I've never driven one, but i i rode along plenty of time during my military service in Austria. They're really fun. The 6x6 version is mostly used for military ambulances. I would say the biggest weakeness of the Pinzgauer is the heating. Horrible during the winter. Our drill sergeant always said: "there's two heating modes: cold and freezing cold" xD
Da kannst noch ein paar drauflegen. Zeigt´s ihm mal den Haflinger..^^
2 года назад+25
This Steyr/Puch designs are always exceptional. Just see the list of vehicles that used to come from that factory: Haflinger, Pinzgauer, Mercedes G-wagen, Fiat Panda 4x4, VW Golf Country, VW T3 Syncro (Vanagon Syncro for US). Any of those machines are now ABSOLUTE LEGENDS! (To answer your question, in Czechia - my part of Europe Unimog is somehow a rare sight but you see them, but Pinzgauer is more like a unicorn - you just believe they exist).
I can tell you, if you cant get to a place with a Pinzgauer, the only other way is by foot or horse. In my Austrian Army time we once drove straight into a mountain forest, no roads nothing, the only thing that stopped us was a treestump. Another time up a mountainroad in spring, snow reached up to the doors but with chains we crawled up there slow but steady until our sergeant recognized that we are not in the right place 😄
Oh man we had them in the Swiss Army. They were durable as hell and when the diffs were closed they could manage almost everything. 6x6 was a beast in the dirt. They lacked a bit on power and in winter it was a nightmare, heating was not really available.
The Pinz is less fun on asphalt roads though. An emergency braking manoeuvre can quickly lead to a somersault, and you shouldn't go too fast into a bend either. After all, this vehicle was explicitly designed for off-road use in the Alps.
One of the more famous vehicles from Steyr-Puch (now Magna-Steyr). I drove it during my military-service back in '81. I would not even try to walk where this thing can drive to. It's smaller brother is the Haflinger (Pinzgauer and Haflinger are horse breeds). Steyr also developed the G-Wagon, former sold as "Puch G", as well as all-wheel-drivetrains for different manufacturers (BMW, VW, Jeep, etc).
@@skijumper5595 'Pinzgauer' is used for more. It stands for the residents of 'Pinzgau', a part of Salzburg, Austria, Pinzgauer cheese, a mountain crest 'Pinzgauer Grasberge' etc. Yes, you're right with cow breed for Pinzgauer, but the intention of Steyr-Puch was to use the names of robust austrian workhorses. That's what Pinzgauer and Haflinger are.
Austrian here. During a marketing video shoot some years ago I had the joy to ride in one of these. A local beekeeper bought it to service his bees in the forests. His Pinzgauer was sold by the Austrian army and beside missing any army markings it was unchanged. So yes, you see them here, but they are not a common sight. But it is the perfect truck for the beekeeper. I think I can not post a video link here, but if you search "Ländle Honig" you might be able to find the Video here on youtube. You can see the Pinzgauer for some seconds in the video (1:50). Great vehicle!
Oh my... I drove the exact same model back in the 90's during my early years of military service (Swiss Army obviously). There's even a small chance that I drove this exact vehicle :D This one was repainted; original colour is dark olive. The vehicle antenna is missing, but the external support is still there. The driver cab is pretty much original, but the back interior was modified. There was holders and frames everywhere to lodge the radios, outdoor antenna and accessories. As for the different version, I know only the swiss-ized one. Apart from the 4x4 radio-transmission Pinz shown in the video, we had the standard 4x4 with hard top covering only the driver and tarpaulin over the rear. Once the tarpaulin and the rear seats removed, you had a decent sized flat bed. The standard 6x6 version had a full bodywork. I nearly crashed one driving downhill. This thing was heavy and understeering. There were 3 variant, a standard one, the ambulance and a radio relay. The back of the ambulance was a chunky box, higher and larger than the vehicle. The radio relay was my favourite, it looks awesome with its 3 antennas. The interior was so full of equipment that the radio operators couldn't move their legs without hurting their knees against some steel frames.
I am from Austria and live in the "Pinzgau" where the car got its name from. I have to say, i see Unimogs pretty regulary, although as "event cars" or camping cars, not for the street. Pinzgauer on the other hand you will only see them in a military setting. The Pinzgau ("the State of Salzburg is divided into 5 "Gaus". One of them is the "Pinzgau", a very mountaines region in Salzburg) is in the middle of the Austrian Alps, so good alpine trucks are a must here. BTW, i love the Unimog, but would take a Pinzgauer anytime - everytime. Greetings from Austria
@@Kraeuterbutter Der Name kommt tatsächlich von einer Rinderrasse. Der Vorgänger "Haflinger" war die Pferderasse. Aber, Ich hab das schlecht formuliert. Ich meinte das mehr als "Wir haben beide den gleichen Namen."
@@MichaelRagnarok verstehe.. ich hätte gedacht dass es eher die Pferderasse "Pinzgauer" (auch Noriker) genannt wäre.. vor allem weil der Pinzgauer (Das Fahrzeug) ja eher militärischer angelehnt war (als z.b. der Haflinger) und somit Pferd eher zu Militär passt als Kuh ;-) wie auch immer: beides geniale Fahrzeuge
@@Kraeuterbutter Ich wusste nicht dass man die Noriker auch Pinzgauer nennt. Das ändert die Sachlage. Würde mehr Sinn machen das Fahrzeug nach dem Pferd als nach der Kuh zu benennen...
