Car Models In Austria Before Wwii

In 1938, Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany, an event known as the Anschluss. This meant that Austrians had access to German cars like the Mercedes-Benz W31, which was used by high-ranking Nazi officials during parades. Austrian automotive brands also existed, such as Steyr-Werke AG, which was established in 1915 and continued manufacturing cars until 1959. However, it is unclear if Austrians had access to these cars during the Nazi regime as the company also built vehicles for the German Wehrmacht armed forces during World War II.

Austrian automotive brand Steyr

Steyr was an Austrian automotive brand established in 1915 as a branch of the Österreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft (ÖWG) weapon manufacturing company. The ÖWG stock company was founded in 1864 in Steyr, Upper Austria, and initially manufactured bicycles under the trade-mark name Waffenrad.

In 1915, the company diversified its manufacturing to include automobiles and tractors. Steyr hired 38-year-old designer Hans Ledwinka, who developed a new six-cylinder car with modern features, including a 3255 cc engine, a four-speed gearbox, and multi-plate clutch. This model, the 12/40PS, also featured the fashionable Spitzkühler (pointed radiator) previously seen on prewar Mercedes cars.

Ledwinka and Steyr's management had differing visions, with Ledwinka preferring to focus on cheap, simple cars, while the company wanted to concentrate on luxury vehicles. Ledwinka eventually quit and joined Tatra, taking his design with him. This design also inspired the early Volkswagen Type 1.

In 1926, Steyr was renamed Steyr-Werke AG and merged with Austro-Daimler and Puch to form Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG. The company continued manufacturing Steyr automobiles until 1959. During this period, Steyr produced a range of luxury vehicles, including the Type XII, a four- or five-seater tourer, and the Type VII, a luxurious four-door limousine.

In the late 1920s, Steyr was impacted by the Great Depression, and in 1935, it was bailed out by Austro Daimler. During this challenging period, Steyr relied on a Porsche design, the Type XXX, which was developed into the 2.3-liter 530 in 1936. Steyr also introduced more unconventional models, such as the Type 120 in 1934, with its double transverse-leaf independent front suspension and streamlined body, and the Type 100, a low-cost economy car.

In 1938, Steyr introduced the Type 55, a small car with a 1158 cc engine. Despite its unpopular design, the Type 55 was popular due to its roomy interior and metal sliding roof. By the end of production in 1940, approximately 13,000 units had been built.

During World War II, Steyr-Daimler-Puch built vehicles for the German Wehrmacht armed forces. After the war, the company modified Fiat automobiles for the Austrian market, including the "Steyr-Fiat" 1100 Mod E and the 1400, which was renamed the Steyr 2000 in 1953. Steyr automobiles ceased production in 1959, replaced by Fiat six-cylinder models.

Today, Steyr Automotive remains an Upper Austrian company, focusing on sustainable propulsion concepts and commercial vehicle construction. Steyr Motors AG, meanwhile, develops and produces high-performance diesel engines for heavy-duty vehicles and boats, as well as generator sets and engine-optimised software solutions.

Mercedes-Benz W31 type G4

The Mercedes-Benz W31 type G4 was a German three-axle off-road vehicle produced by Mercedes-Benz as a staff/command car for the Wehrmacht in 1934. The G4 was designed as a seven-seat touring car or closed saloon, but its high cost deemed it too expensive for general army use. Instead, the vehicles were used by the upper echelons of the Nazi regime, including Adolf Hitler, in parades and inspections.

The G4 was a development of the G1, which was launched in 1926. The G4 featured an 8-cylinder inline engine, four-speed transmission, and all-terrain tyres. The car's top speed was 67 km/h (42 mph) and it offered a spacious interior with comfortable seating for up to seven people. The exterior design included curved fenders and a spare wheel on each side, with a special elongated fender covering the double axle system at the rear.

The G4 started with a 5018 cc engine that delivered 100 PS. From 1937 onwards, a more powerful 5252 cc engine with 115 PS was used, and in 1938, due to fuel shortages, the engine was modified to a 5401 cc unit with 110 PS. Despite the changes in engine size and power, the performance of the G4 remained consistent throughout its production run.

Between 1937 and 1938, 16 cars were built, and in 1938, 30 vehicles of this model were used by Hitler and his staff during parades marking the annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland. In total, 57 G4 vehicles were produced, and several of these original cars have been preserved and are now displayed in museums around the world.

Siegfried Marcus' experimental vehicles

Siegfried Marcus was a German engineer and inventor who lived in Vienna, Austria, for most of his life. He is credited with creating the first petrol-powered vehicle, a handcart, in 1870. Marcus also created a second vehicle in 1888/1889, but it is not known if he ever used it, and he did not develop it further. This vehicle is now on display at the Vienna Technical Museum.

Marcus' vehicles were experimental and regarded by some journalists as "impractical". They had no influence on the development of cars. However, Marcus is recognised for developing the ignition magneto used in spark-ignition engines. He also held numerous patents in several countries, including those for an electric lamp and an igniter for explosives.

