Manufacturer Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG Class Small family car | Assembly Steyr, Austria | |
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Production 1934–1936 (100): 2,850 built
1936–1940 (200): 5,040 built Body style 4-door sedan
2-door convertible Layout Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive | ||
The Steyr 100 and 200 were a series of medium-sized cars built by the Austrian manufacturer Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG from 1934 to 1940. The four-door streamlined body designed by engineer Karl Jenschke was manufactured in Steyr, a 1933 prototype was assembled by Gläser-Karosserie GmbH in Dresden, Germany.
Design
The cars had a 4-cylinder straight engine and a 4-speed manual gearbox driving the rear wheels on a leaf spring suspension, reaching a maximum speed of about 100 km/h (62 mph). Though not high-powered they could easily climb the Austrian Alpine mountain passes, demonstrated by the Salzburg governor Franz Rehrl, when on 22 September 1934 he and engineer Franz Wallack travelled the Grossglockner High Alpine Road driving a Steyr 100, about one year before the official opening. In 1935-36 the Austrian travel writer Max Reisch crossed Farther India (Burma, Thailand, and Laos) in a Steyr 100 and continued his journey through the United States.
After 2850 vehicles built in 1936, the design underwent improvements, creating the more powerful Steyr 200. One technical novelty for the 200 model was the starter motor, which also doubled as an alternator. 5040 vehicles were produced until 1940.