Never thougt about it that way, but it's true xD I know someone who has a C303 and a C306 and a different Person I know has both 4x4 and 6x6 Pinzgauer's. Both very Cool and capable 6x6 or 4x4 Rigs.
Steyr Puch ! The Austrian specialist when it comes to all-wheel drive. Unfortunately so small after WW2 that only a few own models were produced. But large corporations such as Mercedes, VW, Fiat and many others had their 4WD models developed and partly built there. Today the company can be found under car suppliers. Before the war licensed buildings and own models.
This reminds me of when our cook brought warm food with the Pinzgauer after three rainy days in the high mountains. It was tripe, the best I have ever eaten btw. And because many others didn't like tripe, I think I was able to get seconds four times. ;)
Austrian here. You can buy these for pretty cheap at army auctions afaik. Also regarding the sound - when i was in my mandatory military service (8months back then) we drove in one of these for about 4hours on the highway to some practice (with tanks and jets and all that) we could hardly talk to each other inside because at 80km/h it´s incredibly loud. Pinzgauer come - just like unimog in VERY different shapes or forms, there are pickup versions, firefighters have these, some Hunters use them, you got like military ambulance etc. What stood out most was that most of them have a heating built in while parking. Was really nice in the cold times,
Thanks for sharing your experience with the Pinzgauer. I have a 76 710k out of the Swiss Army inventory. It is an amazing vehicle & I feel very fortunate to have this vintage & piece of history. Mine was very well maintained & the rear gas heater works. I've had it out in very cold sub freezing weather & never felt cold. Really appreciate hearing from people who used these amazing vehicles. Best wishes......
You said that you consider "the fuel capacity a little low". You realize that you could cross Austria (the Pinzgauer's homecountry) 2.3 times from North- to South or 1.2 times in the West to East direction with only one tank? What would they need a 40-50 Gallon tank for? Invading Russia?
The main thing is the Steyr-Puch sign at 8:20, all normal, really good off-road vehicles use this drivetrain (including the Unimog) Daimler just bought their way in. Steyr developed the drivetrain long before they did.
Correctly pronounced, Respect! The famous "Pinzgauer" is of a family of high-mobility all-terrain 4WD (4×4) and 6WD (6×6) military utility vehicles and was the successor of the smaller Haflinger. The vehicle was originally developed in the late 1960s and manufactured by Steyr-Daimler-Puch of Graz, Austria, and was named after the Pinzgauer, an Austrian breed of cattle. Pinzgau is also the name of a region in the mountains in my Homeland Salzburg, Austria. It was popular amongst military buyers, and was mostly used in the Austrian Army. In my time of conscription (1978/79), the Pinzgauer was used, among other things, as a transport vehicle in the mountains. It showed its efficiency above all during night operations. Cool shit. It was produced from 1971 to 2007.
It was actually named after the _horse_ breed "Pinzgauer" (a.k.a. Noriker, a.k.a. Süddeutsches Kaltblut). Just as the "Haflinger" (which is actually a Pony, so the naming is quite consistent *g*).
Living in Austria (and not far away from the actual Pinzgau the truck was named after), I often see them driving around, either as military trucks or as a work horse in the mountainous terrain. The Pinzgau is not as versatile as the Unimog, but it is better at being the offroad truck. It is lighter, and nimbler in heavy terrain.
To be more exact: Pinzgauer originally is a type of workhorse, bred for mountainous terrain. The predecessor of the Pinzgauer truck was called Haflinger, another mountain workhorse type. The Pinzgauer workhorse originates from the Pinzgau, the Southwestern part of the State of Salzburg in Austria.
Having served in Swiss infantry my ass still remembers having been chauffeured around in these. But our favourite has always been the Pinzgauers little brother: The Haflinger that carried our gear up to the most insane terrain high up in the alps. If you can, take a look at what "Häfis" can do. BTW, the config of displayed Pinz is most likely a command/communication Pinz with a hard shell in the back with seats and table for com equipment and (@05:10) nicely displayed, a big antenna base.
Great show, I live in New Zealand, the 6x6 variant is standard Army issue. See them all the time, I personally helped with some mil spec fleet modifications. Cheers....
Pinzgauer is an offroad vehicle, Unimog is an all-purpose vehicle. The lack of hydraulics and additional attachment gear of every kind even going on train tracks makes the Pinzgauer a lot more affordable but in the end it cant do what the Unimog can. Also the higher top speed with a different gear train makes the Pinzgauer run faster on the streets for sure but the Unimogs strength when going on very low speeds with the correct gear it has almost unlimited traktion and pulling power which would let the Unimog pull several Pinzgauer trough rough terrain with ease. The Pinzgauer is more or less an offroad bus, the Unimog is THE absolute workhorse. Also the Pinzgauer lots even it's military use because of the lack of armor for passangers protection whereas the Unimog can be equipped and upgraded with anything. It is like comparing a swiss army knife and a chefs knife and ask which can cut better.
During my time in the military (Austria) I was lucky enough to drive one of those (4x4) for a couple of months. What that thing is capable of off-road is spectacular.
A friend of mine has one, we use it extensively at airsoft games and mil-sims. It's expensive and I don't understand my friend, but we trash it like there's no tomorrow, especially at mil-sims where we offroad, shoot from it and at it. The windows are a bit "scratched" but the thing just rocks.
I've seen these a lot in my childhood, as the Swiss military used our school's parking lot (and slept in our school's gym) over the Summer break. We went up to the soldiers basically every day, because they tended to have military cookies to give to children.
