Show a pre-war mystery

pictures from Joe Puleo... (upd. 1914 Benz 75HP, 1916 Opel...)

A couple of pictures I scanned yesterday...

#1 is a "front & back" though I can't read the back

#2... the officers in the car are Austrians and those saluting are German. Date is probably 1915-1916 but that is just a guess.

Joe Puleo

Comments

#3 Christoph Röhrs 2013-03-01 20:18

Here the letter, but only in german:
Meine Lieben!
Als ich vor einigen Tagen die Gelegenheit hatte unseren großen Feldmarshall aus aller nächster Nähe zu sehen, hatte ich auch die Ehre mit ihm noch auf eine Photographie zu kommen. Gerade bis zum Nasenspitzchen bin ich noch drauf und wenn Ihr mich sucht werdet Ihr mich auch finden. Der Sanitäter der mit seiner ganzen Größe zu sehen ist, ist der Herr Deschler von Mindelh.(Mindelheim?) Das freut mich noch lange daß ich dem bedeutenden Mann in die Augen sehen durfte. Herzlichen Gruß sendet Euch allen Euer Heini.

#2 2013-02-26 10:17

The solution to the car on the first photo behind the one with Generaloberst Kövess (the cross indicating his position of course) is a 1914 Benz 75HP. Though Benz offered (like many German cars) normally a sharper 'Spitzkühler', there were also versions with a more rounded (almost Bentley-like) appearance. A Benz similar to this one can be found in the Allgemeine Automobil-Zeitung of May 17th, 1914. Noticeable is the rather low-built body, in contrast with the often high-lined Prince Henry-bodies of many German cars of the period. The nice thing is that this solution also applies to an earlier PWC-mystery (Oct. 29th, 2006). If many cars of this type were built or that we see the same car each time I dare not say. The car of the Generaloberst himself is probably a Benz (with Prince Henry-body) of some earlier year (1912-1913).
The cars on the other photograph are in my opinion Mercedes cars of the period 1912 to 1914.
For the letter however you have to be a very skilled graphologist!

#1 2013-02-25 20:38

Hi, The second car on Photo 2 seems to be a cca 1916 Opel, possibly the 14'38, one of the early spitzkuhlers. Headlamps are gas, suggesting pre WW1 war. Am not sure if the X on the first car means he is look for info on that one? Regards

Bozi Mohacek

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