Porsche 597
| Porsche | |
|---|---|
 Porsche 597 hunting car
|
|
| 597 | |
| Production period: | 1953-1958 |
| Class : | Off-road vehicle |
| Body versions : | Kübelwagen |
| Engines: |
Petrol engines : 1.5-1.6 liters (37 kW) |
| Length: | 3700 mm |
| Width: | 1600 mm |
| Height: | 1430 mm |
| Wheelbase : | 2060 mm |
| Empty weight : | 990-1090 kg |
The Porsche 597 Jagdwagen is an off-road vehicle that Porsche designed in 1953 as part of a tender for the future German armed forces, and the first series vehicle with all-wheel drive produced by Porsche itself .
Development history
On January 19, 1953, the " Amt Blank ", Koblenz Office (later the Federal Office for Defense Technology and Procurement ), under the direction of State Secretary Theodor Blank , who later became Minister of Defense, asked the Association of the German Motor Vehicle Industry to determine which companies in the motor vehicle industry were interested in and in would be able to develop vehicle types and models and possibly manufacture them at a later point in time. As a result of this request, various projects for the development of motor vehicles started in the automotive industry. Public funds for these tasks were initially not available.
Among other things, there was a desire to use a light, all-terrain Kübelwagen for military purposes in the small class (0.25 tons) as a replacement for the motorcycles with sidecars used in World War II (→ Wehrmacht team ) . First applied the Auto Union in Ingolstadt to the project in this payload class, closely followed by the Bremen Borgward Corporation. The Stuttgart-based Porsche KG was added later as a third competitor.
The car was powered by an air-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine from the Porsche 356 built into the rear of the vehicle, initially by a modified version of the 1.5- liter and later the 1.6-liter engine. This engine had an output of 37 kW (50 hp ). With a vehicle weight of 990 kilograms, a top speed of 100 km / h was achieved. A 5-speed gearbox with switchable front-wheel drive provided power transmission. The vehicle had a wheelbase of 2,060 mm and a climbing ability of up to 65%. Front and rear wheels were individually suspended (front crank arm , rear swing axle ) and sprung with torsion bars.
For the first time, a prototype was presented to the specialist public on January 19, 1955 on the occasion of a demonstration of the future off-road wheeled vehicles in Bonn Hangelar and was able to demonstrate its capabilities to the off-road vehicle competitors DKW and Goliath. However, it was not particularly convincing.
In autumn 1955, only 2½ years after the first request from Koblenz, the off-road vehicle was presented to the British Army on the Rhine in Germany for testing . At that time, the electrical system was already designed for the future military standard voltage of 24 volts and the 50 hp 1.6-liter engine was installed. Five synchronized forward gears, one of which has a short cross-country gear, and reverse gear were shifted via a central gear lever. The rear axle was equipped with a fully automatic ZF - differential lock fitted. Around 5800 kilometers were covered. Robustness, simplicity and easy maintenance options were attested to the sample. The suspension, engine problems in the lower and medium speed range and an interior that was too small with few storage options were disappointing. The rear engine was rated extremely negative from the point of view of usable space and load capacity. The engine was regarded as inadequate for military use, as was the petrol tank (mine protection) housed in the front end. When reaching top speed, the steering properties were completely inadequate.
On the occasion of the state visit of President Juscelino Kubitschek in January 1956, a test vehicle was demonstrated on January 20, 1956 in the grounds (registration number W 22 - 8068) at the Mannesmann works in Oberhausen . The President had the opportunity to take a test drive in the new Porsche after having visited the DKW Munga at the Auto Union plant in Düsseldorf the day before.
The Porsche off-road vehicle took part in troop and test trials in Andernach from January 15, 1956. The manufacturer had made six vehicles available for the Bundeswehr teaching force. The testing revealed significant shortcomings. Among other things, there was a crack in the body, starter defects, broken axle shaft off-road, oil losses, windshield wiper defects and a break in the clutch cable. Other complaints were an engine that was significantly too loud, a windshield that was too small, rattling seats, inadequate entry and exit and the insufficient distance between the pedals. The carburetor equipment was optimized during the testing phase. The dimensions of the test samples were: length 3620 mm, width 1610 mm and height 1610 mm. With a turning circle of around ten meters and a ground clearance of 250 mm, handling was sufficient for the requirements.
| Engine data (from 1955) | |
|---|---|
| Displacement | 1582 cc |
| compression | 6.5: 1 |
| power | 37 kW / 50 PS at 4000 rpm |
| Max. Torque | 105 Nm at 2400 rpm |
| Carburetor | Zenith double downdraft off-road carburetor |
The self-supporting body of the car for yet smooth prototype was from Stuttgart body plant Reutter & Co. manufactured. The later version stabilized with beads came from Karmann . It was an open construction with a fabric hood. There were no doors, so passengers had to get in and out of the vehicle via the vehicle frame; only later versions had rigid doors. The body is floatable due to its design. The models from 1957 onwards have a more sloping front section.
The Porsche 597 Jagdwagen as well as the type 31 the competitor Goliath never ordered by the Bundeswehr for the large-scale production, as production costs were high for the Porsche and the work in the scheduled time not volume required would provide and do not ensure the supply of spare parts sufficient can. In the joint meeting of the Defense Committee and the Budget Committee in May 1956, it was decided to carry out further tests of the three makes. Orders were placed with Auto Union GmbH for 5,000 units and for 50 each with Porsche and Goliath.
Like the off-road vehicle from competitor Goliath, the type 597 was only procured for test trials, while Auto Union presented its model to foreign armed forces during the development phase and also offered export vehicles in neighboring countries. Auto Union GmbH was considerably more agile. The Bundeswehr received a total of 50 units of this type; consequently, 44 vehicles had to be delivered after the Andernach test.
A total of around 100 Porsche 597s were produced. In addition to the 50 Bundeswehr vehicles between 1955 and 1958, 49 vehicles (chassis numbers from 597-000101 ) were also manufactured for the civilian market. The last vehicle from the Bundeswehr's stocks was taken out of service in the summer of 1972 and sold on October 26, 1972.
The development costs for the vehicle amounted to around 1.8 million marks . In August 1959, Porsche was still thinking about producing a further developed 597 variant with a reinforced platform frame and an extended wheelbase of 2,400 mm in five different body styles. The project was not pursued further.
literature
- Off-road vehicle - Type 597 "Jagdwagen" (1954–1958) in The New Big Book of Porsche Types, 3 volumes. , Volume 2, ISBN 3-613-02438-1
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Archive Ullrich Märker, letter from Dept. V, Bonn and Koblenz January 19, 1953
- ↑ Archive Ullrich Märker
- ↑ http://www.porsche597jagdwagen.com/gallery/T02.swf
- ↑ http://www.porsche597jagdwagen.com/Brochure%20597%201955/index.html (technical data on p. 4)
- ^ Report on the demonstration in Bonn on January 19 and 20, 1955, archive material Ullrich Märker, Hattingen.
- ^ From the final report of the British Army of the Rhine , Ullrich Märker archive, Hattingen.
- ↑ Archive Ullrich Märker, Hattingen.
- ↑ a b c d e Ullrich Märker archive, Hattingen
- ↑ Joint Support: From "MUNGA" to "Wolf" Bonn, July 28th., 2004