@@Rob-bt7io Wow, what ignorance. Look at a map on where it's located and then think of, say, some wars of the past century. Being neutral doesn't mean nobody will ever attack. It means they _shouldn't_ - but who knows...
@@fryke Yes, you are right. Just joking. The swiss army knife is known around the world, I think. :D But as far as I know nobody tried to attack since Napoleon...
@@Rob-bt7io A certain Austrian in German power was thinking about it (with plans and all, but without actually acting on them). One of the reasons why he didn't, of course, is that we _do_ have a capable army. But I must stress: I'm very glad that the main active role of Swiss soldiers is to hand out cookies to schoolkids.
The video shown does not reflect the actual off-road suitability of the Pinzgauer! Just search for other videos on YT. The Austrian Army still use the Pinzgauer in various configurations (ambulance, communication, transportation,...). And yes, i'm living in Graz, Austria, home of the Pinzgauer, Haflinger, Puch G aka Mercedes G wagon,... 😛
I drove the 6x6 version of it in the Austrian Army and worked for the Company which built it in Graz. I can't imagine any offroad vehicle that is more capable than a 6x6 Pinzgauer. Comfort - NO, every soldier in the back always left the helmet on, because you permanently bump your head against the roof. 20k is a bargain, in Austria you barely get one, and in driving condition usually well above 40k.
Hello from Switzerland. Here in Switzerland they were very present in the eighties and nineties because they were used by the military, today you rarely see them. Privately, they are still used a lot by farmers in the Alps. Unfortunately they are very expensive in Switzerland, a 4×4 in good condition 30-40K the 6×6 over 50K
About ten years ago Austrian army was with sale of used ones...few hudred vehicles. The price range was from 4000 € and up. The whole lot was sold within a day (not sure but was told when I ordered it the few days after the start of the sale and was allready sold out)
I actually own the same version pinzgauer you highlighted. I have to say after owning several hard off road vehicles the Pinz is by far the most enjoyable. Mine is a Swiss 710k built in 1976. Granted it doesn't have all the modern amenities of today's vehicles but for me that's a big part of the attraction. The capabilities of the Pinz is absolutely amazing! Especially considering its age. It's is so well balance & with the majority of the weight low in the drive train it's extremely stable off road. As you shown & I can attest the off road speed is impressive! As for comfort, it's by far one of the most comfortable off road vehicles I've ever driven. The suspension system & extreme ground clearance takes you smoothly over obstacles. I took it on a 1000 mile on & off road trek last August. Although the ride was smooth this vehicle was made for off road. It is understandably loud inside at highway speeds. Mainly from the drive train. Mine is completely stock with the exception of the SSI system installed for improved ignition performance. The Unimog has its place & I respect it's performance & history but for me the Pinz fits & exceeds my needs for overall enjoyment. It's truly a piece of history! I didn't expect how much attention it draws. There aren't many of them in the states & it definately turns heads everywhere I take it. I'm currently planning an overland conversion with the goal to keep it as original as possible. Great content highlighting this amazing vehicle! Best & keep.em coming!
the great thing ont he pinzgauers: its small like a car (a european car, not a ami-car) - its narrow.. you can go through woods with narrow planted trees... nevertheless its that small, you can fit 10 (or 14 for the 3 axel version) People inside, or put 1 ton of material on its back.. its truely a workhorse.. mine i had at the millitary was somehting about 35 years old and running great
British Army loved these. They were still being built in the UK till 2007. That was years after Steyr-Daimler-Puch themselves had ceased production in Austria. The UK assembly line passed through a lot of different owners with BAE Systems being the last. Like the Land Rover and Humvee, the Pinzgauers proved too vulnerable in Iraq and Afghanistan. There was an armour kit for the three axle version that was used for a while but I think that was more of an interim solution till proper MRAPs like the Mastiff and Foxhound came into service. BAE did some development work on a Pinzgauer II that would have had better IED protection (I think they even did some trials with it in South Africa) but nothing came of it unfortunately. Edit: Just looked it up, the British army don't use them for personnel transport anymore but loads still with the Royal Artillery for gun tractor duty.
Bings a lot memories to me 😂 off-roading in the Swiss Alp at my Army time in the 80s and 90s. It was mostly our daily Transport vehicle. There is no comfort in it. In winter time we where freezing like hell but the Pinz as we calf it is a workhorse and a real pain driving off road sitting behind on the benches 😅
Apparently a very small number of these do drive in the US, there was another one being driven in Oregon at some Vanlife-type gathering. That one was obviously former military since it had US flags etc. on it, this one here looks pretty clean and less ex-mil. Though some of them are old enough to probably be able to be imported to the US without much of a hassle too. They did 6x6 versions of these too. And a smaller, lighter "Haflinger" version with less bodywork and a smaller air-cooled engine, though they stopped building those quite a long time ago.
Unimogs and Pinzgauers seem like a lot of fun, but only when you're not forced to travel with them. In the Swiss Army, we were more than happy when we got new vehicles like the Duro.
I used to drive one when I was in the army and used to be a 6x6 military ambulance. We only used it for exercises in the mountains of Cyprus. Very capable off roader but really shit to drive on normal roads. When it was cold in the winter we used to remove the top cover of the engine and it was nice and toasty inside!😂
Already commented about it on another video but I used to drive these back in my austrian military times. They are unique in so many ways, both good and bad, and it‘s crazy how many weird stories I could tell that happened because of this vehicle. It‘s almost impossible to not have an amazing experience driving those and they all come with their own characteristics, i.e. stuff that is broken and weirdly fixed. Edit: might add a video recommendation as well. There is a video of the Red Bull and Alpha Tauri „racing“ Pinzhauers.
