Vehicle identity requests

[kerryboo]

Bill,

Many thanks, great tenacity and detective work, thanks also to your friend on the other forum,

Best regards,

Kerry.

[AlifRafikKhan]

Hi:

It is a 1941 Ford from Canada. Most probably one of these station wagons.
Bill

Thank you Bill...

[Maxschnauzer]

Kerry:

Regarding yours of the 29th November, I finally got a reply from one of my automotive mates on another site.

He thinks it might be an AGA, a German marque made in the late teens through the early 1920's.
Here is the example photo he sent.

Bill

Fantastic job, Bill! I had given up on that one.

[Alanmccoubrey]

Hi, what kind of car with the nose visible in this picture? Is it Rommel's famous Steyr 1500?

Source: http://thirdreichcolorpictures.blogspot ... annes.html

What famous Steyr 1500 ?

[Bill Murray]

Hi Alan:
"Rommel's Rides" are not really my cup of tea, but here is a photo of a model of such
From what I have seen in books and on the net, his normal mount was a Horch, either the normal Kubel or the Kommandeurwagen variant.

Bill

[Alanmccoubrey]

Thanks Bill, I've never seen Rommel in anything other than his Horch or that Italian sedan that they gifted him with Italian number plates and German command pennants. From what I've now seen on the net when looking for this vehicle I believe that the model is based upon a museum exhibit makes me wonder if it ever actually existed.

[Bill Murray]

Hi Alan:

You make a very interesting point. While I know the Steyr 1500 was used in Africa, a concerted Google search using several different criteria failed to turn up anything more than the mentioned museum vehicle and the models based on it as far as Rommel is concerned.

I'll keep it in my "continuing investigation file" for a while and see if I can come up with anything.

Bill

[Bill Murray]

It is always interesting how one posting can lead to another.

I was looking for more information on the Skoda dampfschlepper that Alan correctly identified in the unarmored vehicle quiz thread and came up with the below photo.

It is said to be taken at the Skoda works and shows some license built small tracked artillery vehicles but what I am questioning is does anyone in the group recognize the very odd truck in the far right background. It almost looks like one of those German trailers with a front cabin but it seems to have a different axle location.

Any ideas?

Bill

[spannermann]

Hi

Ref Steyr in Africa,

They certainly were there in some numbers, after all why not, they were a standard issue vehicle to most units from 1941 onwards, I also have never seen Rommel in a Steyr ,but there is Kfz 21 cabroliet in England that was the vehicle of General v Armin, who I believe was the last commander of the German Army in Africa (Tunisia).

Note the photo of the model shown is not very accurate, the windscreen is not square but curved and cannot be folded forward, also the figures are far to big for the cabroliet, they would be the equivalent of 2,5 metres tall if were real.

cheers leonard paul


http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd4 ... KA1943.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd4 ... 7stay1.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd4 ... er_I29.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd4 ... _weihe.jpg

[spannermann]

Hi,

Another of Steyr in Africa, I believe that some of these photos are related, in that they show a unit that had a Scorpion badge on the engine bonnet, anybody know anymore. ? maybe the ones with the twin MG on board ?

cheers leonard paul

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd4 ... ay1001.jpg

[Alanmccoubrey]

Leonard's first Steyr and Spannerman's too belong to KG Dora , this is the unit which armed one of their Steyr with the gun mount from one of their SdKfz 222. I can't say anything about Leonard's second as it is too small for me to see, the other two are also in Tunisia.

[kerryboo]

I am a little confused. The original question concerned a Kfz21 Kommandeurwagen, but the subsequent photos all appear to be of much more common Steyr 1500 A variants. Is it the type generally or the much rarer Command variant under discussion?
Thanks for any clarification,
Kerry.

[Bill Murray]

Hi Kerry:

My apologies as I probably added to the confusion. The "Old Age Thing" as you and I have discussed on and off the Forum.

Yes, the original query was about a Steyr Kommandeurwagen that was used by Rommel in North Africa.
As we have seen, a vehicle said to be a replica is on display in a museum and a few plastic models have been released
which describe the model as representing a Steyr Kommandeurwagen used by Rommel.

Having now looked at several hundred photos of Steyr 1500A vehicles in various configurations on the net and in books, I have yet
to find one photo of Rommel in a Kommandeurwagen. A few of Von Armin, none of Rommel.

So, I guess the question is did Rommel ever actually use a Steyr Kommandeurwagen and I cannot answer the question.

Bill

[kerryboo]

Thanks Bill.
I am in the same fix, I have yet to see a photo of Rommel in such a vehicle. He very much seemed to prefer the Horch equivalent Kfz21.
Regards,
Kerry.

[kerryboo]

Here is Rommel, in natty shorts, beside "his" Horch,
Kerry.