Puch works

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Puch-Werke AG & Co KG

logo
legal form AG & Co KG
founding 1899
resolution 1928
Reason for dissolution Merger with the Austrian Daimler-Motoren AG to form Austro-Daimler-Puchwerke AG
Seat Graz , Austria
management Johann Puch (until 1912)
Number of employees 1100 (1914)
Branch Bicycle manufacturers , automobile manufacturers , engine manufacturers
Website www.puch.at

Portrait of Johann Puch (Janez Puh) on his grave in Graz
The Puch high-rise at the entrance to the (former) Puch plant in Graz-Thondorf . The Puch emblem still on the roof (2008) - was dismantled in 2010, since November 2013 it has been at the Johann Puch Museum Graz .

The Puch-Werke , founded in 1899 by Johann Puch , were an Austrian company that produced bicycles , motorcycles , internal combustion engines , motorcycles and automobiles .

Company history

He had Johann Puch's first workshop of his own at Stübersgasse 18 (a), Graz . At that time, dividing today's Volksgarten, the property stretched far to the north to the Mühlgang, which at that time flowed around 50 m further north than it is today on the south side of today's Mühlgasse. Here near the Mühlgang, where today there is a hard sports field, Puch used an existing glass house as a workshop. In the absence of official approval, he moved the bicycle repairs to a workshop in Arche Noe 12. Further stations were factory rooms in Karlauerstrasse and the Köstenbaum mill in Baumstrasse (today: Köstenbaumgasse). After differences with his partners, he left the company in 1897 and re-established himself in Laubgasse.

This Laubgasse became Puchstrasse in 1949 together with Fuhrhofgasse and Gottliebgasse. It was on this ground that Puch built “Werk Eins”, which is now called “Einser Werk”. In addition to bicycles, small engines were built there from 1901, including the voiturette from 1900 (passenger cars) and then the first small series of Puch automobiles.

At this place there is still a listed hall, Hall P - presumably for: "Production", in which the Johann Puch Museum Graz has been housed since 2012 . In the 20th century, this area on the southern edge of Graz became the Puntigam district . A low, partly wooden factory sports hall west of today's Puchstrasse roundabout was only demolished after 1999.

In 1912 Johann Puch left his company and became its honorary president. In 1914 the plant employed 1,100 workers and produced 16,000 bicycles (see: " Waffenrad ") and 300 motorcycles and automobiles each year. After Puch's death after attending a horse race in Agram on July 19, 1914, the company was able to hold its own for some time before it merged with the Austrian Daimler-Motoren AG in 1928 . But the resulting Austro-Daimler-Puchwerke AG only lasted until 1934.

In 1949 the Puch-Steg was built especially for the access of workers living east of the Mur to the plant near the right bank of the Mur. The supporting structure and the 2 pillars are made of riveted steel, the surface of the path and railings are planked with wood, an ice protection above the water side of the pillars is also made of wood. The wooden parts of the listed footbridge were renewed around 2000 while preserving its appearance, the steel construction was sandblasted and coated again in green. For the Mur power plant in Graz-Puntigam and the central storage channel for wastewater - both structures were started in 2017 - the footbridge has to be raised so that the required underpassability for fire-fighting boats is maintained when the power plant accumulation raises the water level here. It should therefore be moved about a hundred meters to the north in line with Sturzgasse.

  • Advertisement for Puch from 1905

  • The Puch Voiturette from 1906, the brand's first small-series automobile

  • Puch 250 R, built in 1935

  • Puch Styriette, motor bike, built in 1938

Further development of the plant

The conglomerate Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG

Another merger with Steyr-Werke AG led to Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG , which in addition to vehicles of all types (cars, trucks , buses , off-road vehicles, tractors , motorcycles, bicycles) also manufactured tools and weapons. In the 1990s, various production areas were shut down or given up, for example:

The rest of the group was taken over by Magna Holding AG in 1998 and, after restructuring, deals with drive technology, especially with all-wheel drives. A sponsorship award from Magna for diploma theses was named in memory of Johann Puch.