Yeah, love or hate RedBull racing, you will wish you are working for Red Bull instead of other F1 teams. Party atmosphere, doing what you love (cars), doing crazy things together And most importantly, GETTING PAID FOR THAT!!!
We have a 2003 uk Royal Navy pinzgauer 6x6 TMV. (I believe only 2 tmv made in the uk) it’s big enough to play and also use as a camper, it’s good on the road and manages about 11 mpg off road and 21mpg on normal roads. There is a promotional video where you can see the suspension on a test track and it’s pretty amazing. I love it and it just gets better every time we go out on adventures.
We had a lot of them as i was in the army in Switzerland, we mainly had 6x6 which were real beasts. I remember we were once crossing a field covered with 80 cm of snow, slowly making our way without getting stuck thanks to ground clearance and the 6x6 traction. As i was in the army we also had Unimogs and Halflingers, the little halflinger was a fun thing to drive, so small and going everywhere but you better not tip over as there was no roof or any protection, well if you were stuck under it you could maybe just push hard and put it back on his wheels 😆
I bought one of these after taking a ride with alpine adventure tours in New Hampshire..and is the most fun and capable vehicle I have ever driven..one day working on it aa runner came up the road and approached me in the driveway he stood there just looking at it with emotion written on his face..I asked if he was ok and he asked me if he could open the door and smell it...perplexed I said sure...you can sit in it if you want...he declined that but opened the door took a deep breath, tears were rolling down his face as soon as he did. I asked him if he was ok and he proceeded to tell me that he and his company were pinned down by the enemy and were facing certain death when suddenly a pinzgauer was seen climbing the side of the mountain. He and his crew jumped into the vehicle and drove down the mountain to safety and reinforcements..he said that vehicle saved our lives and I never forgot the smell. I asked if he wanted a ride but declined saying that would be too much for him to bear. I understood his reservation and also understood that unique smell of the interior of this vehicle.
Fun fact: The designer of the Pinzgauer, Erich Ledwinka is the son of Hans Ledwinka, the man who created the famous Tatra chassis. That's why they are similar in many aspects!
Maybe i missed it, but those things also have a quite strange battery configuration. 2 x 12V Batteries, that can be used in unison or as a normal 12V configuration with a backup. (They were made to be reliable, even in the coldest mountains)
Pinzgauer, top pronunciation👍 we used to use them in the swiss army too. There is a 6x6 version aswell👍 Keep up the great work, thank you for your time, effort and entertainment.
Drove the 6x6 version during my recruit school in 1979 in the Swiss Army. Much preferred the 6x6 model to the 4x4 as this one tended to be a bit unfriendly when going down steep inclines.
Swedish military TGB 30 and 40 built by Scania 4x4 and 6x6 are some awesome trucks. TGB 11 and 13 looks a lot like the Pinzgauer. With portal axles also. Theres an older one lovingly called "Valpen" from Volvo. This is 1960 to 1980´s vehicles used by Swedish army. I´m an old artillery soldier, so i got know these vehicles. Please look them up.
Your enthusiasm is as always contagious! Here I am proud being Austrian and if I won the lottery I would put one of those things right before your house - it is a promise!
Had much fun with it when serving millitary... 38 years ago. It was the most iconic car, and still it is. When my county joined nato we were somehow pushed to order Humwees but after testing drives... nah... Puch overclass it manytimes.
The conception of this thing is extremely puristic. :-) There are just a few requirements made: - non armored military mule - offroad-go-anywhere - function only, no comfort - as tiny as possible for transportation by airplane or... idk... inside of a standard industrial container or stuff like that. But these 4 goals were put to the ultimate limit one could possibly imagine!!!
There is a company in Colorado that imports these from Switzerland. They are made in Austria, but most of the the Pinzgauers are ex Swiss Army. There is a 6 wheeled version with either a 4 or 6 cylinder aircooled motor. Not sure if a 6 cylinder motor was optional for the 4 wheel version.
This is the Swiss make of Volvo TG 11 and TG 13. Still in use at some swedish army units. And for you as a Scania fan. Check out the Swedish Army trucks TG 30 and TG 40. Mostly used to pull Haubits 70 mm guns. If you look at the axels you find the secret for ground clearance. Look at the L-shaped ends that gives you extra 4 inch of clearance.
Pinzgauers are, outside of Switzerland and Austria, a rare breed. They are purpose-built small military off-road vehicles and I haven't seen one here in my part of Germany. I am pretty sure there are some in mountainous areas like Bavaria - here in superflat Westphalia, they wouldn't make sense at all.
@IWrocker you are correct - the levers are for the diff locks. The owner got it wrong - the left lever is not for 4WD - it is for locking the center diff. It's a Freudian mistake. 4WD is permanent on the Pinzgauer. I once rode alongside a friend in his tractor. As he went off-road he used a similar lever. I asked him for it's purpose and he told me "it's the 4WD". I looked at the sign and it was clearly the central diff lock. Like I said, it's a Freudian mistake. There are vehicles out there, like the famous Willys Jeep with a 2WD/4WD switch lever/button. 2WD for more speed and less wear and consumption on-road - 4WD for off-road. Hardcore-off-roaders and farm tractors are permanent 4WD - but diff locks can be disengaged for better road handling and less wear.
