1925 Austro-Daimler 167 ADV Dual Cowl Phaeton

Between 1906 and 1925, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche was chief engineer and director of Austro Daimler, which was located south of Vienna. He was responsible for the design of all of their fine automobiles including race cars and the 167 ADV Dual Cowl Phaeton seen here.

All of the Austro Daimlers of the Porsche era were known for their extreme mechanical efficiency and relatively high power. The engine in this spectacular automobile is an overhead cam, light alloy six which develops sixty horsepower. The car was in one Austrian family's ownership for the majority of its life and is now only with its third owner.

The Austro-Daimler Motor Company produced automobiles from 1899 through 1934. Their factory was located in Wiener-Neustadt, which is located south of Vienna, in lower Austria. Austro-Daimler was a branch of the Daimler Company until 1906 when it began producing vehicles on its own.

Gottlieb Daimler's son, Paul Daimler was the first designer employed by the Company. The legendary and well-known Ferdinand Porsche was his successor who stayed with the company until 1925. Porsche designed a 6900 cc side-valve that produced sixty horsepower and a 5714 cc four-cylinder OHC engine that produced 95 horsepower. These were used to power the Prinz Heinrich, 'Prince Henry', model that quickly grew in popularity. Porsche later created a 1.3-liter engine that was used in their racing vehicles.

During the 1930s the company produced the ADM which was powered by a variety of six-cylinder OHC engines. The final version was the ADM III which produced an impressive 110 horsepower.

An eight-cylinder engine was introduced in 1931 which powered their luxury vehicles.

The example shown is a 1925 Austro-Daimler 617 ADV 60HP Dual Cowl Phaeton. The chassis was completed in 1925 and the body was completed two years later. It was a wedding gift by Ella Leitner. Frau Leitner had the coachbuilders Lohnerwerk Wein finished the ADV as a phaeton with seating for ten. It was used to chauffeur guests of the Hotel Alpen Gasthof Unterer Eggl on their drives through the alpine countryside.

As was done with many vehicles at the time of World War II, the car was stored away for safekeeping. The wheels were removed which may account for its existence in modern times. Nazis were known for confiscating movable vehicles and using the metals for various purposes.

Many years later, Christopher Sylwan convinced Frau Leitner to depart with the vehicle and claimed it as his own. The wheels that had been removed were found being used as patio table umbrella stands. They were completely encased in concrete for extra weight to support them in their new task. The wheels were reclaimed and reinstated to the vehicle, after much care and attention to remove them from the concrete. The vehicle was moved to Sweden where Sylwan brought the vehicle back to workable condition.

The third owner purchased the car in 2004 and had it brought to the United States. It was displayed at the 2005 Porsche Parade in Hershey, Pennsylvania, an activity it was invited to due to its Ferdinand Porsche lineage.

It is a very rare find, being one of three known to exist in modern times. Many of the components are original. It is powered by a 4.4-liter overhead camshaft six-cylinder engine with an alloy block. The three-speed manual gearbox sends the sixty-horsepower to the rear wheels. The vehicle is suspended in place by the solid front axle with longitudinal leaf springs. The rear has a live axle with diagonal trailing arms and leaf springs. Stopping power is provided by the four-wheel mechanical drum brakes.

At the 2006 RM Auction in Monterey, CA the vehicle was expected to sell between $100,000 - $150,000. It was offered without reserve. The estimated value would seem low for something so rare and so original. Being one of Ferdinand's early accomplishments also makes it unique and desirable. At the auction, however, the interest was rather low with the winning bid of $49,500. It is hard to place a value on something so priceless; the new owner has purchased a treasure that is truly a wonderful work of historic art.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2006