Like all companies of this type, the Puchwerk was also used for armaments production during World War II , but the capacities were soon no longer sufficient. That is why the so-called “two-man plant” was built a good 3 km south-east of the single plant in Thondorf near Graz. After the Second World War, bicycles, mopeds, motorcycles, passenger cars and off-road vehicles (Haflinger, Pinzgauer, Puch G) were developed and produced here. (Today: Graz district Liebenau, district Graz-Thondorf, Liebenauer Hauptstrasse 317.)

The work shaped this district; the “Puch high-rise”, built in 1953/1954, with 13 floors the first high-rise in Graz, has become a landmark and is now a listed building. In the three original halls of the plant, Magna Steyr began producing luxury vehicles for US and German corporations.

The influx of workers was the reason to build a church designed by the architect Robert Kramreiter . It is the church of St. Christoph or the parish church of Graz-Thondorf.

The “Einser-Werk” in Puchstrasse was shut down and converted into an industrial park, and a historic workshop was declared an industrial monument. The Johann-Puch-Museum Graz was built in the halls of a former general importer for Italian cars, which are located next to the former factory premises, as part of the cultural capital of Graz 2003. Since June 2012 the museum has been located in the listed Hall P, which Johann Puch had built himself.

In 1987, after almost 100 years, bicycle production in Graz was finally stopped. The technical competence at Steyr-Puch was always greater than the commercial, the trademark rights were sold to the Italian manufacturer Piaggio , which produced bicycles and mopeds with the brand logo "Puch" until about the turn of the millennium. In 1997, Piaggio passed on the rights for the bicycle sector (including Bianchi ) to the Swedish bicycle giant Cycleurope .

In 2011 the family company J. Faber GmbH took over responsibility for the Puch bicycle brand. The new Puch bikes continued to be produced by Cycleurope in France. From March 2012 nine new models, including five electric bikes , were offered under the name “Puch”.

  • The Steyr-Fiat logo stands for the cars produced in Steyr under a FIAT license. Hence the Italian body panels for the Steyr-Puch 500

  • The Puch crest on the G elände-car emphasizes the origin of the vehicle: Graz, Styria

  • A 2012 Puch sprint from Faber, which only has the brand name in common with Graz and the legends

Magna Steyr

If you follow the sign “Graz – Puchwerk” on the autobahn near Graz today , you will arrive at the east gate of the Magna Steyr plant . The subsidiary of Magna International has operations on the Steyr Daimler Puch site , but also in other places in Styria , for example in Albersdorf , where "S-Tec" continues to serve customers with all-wheel drive vehicles, mainly Pinzgauer and Puch G vehicles . This company was previously located in Graz, in "Hall P", which today houses the Johann Puch Museum Graz.

  • The A2-A2Z run to Magna Steyr is still linked to the name Puch

  • Magna-Steyr-Terrain (Graz-Thondorf): employee parking lot outside south in front of the factory premises. In the north the Puch high-rise

  • In front of the main entrance of the Thondorf plant, the "Johann-Puch-Platz" commemorates the company founder.

vehicles

Puch Clubman, women's bicycle, around 1975
Puch Olympian 12, men's bicycle, 1985; one of the last bicycles from production in Graz
Puch himself worked on this lathe. It can be viewed today in the Johann Puch Museum Graz.

Cycles

Johann Puch made a name for himself as a bicycle mechanic during his military service in Graz (artillery supplementary depot ). His first significant job after that was at the Luchscheider bicycle company in Graz. Some of the original workshop equipment from Puch was found in the Reinerhof and can be seen today in the Johann Puch Museum Graz.

Puch first went to the factory owner as a clerk for bicycle repairs. This also included a job at Graziosa Fahrradwerke Benedict Albl Comp. His beginnings as an independent entrepreneur lie in the assembly of bicycles, the sale and maintenance of customer vehicles.

Ultimately, Puch bikes became popular primarily through racing successes and intensive advertising campaigns. The weapon wheel is part of that story. However, it is based on a successful licensed product from Steyr-Werke , which took over a vehicle from Swift in Coventry in order to be able to utilize their facilities in peacetime. (So ​​the term “weapon wheel” refers to the peace product of an armory.) Puch also built the weapon wheel , but it is not his creation.