There's this saying from the original Steyr testdrivers of the Pinzgauer which roughly translates to: "the only thing that stops the Pinzgauer is the fear of the driver". You will notice that a lot of comments from austrian and swiss people mention that they know the Pinzgauer from their army service: both countries had and have conscription. And apart from bigger trucks, the Pinzgauer was (and sometimes even is to this day) the main form of motorized transport on small mountain paths. Many of those you wouldn't be able to fit a Unimog or Humve. I remember from my time, when our NCO who drive while i navigated changed from a small path to a mountain bike track. (I did not tell him to do that, but he insisted that it is a shortcut he knew) We made it through the track with ease. Next day he choose a horse trail with the argument "there's a horse race named Pinzgauer too..." Only two of the fun stories i have experienced with them, and i only ever was a passenger in one. (our army only lets dedicated drivers who have to make a seperate mil drivers license drive vehicles) And something unique about it is the engine sound. I bet, any former infantery conscript in Switzerland and Sustria can identify a Pinzgauer blindly from a far just by the sound of it driving by, nothing else sounds like it.
Unimog is much more in use because of it's utilitarian capabilitys and is still in production. The Pinzgauer in comparsion is a lighter, faster carrier by its time.
Unimog vs Pinzgauer -> I'd go with the Pinz. The Pinz seems faster, lighter and more agile. Now for something compleeetly different: check out the 4-wheel drive Citroen CV2!
Used to drive with these a lot while serving my 6 months of mandatory military service (mostly the 6x6 version). One day we went to an offroad track and it was a lot fun. Also its not really in the same category as a Unimog, a better comparison would be a Steyr 12M18 - also an awesome machine which despite being from the 90s still used very widely.
I was a hlaf years ago in the austrian military. These days is drove the pinzgauer daily, the 6x6. I drove it in a half year about 20000 km and i loved it and we we're going in really ruff terrain. You cant destroy this vehicle. It's gonna last forever.
I used to go wheeling with some guys who had some crazy gear. There was a 6x6 Pinz, a Haflinger, a G Wagen and a Hummer. They were some pretty wild trips.
I had a Pinzgauer , a 710K K = Kastenwagen = hardtop like this one. They are offroad better than an Unimog from the same year. In the beginning it's very strange to sit on top off the front axle. They are great fun, but also very rare. Spare parts are expansive.
You have learned Things about the Unimog (Heavy Vehicle) and the Pinzgauer (Medium weight Vehicle), please search for the Haflinger (Light weight Vehicle) with its Twenty-something HP 2-Cylinder-Boxer-Engine. You won't regret!
They are few and far between in Sweden, because we have our own terrain vehicles. Built by Volvo for the army. The equialent of the pinzgauer is called Volvo C303 (4X4) or C304 (6x6). The equialent of the Haflinger would be the Volvo 903 (the "puppy"). The Unimog is in a class of its own, but my favorit is still the old Volvo TP21 (The "sow"). If you search "Arsenalen Tank Museum" they have videos in english about most of the vehicles used by swedish military.
My father drove Pinzgauer, in military and told me story’s how fun it is, hopefully you find one, me in the other hand on my previous job drove a unimog and it is a beast for sure 💪🏽🔥
there are a lot here in Switzerland, my neighboor was able to get his hands on a 6x6 variant of the thing, i want to buy his truck when i'll be able to
@IWrocker: i nearly crashed one Pinzgauer once: i drove Pinzgauers in my military service in Austria, at "Grenzeinsatz". i was bringing wood for fire to some borderguard which had a tent on a hill.. i was parking the Pinzgauer on top of the hill, i slightly Incline: The thing with the pinzgauer: it has no classic parking brake: the parking-brake brakes the rear cardan shaft. so i applied the parking brake and had first gear in. When we left the car and smashed the doors of it, it started to rolling: fullwheeldrive was not engaded: one rear wheel was standing on solid asphalt, the other rearwheel on wet, slippery gras: so, the cardan shaft was blocked: the diff was spinning, the wheel on the asphalt forward, the wheel on the slippery gras backwards.. so the pinzgauer was running away, faster and faster down the hill.. fortunatly there was a street crossing.. when he reached that, bouth rear wheels had aphsalt, and it stopped ! otherwise it would have gone 200m down through a steep vine yard loved this vehicle..
Here in Namibia there are a few Pinzgauers around. 4x4 and 6x6... The South African Defence Force / South West Africa Territory Force purchased a number of them in the 70's to evaluate. Even though they are very good, they lost out to the Unimog.
Hello from Australia. While I am very interested in the Pinzgauer, and I've been into heavy 4WDing for quite some time, I have never actually seen one in Australia. I just did another search for one for sale in Australia and could not find any currently for sale. However there are some here as I did find some old ebay ads for them on Australian Ebay, but I think they were all privately imported.
well each one has it pros and cons while the unimog was intended and build for farmers as an utility multipurpose traktor wich made it the better work horse. while the pinz was build as an military offroad vehicle for the mountains in austria switzerland...... so its the better offroader... by choosing wich is better u shouldnt forget for what kind of work habitat they where build.
I truly admired this vehicle!I'm differential mechanic.the secret is on the differential .independent left and right diff'l suspension with mechanical lock!the best design for off road!!
Driven many variants of these back in army times in Switzerland. They are fun. Just remember how old they have to be: I joined the army in 1996 and by 2002 most of these were gone. I never saw any newer than 1974 so this beast is probably 50 years old. I got a cargo model with tarp back to 130km/h (around 80mph) but that was scary, exceptional and some high rpm warning light was on as well.
