Steyr Daimler Puch · 1936–1940
Steyr 50
The Steyr 50 is a small car released in 1936 by the Austrian automobile manufacturer Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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Design
The streamlined body was approved by Director Karl Jenschke to be constructed in 1935, however, in November of that same year Jenschke was employed as chief designer by the German Adler manufacturer in Frankfurt/Main. It was officially presented to the public at the 1936 Berlin Motor Show. The car had a water-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine with thermosiphon cooling, driving the rear wheels through a four-speed transmission. To save room and weight, a dynastarter was used, which doubled as the axle of the radiator fan. It was regarded as the "Austrian Volkswagen" and was affectionately referred to as Steyr "Baby". The Volkswagen constructor Ferdinand Porsche had, despite rumors, not been involved in the design or production of the 50, nor was Hans Ledwinka, who had designed the Tatra V570. The little Steyr offered better seating and luggage space than Porsche's Volkswagen with shorter overall length, a large sheet metal sliding roof, and hydraulic brakes (instead of the early Volkswagens' cable-operated ones). In early 1938, the car was revised. It got a more powerful engine and a longer wheelbase. The new model was called the Steyr 55 and went on sale until production ceased in 1940. A total of 13,000 "Steyr-Babys" were sold. Other Steyr models included the Steyr 100 and Steyr 120, both equipped with straight-4 engines, as well as the flagship Steyr 220 with a 2.2 litre straight-6 producing 55 hp (41 kW; 56 PS). All these models were produced as cabriolets as well. The production of Steyr cars was discontinued during World War II, after bombing of the facilities in Steyr. After the war, the factory was rebuilt and from 1953 specialized in the Austrian versions of the Fiat 1400 and 1900 models (Steyr 2000). Starting in 1957, the company also produced the Puch 500,
Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.
Specifications
- name
- Steyr 50, 55
- Manufacturer
- Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG
- aka
- "Steyr-Baby"
- Assembly
- Steyr
- Class
- Subcompact, economy car
- Body style
- 2-door sedan
- Production
- 1936–1940: 13,000 built
- Layout
- Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
- Engine
- Flat-four engine 16,2 kW (22 hp)
- Transmission
- 4-speed manual
- Wheelbase
- 2250 mm
- Length
- 3610 -
- Width
- 1520 -
- Kerb weight
- 750 -
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q876548CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steyr_50CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1233786749 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1936Steyr50Baby.jpgCC BY 2.0 · Photo: dave_7 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.