Motorcycles before 1945

  • Puch 250 R, built in 1935

  • Puch 250 R, built in 1935

  • Puch Styriette, motor bike, built in 1938

  • Puch N 500 with two-cylinder twin-piston engine ( Ibbenbüren motorcycle museum )

Motorcycles after 1945

  • Puch 250 TFS (1949)

  • Puch 150 TL (approx. 1953)

  • Puch 125 SV (1956)

  • Puch RL 125 scooter

  • Puch SR 150 scooter

  • Puch 250 SGS (1968)

Scooter

  • Puch small scooter DS 50/60
  • Puch small scooter R50 / 60

The development of the new vehicle took place in 1963/1964, the market appearance took place in 1965: "Elegant all day Puch R50" Compared to the previous model DS 50/60 there is now a free passage.

“ ... the vehicle should be very different from competing models. Dir. Rösche brought the designer Lepoix into play, with whom Puch also worked later. "

- Edler & Heigl
  • Puch Kleinroller Lido (A co-production with Suzuki )
  • Puch Roller (R / RL / RLA 125)
  • Puch Roller (SR / SRA 125/150): The SRA differed from the SR by an electric starter. Full swing chassis; below-average performance (6.3 HP in the 150 version)
  • Puch 150 A ( Allstate ): The export model Puch 150 A was created for Sears and sold under the Allstate brand. This special case in Puch production is based on the frame of a Puch 125 TT with the rigid rear in which the fan-cooled scooter motor was mounted.

  • Puch DS 50 in the Johann Puch Museum Graz , 2004

  • Some Puch Roller SR 150 at the 60th anniversary in Graz

  • A hybrid motorcycle and scooter: Puch 150A Allstate

Mopeds and mopeds

  • Puch Styriette (1938)
The 1938 “Styriette” from Puch in front of a current pedelec with the same name

Under development, bicycles with an auxiliary motor stand between motorcycles and mopeds . Puch filled this gap with the “Styriette”. It was presented as a “motor bike” and was available in a women's and men's version. The 60.3 cm³ engine developed 1 kW (1.3 HP), which later became “moped dimensions” in Graz. A copy from 1938 is preserved in the Johann Puch Museum Graz.

Mopeds are not determined by their design, but were defined by the road traffic regulations after the Second World War (no driving license required, no taxes, inexpensive insurance and limited maximum speed).

  • Puch mopeds: Maxi , Condor, Sport, MS 50 , VS 50, MV 50, MV 50 S, X 30 , X 50, Puch Pionier
  • Puch mopeds: Monza, M 50 , Ranger , Cobra 50 and 80. The Cobra was originally only planned as a 50, but was launched in the early 1980s as part of the reorganization of the driver's license and moped insurance.

  • Puch MV 50 S.

  • Puch MC 50 original version

  • The Puch MC 50, was a preferred base for a chopper to build

  • Puch Ranger

  • Puch Maxi - a moped introduced in 1969 that was built by the Puch works as the successor to the old Puch MV 50 , also known colloquially as the Black Pig . An important feature of the Maxis is that it has the first centrifugal clutch produced by Puch (automatic). In 1985 the Supermaxi with KAT was presented, the first moped in the world with emission control. During this time, other very successful models were built, e.g. B. the Puch Velux x30, Puch Condor, Puch Sport, Puch Tigra, the famous Puch Monza (four and six-speed transmissions) and Puch Cobra.

Car (1957–1975)

Small car Puch 500
Puch 700
Type Construction period cylinder Displacement power
500 1957-1959 2 boxers 493 cc 16 hp (11.8 kW)
500 D 1959-1962 2 boxers 493 cc 16 hp (11.8 kW)
500 DL 1959-1962 2 boxers 493 cc 19.8 PS (14.5 kW)
700 C (station wagon) 1961-1969 2 boxers 650 cc 25 hp (18.4 kW)
700 E (station wagon) 1961-1969 2 boxers 650 cc 19.8 PS (14.5 kW)
650 TR 1962-1964 2 boxers 660 cc 27 PS (19.9 kW)
650 T 1962-1969 2 boxers 650 cc 19.8 PS (14.5 kW)
650 TR II 1965-1969 2 boxers 650 cc 42 hp (30.9 kW)
500 p 1969-1974 2 boxers 650 cc 19.8 PS (14.5 kW)
126 1974-1975 2 boxers 650 cc 19.8 PS (14.5 kW)