The Pinzgauer is not common in Germany but I saw a few in Austria. I never had chance to drive ohne but I drove a Unimog 2 or 3 times at German Army in 1990. What I found amazing about the Unimog was the gearbox, you have 8 gears for forward or backwards driving. They use a additional tumbler gear to do this.
I drive them regulary, 6x6 is most used because of the load capacity but i love them, they are great, reliable and durable. They are aviable as gas and diesel. Sadly there is no fitting replacement in existence.
Hm, this brings the "Eastern Block" type of such car to mind (at least similar). Soviets started using it. They recently released yet another iteration, so it's still being made! It's called Buchanka from UAZ (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UAZ-452). The Russian and Ukrainian armies are still using this vehicle in the war today.
@@ZIGZAG12345 I don't have much experience with Niva. Driven it just once, and I've seen it more like a small SUV. Buchanka, as i understan it, is a candidate for the socialist Unimog :) Simple, rugged, off-roady, multipurpose,...
The big difference is: Swiss and Austrian products are pure quality, while Soviet cars are basically scrap that's just closely able to roll. The difference on the pro side for Soviet cars: Parts are cheap and the tech is simple enough for anybody to fix it (Swiss and Austrians tend to overdesign).
@@stanislemovsky5590 Any European truck brand which tried to copy any Russian/former Soviet brand doing any of that Siberian logging stuff would see the European truck get badly broken very quickly. They'd almost certainly get stuck in the same terrain as the Soviet trucks would too.
No, the Buchanka is not similar. Compared to the Pinzgauer the Buchanka is a luxury vehicle. It has a heating, the motor is a bit noise isolated, it drives much faster, is easier to load, has working wipers, comfortable seats, and so on. But the Pinzgauer is much more capable in really heavy terrain - and comes with a camouflage light 😉. I see a 4x4 Pinzgauer twice a week here, parked in my mothers frontyard and am thinking about buying a Buchanka. The latter would be much better for campingtrips.
Check out the swedish Volvo C303 and C 306, they are called TGB11, TGB 13 and TGB 20 in the swedish military. They lock almost identical with the Pinzgauer.
during the military in Switzerland I drove several .... both 4x4 and 6x6 ...... unstoppable but with exaggerated fuel consumption ..... I had fun with the Pinzgauer 👍💪
just a reminder: the KMW Dingo 1/2/3 have militarized Unimog chassis and many Dingo variants are very successful in service. The large Dingo 2 version for example is the direct competition to the Bushmaster you looked at before, with a very similar success story. You might want to look into it as a new Unimog fan.
The Pinzgauer was designed as a troop transport. Its designed to get you somewhere quickly, the unimog is a motorized multitool, it may not be as fast and light but it'll do any job except Prostitution. The plant that the pinzgauer comes from is legendary though. Thats where the G Wagon was made, the iltis maybe as well but don't quote me on that (the iltis was the successor to the type 181 and the first vehicle to use the audi quattro 4 wheel drive system) and also the syncro Volkswagens from the time where having a 4 wheel drive vehicle actually ment something. The T3 syncro, the golf country, the LT Syncro. The fiat panda 4x4.
Nice little detail… The exhaust is in a position that the exhaust fumes are getting sucked into the loading/sitting area of the troops which guarantees a healthy dose of poisoning….at least in the old days of austrian service. Greetings
That is similar to the Land Rover 101, it has a forward control cab, in the US you have a 25 year old rule for importing vehicles or you can fetch them in if a vehicle of interest.
I’ve watched both the Unimog and Pinzgauer video and really like the basic and unprejudiced approach you take. Funny enough I actually own 2 Pinzgauers (4x4 Petrol and 6x6 Diesel) and also owned a Unimog 92’ U1200, so I might be able to do some comparison. I personally think they are indeed very different, but let me explain: Fair enough both cars were similar on the outside and had mostly the same purpose when they were developed. There even was a legendary offroad test between both trucks arranged from the Swiss military before they bought the Pinzgauers in large numbers. The Legend goes that Mercedes-Benz had very good connections to the military staff, and they made sure that the offroad-test-track would fit the Unimogs capabilities perfectly to improve its chances. But it simply happened that the Pinz performed superior in every task and so Steyr-Puch won the contract. But there are quite some differences between the two. While the Pinzgauer was designed explicit for military purposes and tried to also serve the civilian market, it was mostly the other way round with the Unimog. Also, the Pinzauer mostly stayed the same during all its production timespan, while the Unimog was developed heavily. And so over time they got further and further apart from each other. The Unimog got much bigger over Time and competed with the bigger trucks while the Pinzgauer stayed rather small in its almost Car-Like dimensions (at least the 4x4 version). Also, from a technical standpoint they are not as close as it seems. Of course, both have Portal Axles and are Body on Frame, but that’s where similarities pretty much end. While the Unimog has a ladder frame and traditional rigid axles, the Pinzgauer (as its predecessor the Haflinger) takes a totally different approach with its characteristic center tube frame and fully independent swing axle suspension. This also means that every driveshaft runs inside this rigid tube frame and the differential casings are also an integrated part of the frame. Basically, the frame of a 4x4 Pinzgauer from front to back consists of: Front-end piece with hitch, differential case, large middle section with inner driveshaft, group gearbox piece with power inlet, another differential case, and the rear-end piece with tow hitch and integrated handbrake. Want a 6x6? Simply add another differential case and a smaller middle section. So theoretically you could make an endless long Pinzgauer with as many axles as you want by simply bolting these frame pieces together. But the cleverest trick of this construction is, that the swing axles are directly carried in the differential casings. There are no open axle bushings or anything like that. This whole construction is massively overbuilt, and Steyr-Puch was always keen on using only the best materials available. Subsequently you end up with an extremely stiff and capable, yet very light vehicle frame. Naturally this genius and rather unique solution of building a truck comes at a very high price and that’s the reason the Pinzgauer was never successful in the civilian market. Besides military purposes it was only bought by a few firefighting and rescue units in mountainous areas as well as some power grid companies that really had to go everywhere. But this construction is also another Reason that the Pinzgauer always stayed the same, as you’d need to reconstruct literally everything if you want a slightly different vehicle (except in length of course). So, which one’s better? Honestly, I have no Idea. Personally, I like both vehicles very much and in reality it depends on what you want to do with them. The Pinzgauer is lighter and a little more capable in off-roading. In Europe the spare parts situation is better on the Unimog, but only because you get everything at the Mercedes dealer around the corner while Puch parts must be ordered online. Although Steyr-Puch as a Company sadly isn’t around anymore for quite some time there are still suppliers for (most) original Parts, at least for now.
