Puch Haflinger History

Development of the Haflinger (named for the Haflinger horse breed) began in 1956 under engineer Erich Ledwinka — son of the Tatra legend Hans Ledwinka — responding to the Austrian Army's need for a compact, modern jeep replacement. Prototypes appeared in 1957; series production started in 1959 under the factory designation Type 700 AP. The design was remarkably advanced for its era: a rear-mounted 643 cc air-cooled flat-twin driving through a selectable 4×4 system with portal axles and independent suspension on all four corners, giving it extreme articulation and a ground clearance that belied its tiny dimensions.

Weighing approximately 635 kg, the Haflinger could nonetheless carry 515 kg of payload — a near 1:1 ratio — and was small enough that four people could lift it bodily, a feature prized by military operators. By the time production ended in 1974, 16,647 had been built and sold in 36 countries, serving armies (Austria, Switzerland, Australia, the Royal Navy), fire brigades, and mountain rescue teams. The Haflinger's portal-axle, flat-twin 4WD formula was scaled up directly into the larger Pinzgauer and laid the technical groundwork for the eventual G-Class contract with Mercedes-Benz.