PUCH / AUSTRIA

 PUCH WERKE AG / GRAZ / AUSTRIA  ( 1890 - 1927 )

Johann Puch, a bicycle mechanic from Graz, Austria, founded a bicycle factory in 1890 and sold his bicycles under the name STYRIA.

In 1896, Puch entered into a partnership with the Dürkopp company in Bielefeld; however, the collaboration ended in 1897 when Johann Puch left the company he had founded. The company, now owned by Dürkopp, retained Johann Puch’s name in its corporate title for another 10 years.  

PUCH cars also successfully competed in numerous hill climbs and Alpine races.  

After World War I, JOHANN PUCH AG became part of AUSTRO-DAIMLER, where PUCH automobile production was temporarily discontinued in favor of two-wheeled vehicle production. Today, “STEYR-DAIMLER-PUCH AG” produces, among other models, the PUCH G off-road vehicle.

Size	c. 7.5 cm
Year	1913- 1919
Estimate

PUCH  Typ 14 /38 PS 1913 - 1923 ( photo collection Michael Schlenger )

A beautifully weathered enamel sign that serves as a joint advertisement for AUSTRO - DAIMLER and PUCH

1915 advertisement proudly showing the emblem twice

Only a few vehicles of PUCH have survived and I couldn't find a complete vehicle with the emblem shown above. But there was a drawing of the 1913 - 1919 emblem, which was made by the Swedish boy Gustaf Moeller back in the 1920s. Gustaf lived near the ferry port in Helsingborg / Sweden and drew the emblems of the waiting cars there. What a great hobby that still helps and delights us a hundred years later: 

After the end of World War I,and the end of the dual monarchy the double-headed eagle of Austria-Hungary could no longer be used. A new emblem was needed. This is what PUCH came up with:

Size	c. 5.5 cm x 6.5 cm
Year	1919- 1927
Estimate

PUCH Typ III Alpenwagen  14/38 PS   ( photo  Vorkriegsklassiker-Rundschau Blog )

A close-up of the photo above that clearly shows the emblem

Another period photo showing the emblem

Very early advertising sign, seen at a flea market in Austria in 2023

The PUCH automobile with v-shaped radiator must have been available at least until 1927, as evidenced by this advertisement from that year

Yes, before the enamel emblems, there was a pretty simple PUCH emblem. Can anyone see it?

In this enlarged view, it is clearly visible

As far as I know, the next automobile bearing the name PUCH wasn't produced again until after WW II. It was a licensed version of the FIAT 500, but with a different 2-cylinder boxer engine that was better suited for the mountains in Austria.

Here the front emblem, used from 1957 to 1959,

Here a fake radiator grill—because the car had an air-cooled rear engine

Size	30.5 cm x 14.5 cm
Year	1957- 1959
Estimate

The second version, which was installed in 1959, was also a fake version of a radiator air intake.

Size	54 cm x 13 cm
Year	1959 - 1976
Estimate

This part is made of solid aluminum; there are no open air intakes

As is almost always the case, there's a plastic badge at the end; this one was probably mounted on a tractor.

PUCH had already acquired AUSTRO-DAIMLER in 1912, and the company continued to manufacture vehicles under its own name until 1936.  For more information about AUSTRO - DAIMLER please click here.

When using a smartphone please use the button webview.