Here in Austria you see them from time to time, less then a Unimog, but they are more sureplus as zivilian vehicels, and they are...really not that cheap. This is a verry specialiced car for millitary use (Aircooled-gas engine, so the wathercooler cant be hit by a bullet etc.) while evrey comunity has at least 2-3 Unimogs in use (gardening jobs,firefighting etc).So there are mutch more Unimogs in the used marked.The Pinz" is also a car ,specialized for Austria-alpin terrain, with narrow roads and forrests,so they are often used for a expedition-vehicel, mostley with the 6-zylinder dieselengine (wathercooled,less consumption of gas) in the 6x6 configuration (Type 718, if i remember correct) because in normal usage they are nearly "Indistructible" just like by all old cars......rust
They still had those when I did my national service and I was a radio/signals troop leader with my "own" Pinzgauer. They're so awesome, but not when you have to sit in the back and the driver is speeding over a country road hehe. I thought about buying one, but they're INSANELY expensive... I mean maybe if you can get one directly from the Bundesheer, but the ones I saw for sale privately are too much for what they are.
In late 1960s as I was developing interest in 4WD vehicles and reaching 18yrs age and thus getting my driver's license, we had a small company in my suburb Springvale in Melbourne Australia that was selling both the Pinzgauer and a popular at the time smaller sibling the Haflinger vehicles, assembling these from complete kits from the Austrian manufacturer. I even test drove both, and thevPinzgauer was quite an experience, but cost wise way out of my range. In 1974 I ended up buying my first 4WD a Suzuki LJ50 'Jiminy' 3 cyl 540cc two stroke motor compact 4WD. The smaller Haflinger was cheaper than a VW Beetle and very, extremely capable, though only a two cylinder motor. Its worst characteristic due to narrow width was a tendency to overturn and worse due to having diff locks, that many used to try conquering especially steep climbs, they back flipped and tumbled down the hill. Efforts to add roll cages made them even more prone to such rollover and back flipping due to raised centre of gravity. The larger Pinzgauer 4WD/6WD cost considerably more, though it too was only a 4 cyl engine from recollection. It fared better as far as stability but also was frequently laid on its side. Its special feature was a herring bone central chassis, which gave significant lengthwise twist. On rough ground in the rear vision mirror you could see the rear end twisted at significant angle to the front end. The central core was almost an oval tubular form with side producing 'ribs' or fish bones holding body and suspension and Axel mounts. Drive was to wheels by down angled shafts to wheel hub reduction gearing. Giving the entire vehicle a huge ground clearance along the entire length of the vehicle, far more than other 4WD vehicles with typical H frame chassis and Axel's. Note both names Pinzgauer and Haflinger are names of working horses in Austria, the Pinzgauer a large sturdy working horse not quite to Clydesdale mass. The Haflinger a smaller horse bit bigger than a large pony. Both used on farms and mine sites as well commonly seen in winter pulling sleds through snow cover land, and pulling various size carts and carriages in warmer times. Another note worthy point, both vehicles are designed and manufactured by an Austrian company, Styre-Puch that Mercedes Benz contracted to design their Mercedes G Wagon 4WD that become quite a success around the world.
The fuel tank size definitely is not an issue. Believe me, you won't want to drive it for more than 50-100 miles before stopping. ;) You'll definitely need to give your ears a break even before that.
I've never driven one, but i i rode along plenty of time during my military service in Austria. They're really fun. The 6x6 version is mostly used for military ambulances. I would say the biggest weakeness of the Pinzgauer is the heating. Horrible during the winter. Our drill sergeant always said: "there's two heating modes: cold and freezing cold" xD
there is nothing better than made in austria
Koid oder oaschkoid schätz Ich 🤣
@@Freitschi hawara schaun do so vüle österreicha zua
@@agrar_manhartsberg mindestens 2 mehr als ich's glaubt hätt 🤣
Da kannst noch ein paar drauflegen. Zeigt´s ihm mal den Haflinger..^^
This Steyr/Puch designs are always exceptional. Just see the list of vehicles that used to come from that factory: Haflinger, Pinzgauer, Mercedes G-wagen, Fiat Panda 4x4, VW Golf Country, VW T3 Syncro (Vanagon Syncro for US). Any of those machines are now ABSOLUTE LEGENDS! (To answer your question, in Czechia - my part of Europe Unimog is somehow a rare sight but you see them, but Pinzgauer is more like a unicorn - you just believe they exist).
