Blasi, Walter Der Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer des Österreichischen Bundesheeres. Der große Bruder des Haflingers

Following his book on the Steyr-Puch Haflinger, Walter Blasi now presents a richly illustrated documentation on its big brother, the Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer of the Austrian Armed Forces. If the Haflinger has already become a cult vehicle, its successor has secured a cult status all the more. The Pinzgauer can safely be called the best off-road vehicle in the world.

It is no coincidence that this top product of Austrian engineering also enjoyed great popularity internationally. The demand from numerous interested parties, but also from the military in various countries, for a larger off-road vehicle with a higher payload and performance prompted the Graz-based company to start series development of this project in 1964. Preliminary designs had already been made in 1962, and the first prototypes were tested at the end of 1965. Essentially, a distinction was made between two versions: a 4×4 and a 6×6 version, which were adapted for the various tasks. For many years, a petrol engine was used, which was later replaced by a diesel engine. The Pinzgauer supplied both the Austrian Federal Army and the Swiss Army with several thousand units. After almost 30 years of production and 24000 vehicles built, production was stopped in Graz in 2000.