Marcus' first vehicle was built on a simple handcart. It had to be started by lifting the drive wheels off the ground and spinning them. The internal combustion engine was designed for liquid combustibles, and Marcus was the first to propel a vehicle using petrol. Dissatisfied with this cart, he dismantled it. However, his first vehicle model was displayed at the Vienna Exhibition in 1873.

Marcus' second vehicle, built circa 1875, is believed to be the first vehicle powered by a four-cycle engine and the first to use gasoline as fuel. It featured the first carburettor for a gasoline engine and the first magneto ignition. This vehicle was operable and made a conspicuous appearance on the streets of Vienna during its demonstration run.

Marcus' work on self-propelled vehicles was intended to bring passengers to the rapidly developing railway nets. At the time, Austrian parts of what is now Poland had begun to produce oil. Refining this oil yielded kerosene, lubricating oil, and gasoline as a byproduct. Marcus began experimenting with gasoline and discovered that it could only be used as motor fuel in finely dispersed form when aspirated by the engine.

Marcus started working on the forerunner of the carburettor in 1864 and was granted his first Austrian patent for "an apparatus for the carbonization of atmospheric air" in 1886. This patent is proof of his use of gasoline as engine fuel, making him the originator of the first gasoline-fuelled road vehicle.

Austrian Nazis conspiring to seize the Austrian government

In 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired with Germany to seize the Austrian government by force and unite the nation with Germany. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg learned of the conspiracy and met with German Chancellor Adolf Hitler to try to resolve the crisis peacefully. However, Hitler was not willing to negotiate and bullied Schuschnigg during the meeting. As a result of the meeting, several top Austrian Nazis were forced into the Austrian cabinet against the government's will.

On March 11, Schuschnigg resigned. The very next day, German troops invaded Austria, an event known as the "Anschluss," which means "union" or "joining" in German. The invasion was justified by Hitler as a necessary action to protect the "German-speaking" people of Austria. The German troops were met by enthusiastic crowds, and Austria became a province of greater Germany.

The Anschluss was the first act of territorial aggression by Nazi Germany and was widely popular in both Germany and Austria. It was not an impulsive act by Hitler but rather a planned and calculated move. The unification of Germany and Austria had been a goal of Hitler and the Nazi Party since the early 1920s. The annexation violated the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of the two countries.

The Austrian Nazis had attempted to seize power in the past as well. In July 1934, a pro-Nazi group tried to overthrow the Austrian government with Hitler's approval and assistance from German officials. While they succeeded in assassinating Austria's chancellor, the coup ultimately failed due to a lack of support from the Austrian military.

German-made Opel P4s

The German-made Opel P4 was an automobile produced by Adam Opel AG between September 1935 and December 1937. The P4 was a successor to the Opel 1.2 Liter, with a few external modifications. The P4 was priced at 1650 Reichsmark (RM) and was considered affordable for a large portion of the population. The car offered space for four people but had no trunk. It was powered by a 1.1-liter engine that produced 23 PS (17 kW) and could reach a top speed of 85 km/h. The P4 was one of the first "`Volkswagen"` and was extremely popular, with 65,864 units produced during its production run.

The P4's engine was water-cooled and had a displacement of 1.1 liters. It was a four-cylinder engine with a bore of 67.5 mm and a stroke of 75 mm. The power output was 23 horsepower (17 kW) at 3400 rpm. The car had a three-speed manual transmission, with the gear lever positioned directly on the gearbox. The P4's fuel consumption was 8-10 liters per 100 km, using gasoline with a low octane rating of 72.

The P4's body was made of wood and steel and was a two-door design. The door windows could be lowered using a hand crank, while the front and rear windshields were made of single-piece safety glass. The P4 was initially offered in two colors: gray and dark blue, both with black fenders. The standard and special editions of the P4 featured a plastic insert in the middle of the roof, while the convertible version had a foldable top made of light gray canvas with a rear window made of glass.

The dashboard of the P4 featured two large, greenish-illuminated round instruments, including a speedometer, odometer, fuel gauge, and oil pressure gauge. The P4 also had switches for the lighting, windshield wipers, and turn signals. The front seats had adjustable backrests, and the car included interior lighting, a rearview mirror, a glove compartment, and door pockets.

The electrical system of the P4 was powered by a 6-volt generator, and the battery was located under the driver's seat. The starter was operated by a foot pedal, and the dimmer switch was also located in the left footwell. The P4 had two taillights that incorporated the brake lights, and additional "cat's eyes" were added later as required by law, along with a blue indicator light for the high beams.

The P4 had a U-shaped ladder frame chassis, with solid axles front and rear, suspended by leaf springs and damped by hydraulic shock absorbers. The four drum brakes were operated by cables, both for the foot brake and the handbrake. The wheels were made of steel and measured 4.25 x 17 inches, and the tires were 4.25 x 17 inches.

The success of the Opel P4, along with other models, made Opel the top-selling car brand in Germany in the 1930s, with a market share of up to 43.5%. In 1935, Opel became the first German car manufacturer to produce over 100,000 vehicles annually.

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