at B & Q discovering that they had every wall plug in existence except the ones I wanted.

Actually you were on AP looking at the Experts' board when I moved this one and I expected an instant reply from you!
You'll have to pay more attention..!

[Ifan]

Hello everybody, thanks for accepting me on this forum.

I've been studying and researching about this very interesting Zimmermann's Formula 3 "eigenbau" racing car for years and years.

My conclusion is that if it is true that the engine of that car looks like a DKW engine nothing PROVES actually that it is effectively a DKW standard car engine.

It is very much plausible that Daniel Zimmermann (Luckenwalde - DDR) build the entire engine himself in 1950.

This engine is very advanced for its time because it use one (or two ?) rotary disc valve to feed its two cylinders.

Main driver is effectively Werner Lehmann from Luckenwalde but Daniel Zimmermann's also race his car on some occasions during the 1951 season.

The car won the 1951 DDR Formula 3 Championship.

[Carnut]

Many thanks for your interesting observation Ifan and welcome to AutoPuzzles.
I hope we see more from you!

[Ifan]

Thank you for your comments.

Here is the only good picture existing of that engine :



You can clearly see from that side of the engine the two intakes holes. I am thinking that Daniel Zimmermann which was a very clever engineer use 1 rotary disc valve to feed two cylinders, like this 1980 Rotax engine :



My problem with that theory is that the "cover" of the intake on the crashed car picture is not circular but rectangular, (see picture below) why ? if it really use only one disk it should be circular like on the Rotax engine.




Another possibility is that this engine use 2 rotary disk valve.

Anybody here's got some idea ?

Thank you.