Austro-Daimler

Austria, 1899 – 1936

(1) Österreichische Daimler Motoren AG, Wiener-Neustadt, 1899 – 1934

(2) Steyr—Daimler-Puch AG, Wiener-Neustadt, 1934 – 1936

Austria’s most famous motor car, the Austro-Daimler, was born when Daimler of Cannstatt established a factory in Vienna for the manufacture of about 100 of its Daimler cars annually. The Austro-Daimler was a copy of its German parent. In 1906 the Austro-Daimler concern became a separate financial entity, and a year earlier, Ferdinand Porsche had replaced Paul Daimler at Wiener-Neustadt as director. A new era began, for Porsche was a designer with original ideas. He did not exercise them at once; the two 1909 Austro-Daimler models for sale were large well-made fours with side valves in a T-head and a choice of chain or live-axle drive. World-wide fame came to the Austro-Daimler company with their 1910 models, especially the Austro-Daimler 22/80ps model originally designed to win the Prince Henry Tour of that year. It accomplished this very convincingly. The five large valves per cylinder – one inlet, four exhaust – were actuated by a single overhead camshaft. A combination of well-shaped combustion chambers and light reciprocating parts made for an engine of an efficiency never before seen in a catalogued, non-racing car. Its 5.7-litres produced 95bhp. Even Porsche, however, felt that so much power could not be safely transmitted by a live axle, and chain drive was used initially. The Austro-Daimler 22/80’s small brother, the Austro-Daimler 16/18ps, had a side-valve L-head engine. After it had swept the board in the Austrian Alpine Tour of 1911, the Austro-Daimler 16/25ps Alpine variant was also for sale. In 1914 the range consisted of these three cars, the sv Austro-Daimler 20/30ps, and the luxurious Austro-Daimler 35/60ps also with side valves. Both Austro-Daimler and Daimler sold the Lohner-Porsche, the name given to the electric and petrol-electric cars designed by Porsche before he went to Wiener-Neustadt. The Vienna Austro-Daimler firm was Austria’s largest manufacturer of motorcars.

Immediately after World War 1 a few cars were assembled in Liège from pre-war Austro-Daimler parts by M. Klinkenhammers, and sold under the Alfa-Legia. On their home ground the company returned to high-grade fast tourers. As well as the old ‘Austro-Daimler 16/18’ and ‘Austro-Daimler 20/30’, they made the new Austro-Daimler AD617 for sale, a 6-cylinder car of 4.4-litres with a single overhead camshaft, that was succeeded in 1923 by its development, the Austro-Daimler ADV17/60ps for sale, which was the same but for its front wheel brakes. Four years earlier, Porsche had maintained his reputation for really exciting design by producing the Sascha-type Austro-Daimler, a 1100cc – later 1½-litre – racing voiturette. Its four cylinders, like the six of the Austro-Daimler AD617, were of aluminium, with detachable steel liners. There were two overhead camshafts, however, and dry sump lubrication. The power output was 50bhp. Four-wheel brakes were, of course, fitted.

Although Porsche left Vienna in 1923 to return to Daimler, he was mainly responsible for the new ADM type, which was offered alongside the Austro-Daimler ADV17/60 from that year. The Austro-Daimler ADM1 was basically similar, but had a smaller engine of 2½-litres, and its rounded radiator was a departure for the hitherto traditional Austro-Daimler V-shape. It was sold in sports from in 1925 as the Austro-Daimler ADMII. After 1926, the old Austro-Daimler ADV17/60 was dropped and the ADM engine was enlarged to three litres by increasing the bore. This Austro-Daimler ADMIII in sports form developed 100bhp at 400rpm, and could do more than 100mph. Porsche’s successor, Karl Rabe, designed the even more advanced ADR type. Its tubular backbone chassis and swing-axle independent rear suspension so resembled that of the Tatra that legal action was taken against Austro-Daimler. The Austro-Daimler ADR was available in sports or normal form. At first, the Austro-Daimler ADR used the old ADMIII engine, but the Austro-Daimler ADR6 Bergmeister of 1929, one of the most glamorous Austro-Daimler built, had a new 3.6-litre power unit providing 120bhp. This car was made until production ceased shortly after the Steyr-Daimler-Puch amalgamation in 1934. The Austro-Daimler ADR8, the firm’s first and last 8-cylinder car, designed for more formal bodies, had disappeared in 1933 after a life of three years.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; TRN

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Stoewer

D, 1899 – 1939

(1) Gebrüder Stoewer, Fabrik für Motorfahrzeuge, Stettin, 1899 – 1916

(2) Stoewer-Werke AG vorm. Gebr. Stoewer, Stettin, 1916 – 1939

The Stoewer car factory developed out of the Stoewer ironworks and was among the pioneers of the German car industry. After manufacturing motor cycles, tricycles and quadricycles for two years, Stoewer turned to cars in 1899. The first Stoewer car had a rear-mounted 2-cylinder engine. 4-cylinder Stoewer cars followed in 1901, and electric Stoewer cars were also produced. Best known were the 2-cylinder Type T Stoewer car (2.280cc and 3/12PS), the 4-cylinder Stoewer P4 (3.052cc and 11/22PS), the Stoewer G4 (1.500cc and 6/12PS) and the 6-cylinder Stoewer P6 (8.820cc and 34/60PS), evolved in the 1905-1907 period all Stoewer cars with shaft-drive. The Stoewer B1 of 6/16PS and the Stoewer B6 of 9/22PS which appeared in 1910 were also built by Mathis under licence. The G4 Stoewer car was the basis for the Stoewer B5, which Stoewer car in 1912 became famous by setting up a record at Brooklands with 67.7mph. The new range of Stoewer cars which appeared in 1913 was also based on successful earlier cars. They were the Stoewer C1 (6/18PS), Stoewer C2 (10/28PS) and C3 Stoewer car (6-cylinder and 19/45PS). Shortly before the outbreak of World War 1 the Stoewer car range was headed by the F4 Stoewer car with a 4-cylinder, 8.8-litre 33/100PS ohc engine. After the war an enormous Stoewer car appeared, the Stoewer D7, using a 6-cylinder 11.2-litre 42/120PS aero engine, as well as some conservative sv 4- and 6-cylinder Stoewer cars with rear wheel and transmission brakes. Front wheel brakes appeared on Stoewer cars in 1925. Stoewer introduced 8-cylinder Stoewer cars in 1928. These were the Stoewer Superior, Stoewer Marschall, Stoewer Gigant and Stoewer Repräsentant with engines ranging from 2-litres and 45bhp to 4.9-litres and 100bhp. The Stoewer car firm re-entered the economy class in 1931 with the V5, a front-driven Stoewer car with a V4 1.188cc engine, followed by the front-drive models R140 (1.369cc), R150 (1.488cc) and R180 (1.769cc). Another 8-cylinder was the front wheel drive Greif V8 with a 2.488cc engine, which was replaced by the conventional 6-cylinder 3.609cc Arcona Stoewer car in 1938. In 1934 the 1½-litre 4-cylinder Stoewer car and 2½-litre V8 Stoewer car were shown at the Brussels Salon by Monsieur Dewaet under the name D.S. (Dewaet-Stoewer). The Greif Junior was built under Tatra licence with an opposed 4-cylinder 1.474cc engine. It succeeded the Röhr Junior. In the middle of the range was the Stoewer Sedina with a 4-cylinder engine of 2.4-litres.

Production of private Stoewer cars was given up at the outbreak of World War 2 in 1939. The Stoewer car factory was destroyed during the war and production of Stoewer cars was not resumed.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; HON   

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com