▁until ▁June ▁ 1 9 2 6 . ▁He ▁and ▁some ▁friends ▁had ▁already ▁run ▁an ▁uno fficial ▁after work ▁machine ▁shop ▁in ▁a ▁back yard ▁shed ▁in ▁Heidel berg ▁since ▁ 1 9 2 4 . ▁W ank el ▁now ▁determined ▁to ▁receive ▁un emp loyment ▁benefits ▁and ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁machine ▁shop . ▁One ▁of ▁his ▁friends , ▁who ▁had ▁graduated ▁from ▁university , ▁gave ▁his ▁name ▁and ▁transformed ▁the ▁shop ▁into ▁an ▁official ▁gar age ▁for ▁D K W ▁and ▁Cleveland ▁motor ▁b ikes ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 7 , ▁where ▁W ank el ▁worked ▁from ▁time ▁to ▁time ▁until ▁his ▁arrest ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 . ▁ ▁W ank el ▁was ▁gift ed ▁since ▁child hood ▁with ▁an ▁ingen ious ▁spatial ▁imagination ▁and ▁became ▁interested ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁of ▁machines , ▁especially ▁ ▁comb ust ion ▁engines . ▁After ▁his ▁mother ▁was ▁wid owed , ▁W ank el ▁could ▁not ▁afford ▁ ▁university ▁education ▁or ▁even ▁an ▁app rent ices hip . ▁He ▁was , ▁however , ▁able ▁to ▁teach ▁himself ▁technical ▁subjects . ▁At ▁age ▁ 1 7 ▁he ▁told ▁friends ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁dream t ▁of ▁construct ing ▁a ▁car ▁with ▁" a ▁new ▁type ▁of ▁engine , ▁half ▁tur bine , ▁half ▁reci proc ating . ▁It ▁is ▁my ▁in vention ! ". ▁True ▁to ▁this ▁prediction , ▁he ▁conce ived ▁the ▁W ank el ▁engine ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 ▁and ▁won ▁his ▁first ▁pat ent ▁in ▁ 1 9