1913 Austro-Daimler 14/32hp Tourer

1913 Austro-Daimler 14/32hp Tourer

Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft had been in business for nine years when it licensed production in Austria to Eduard Fischer's engineering company, Bierenz Fischer. Paul Daimler, son of the German company's founder, Gottleib Daimler, became technical director of Austro-Daimler in 1901 and was succeeded by Ferdinand Porsche in 1905. The Austrian company became financially independent of its German parent soon after and from then onwards it products began to take on a character all of their own. One of the first in-house Austro-Daimler designs was inspired by Austrian businessman Emile Jellinek, who had commissioned the first Mercedes model from the German Daimler company in 1900. This was the Maja named, like the Mercedes, after one of Jellinek's daughters. Powered by a 4.5-litre, four-cylinder, 'T-head' sidevalve engine, the Maja was marketed as an Austro-Daimler from 1909 and continued in production until 1914. Its success in the 1909 Prince Henry Trial prompted Ferdinand Porsche to design a more competition-orientated model for the next year's event. A four-cylinder like the Maja, this was nevertheless a much more adventurous design, boasting a single overhead camshaft operating inclined valves and producing 95bhp from 5.7 litres, making it the most powerful Austro-Daimler though by no means the largest. Clad in aerodynamic coachwork designed by Ernst Neumann-Neander, five were entered in the 1910 Prince Henry Trial finishing 1st, 2nd and 3rd while the remaining two came home in the top ten. Porsche had demonstrated convincingly that a relatively small yet efficient engine with a high specific power output could defeat larger and (inevitably) heavier designs: the sports car had arrived. This lesson was put to good use in the following 2.2-litre 9/30hp and 3.5-litre 14/32hp models, which dominated the Alpine Trial in 1911 and 1912.

This example of the Austro-Daimler 14/32hp was purchased in Prague in the Czech Republic as a body-less 'barn find' and restored to a high standard over an 18-month period by the enthusiast vendor, an experienced mechanic. The body is a copy of one on a 1912 Austrian Army car and is constructed in traditional aluminium over ash frame manufactured by Gartrac Ltd, of Chiddingfold and the vendor. Other specialists recruited to assist with the project include Family Repair Service, of Andover, Hampshire (interior trim), CPA Services of Grantham, Lincolnshire (radiator rebuild) and Richard Bros Wire Wheels, of Cardiff. We are advised that in excess of £70,000 has been spent on the restoration.

Descriptions & pictures by bonhams & flickr & wikimedia & en.wheelsage