Austro-Daimler was an automaker company that operated in Austria-Hungary from 1899 until 1934. The company was known for producing high-quality luxury cars and racing cars, and its products were popular with royalty and other wealthy clients. Austro-Daimler was initially a subsidiary of the German Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) until 1909, at which point it became an independent company.
History
In 1890, Eduard Bierenz was appointed as a retailer of Daimler engines in Austria, and the company was so successful that it eventually began manufacturing automobiles after uniting with Eduard Fischer's engineering factory. The new company was located in Wiener-Neustadt, Austria, and was named the Austrian Daimler Engine Society when it was founded on August 11, 1899. The company's first automobile was built in 1900 and featured 2 cylinders, 4 horsepower (3.0 kW), and 4 seats. Austro-Daimler soon began producing engines not just for automobiles, but also for luxury cars, trucks, buses, maritime ships, and trains. With its success, Austro-Daimler became the first multinational automotive company in history, with the assembly parts coming from Stuttgart. The company continued to operate until it merged with Steyr to form Steyr-Daimler-Puch in 1934.
