List of Austrian cars

Austria has a history of being a pioneer in the automotive industry. The country was once home to leading auto manufacturers and design legends. However, corporate dissolution has left the country with no marque automotive brands to call their own.

Perhaps the most innovative and popular of the Austrian car brands was Austro-Daimler. With leading designers, like Ferdinand Porche, Austro-Daimler produced beautiful sleek cars in a variety of shapes and sizes. The ADR 8 Pullman was a popular family car due to its comfort and size. On the other hand, the 1923 ADM was a smaller sportier model with beautiful lines. The most famous of all their models was definitely the Prinz Heinrich. It featured an industry leading dual overhead cam engine and the styling was impeccable.

The other major Austrian car brand was Steyr. Perhaps the most famous Steyr of all-time was the 220. It had a large cabin able to seat 7 comfortably and a powerful cutting edge engine behind the polished grill. The long and powerful 220 model was a fine example of automotive craftsmanship.

Steyr merged with Austro-Daimler in 1934 to form Steyr-Daimler-Puch. With the advent of WWII, Steyr-Daimler-Puch transitioned its focus from consumer cars to military vehicles. This was a time of great technological innovation and Steyr-Daimler-Puch was ahead of the pack. They were famous for their production of 4X4 all-terrain vehicles. The 6X6 Pinzgauer was developed and widely sold to the Austrian military. They also produced arguably the best 4X4 all-terrain vehicle of all-time, the Haflinger. This 2-cylinder little workhorse could conquer almost any terrain. Steyr-Daimler-Puch was once a leader in the off-road market, creating innovative all-terrain vehicles. However, its role as a production hub for other car manufacturers continued to grow, thus eliminating its own unique car brand.

In the early 21st century Steyr-Daimler-Puch started selling off its various production lines to other companies and fully dissolved. This has left Austria without a major car manufacturer and no brand to call its own. At least Austrians have a rich automotive history to look back on.