Blasi, Walter Der Steyr 680 des Österreichischen Bundesheeres

Following his successful books on the Steyr-Puch Haflinger and the Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer, Walter Blasi has published a new book dedicated to the Steyr 680. This lorry has been the backbone of passenger and material transport in the Austrian army since the end of the 1960s. Its main purpose was to transport supplies and personnel. It offered space for one driver and 19 passengers. Unlike the Haflinger and Pinzgauer, the army versions of the Steyr 680 were not created on the drawing board, but were based on various civilian variants from which the military lorry was developed for the needs of the Austrian armed forces. The new military series was intended to replace the existing underpowered Steyr 580 g. There were essentially two versions of the 680, a two-axle and a three-axle version. Initially, only a two-axle version was trialled, and in comparison with the American three-axle GMC it became clear that there also had to be a three-axle version of the Steyr truck. In the course of its service - or to be more precise, it had almost 40 years to do so - the 680 was to establish itself alongside the Haflinger and the Pinzgauer as probably Austria's best-known military vehicle, with which everyone in the army - whether active or reserve, officer, non-commissioned officer, batch or conscript - had to make its acquaintance.