Sports

Motorsport

literature

  • Friedrich F. Ehn: The great Puch book. Puch two-wheeler production from 1890–1987. 8th edition. Weishaupt, Gnas 2013, ISBN 978-3-900310-49-3 .
  • Friedrich F. Ehn: Puch automobiles (1900–1990) . 3. Edition. Weishaupt, Gnas 2007, ISBN 978-3-7059-0256-5 .
  • Hilde Harrer: Grazer Fahrradvereine 1882–1900 (updated, partly abridged diploma thesis from 1992) Historical Provincial Commission for Styria, Graz 1998, ISBN 3-901251-12-X .
  • Karl A. Kubinzky, Astrid M. Wentner: Grazer street names. Origin and meaning. Leykam, Graz 1996, ISBN 3-7011-7336-2 .
  • Frank Rönicke : Puch. Motorcycles 1900–1987. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2009, ISBN 978-3-613-03102-9 .
  • Hans Seper : 100 years of Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG 1864–1964 . 3. Edition. Weishaupt, Gnas 2009, ISBN 978-3-7059-0290-9 (preprint from: Blätter für Technikgeschichte . Issue 26).
  • Wolfgang J. Verwüster: Puch. Mopeds, scooters & mopeds. Weishaupt, Gnas 2007, ISBN 978-3-7059-0254-1 .
  • Walter Ulreich, Wolfgang Wehap: The history of the PUCH bicycles , Weishaupt, 2016, ISBN 978-3-7059-0381-4 .
  • Hannes Denzel: Puch motorcycles 1900–1940 preserved and revived, Verlag Brüder Hollinek, 2016, ISBN 978-3-85119-364-0 .

Web links

Reference to the Puch Museum in Puchstraße in Graz (2008) - removed in 2009
Commons : Puch Vehicles  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hans Andrej: The brand got off the roof , on: KleineZeitung.at , print edition of 23 September 2010, p. 28.
  2. ↑ The spatial conditions can be clearly seen in the festival book of the meeting of the Association of German Cyclists in Graz on the map of Graz pasted into the U3. 2nd-7th August 1895, viewed by Walter Bradler January 1, 2018. - It was only around or after 1895 that the Volksgarten was created as a continuous park, with the Mühlgang going from a little below the Marienmühle (today: Rondo) and until it flows under Volksgartenstraße to a shorter, in the Relocated a rather straight route.
  3. ^ Karl A. Kubinzky, Astrid M. Wentner: Grazer street names. Origin and meaning. Leykam, Graz 1996, ISBN 3-7011-7336-2 .
  4. ↑ 4th water and canal run Friday, March 28, 2008 - water attractions wasserwirtschaft.steiermark.at, March 2008, accessed December 22, 2017 - p. 2, point 16.
  5. ↑ Magna: Johann Puch Automotive Awards | Career at Magna Steyr | Vehicle development and contract manufacturing | Competencies. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on June 22, 2017 ; accessed on January 19, 2018 .
  6. ↑ Liebenau aktuell, June 24, 2008, p. 7.
  7. ↑ http://st-christoph.graz-seckau.at/ (accessed on April 13, 2013)
  8. ↑ Bicycles from Styria. In: graz.radln.net. ARGUS Steiermark, accessed on May 5, 2012 .
  9. ↑ Marcello Berni: The traditional Italian bicycle manufacturer concentrates on the construction of noble racing machines - Bianchi wants to grow even without Ullrich . In: Handelsblatt . November 28, 2003, ISSN  0017-7296 ( online [accessed May 5, 2012]).
  10. ↑ Legends reissued - The return of the Puch bicycle . In: The Standard . February 12, 2012 ( [1] online [accessed May 5, 2012]).
  11. ↑ Volker Edler, Gernot Heigl: The Puch roller makes history. Graz 2012, ISBN 978-3-200-02603-2 , SA. 155.
  12. ↑ Volker Edler, Gernot Heigl: The Puch roller makes history. Graz 2012, ISBN 978-3-200-02603-2 , SA. 149.
  13. ↑ Puch SR 150 / SRA 150 (Austria) . In: Motor vehicle technology , issue 9/1960, p. 367.
  14. ↑ Puch Cobra . Retrieved August 1, 2016.