Steyr Austria (37/100 hp) History

In January 1929, Ferdinand Porsche joined Steyr from Mercedes-Benz. Within months he designed the 'Austria', a grand tourer powered by a 5.3-litre straight-eight engine with dual magneto ignition and twin spark plugs, producing 100 hp at 3,000 rpm — exceptional output for the period. Four-wheel Lockheed hydraulic servo brakes and independent rear suspension rounded out a technically ambitious package.

Porsche drove one of three completed cars to the Paris Motor Show in autumn 1929 himself, where the Austria drew considerable attention. But the timing was catastrophic: the Wall Street Crash coincided with the show, and Steyr's impending merger with Austro-Daimler and Puch meant the Austria competed directly with existing Austro-Daimler products. The project was cancelled; only three prototypes were ever built. Porsche departed shortly after, going on to found his own design consultancy.