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The Unimog was conceived as a farm vehicle that turned out to be very versatile. The Pinzgauer was conceived to get troops into the alps quickly...
I can tell you, if you cant get to a place with a Pinzgauer, the only other way is by foot or horse. In my Austrian Army time we once drove straight into a mountain forest, no roads nothing, the only thing that stopped us was a treestump. Another time up a mountainroad in spring, snow reached up to the doors but with chains we crawled up there slow but steady until our sergeant recognized that we are not in the right place 😄
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Oh man we had them in the Swiss Army. They were durable as hell and when the diffs were closed they could manage almost everything. 6x6 was a beast in the dirt. They lacked a bit on power and in winter it was a nightmare, heating was not really available.
The Pinz is less fun on asphalt roads though. An emergency braking manoeuvre can quickly lead to a somersault, and you shouldn't go too fast into a bend either. After all, this vehicle was explicitly designed for off-road use in the Alps.
One of the more famous vehicles from Steyr-Puch (now Magna-Steyr). I drove it during my military-service back in '81. I would not even try to walk where this thing can drive to.
It's smaller brother is the Haflinger (Pinzgauer and Haflinger are horse breeds). Steyr also developed the G-Wagon, former sold as "Puch G", as well as all-wheel-drivetrains for different manufacturers (BMW, VW, Jeep, etc).
Pinzgauer is a kuh rasse
@@skijumper5595 'Pinzgauer' is used for more. It stands for the residents of 'Pinzgau', a part of Salzburg, Austria, Pinzgauer cheese, a mountain crest 'Pinzgauer Grasberge' etc.
Yes, you're right with cow breed for Pinzgauer, but the intention of Steyr-Puch was to use the names of robust austrian workhorses. That's what Pinzgauer and Haflinger are.
Austrian here. During a marketing video shoot some years ago I had the joy to ride in one of these. A local beekeeper bought it to service his bees in the forests. His Pinzgauer was sold by the Austrian army and beside missing any army markings it was unchanged. So yes, you see them here, but they are not a common sight. But it is the perfect truck for the beekeeper. I think I can not post a video link here, but if you search "Ländle Honig" you might be able to find the Video here on youtube. You can see the Pinzgauer for some seconds in the video (1:50). Great vehicle!
Oh my... I drove the exact same model back in the 90's during my early years of military service (Swiss Army obviously). There's even a small chance that I drove this exact vehicle :D
This one was repainted; original colour is dark olive. The vehicle antenna is missing, but the external support is still there. The driver cab is pretty much original, but the back interior was modified. There was holders and frames everywhere to lodge the radios, outdoor antenna and accessories.
As for the different version, I know only the swiss-ized one.
Apart from the 4x4 radio-transmission Pinz shown in the video, we had the standard 4x4 with hard top covering only the driver and tarpaulin over the rear. Once the tarpaulin and the rear seats removed, you had a decent sized flat bed.
The standard 6x6 version had a full bodywork. I nearly crashed one driving downhill. This thing was heavy and understeering. There were 3 variant, a standard one, the ambulance and a radio relay. The back of the ambulance was a chunky box, higher and larger than the vehicle. The radio relay was my favourite, it looks awesome with its 3 antennas. The interior was so full of equipment that the radio operators couldn't move their legs without hurting their knees against some steel frames.
I am from Austria and live in the "Pinzgau" where the car got its name from. I have to say, i see Unimogs pretty regulary, although as "event cars" or camping cars, not for the street. Pinzgauer on the other hand you will only see them in a military setting. The Pinzgau ("the State of Salzburg is divided into 5 "Gaus". One of them is the "Pinzgau", a very mountaines region in Salzburg) is in the middle of the Austrian Alps, so good alpine trucks are a must here. BTW, i love the Unimog, but would take a Pinzgauer anytime - everytime. Greetings from Austria
YOu will also finde the Pinzgauer in some Fire Departments.
Ob der Name nicht von der Pferderasse her kommt, Pinzgauer.. weil:
Der Vorgänger des Pinzgauers war ja der Haflinger
@@Kraeuterbutter Der Name kommt tatsächlich von einer Rinderrasse. Der Vorgänger "Haflinger" war die Pferderasse. Aber, Ich hab das schlecht formuliert. Ich meinte das mehr als "Wir haben beide den gleichen Namen."
@@MichaelRagnarok verstehe..
ich hätte gedacht dass es eher die Pferderasse "Pinzgauer" (auch Noriker) genannt wäre..
vor allem weil der Pinzgauer (Das Fahrzeug) ja eher militärischer angelehnt war (als z.b. der Haflinger) und somit Pferd eher zu Militär passt als Kuh ;-)
wie auch immer: beides geniale Fahrzeuge
@@Kraeuterbutter Ich wusste nicht dass man die Noriker auch Pinzgauer nennt. Das ändert die Sachlage. Würde mehr Sinn machen das Fahrzeug nach dem Pferd als nach der Kuh zu benennen...
You might like the Volvo C303/306 4x4 or 6x6 😆
It's basically a 125% photocopy of the Pinzgauer.
Those volvo's are very rare, but also GREAT 4x4 's !!!
Never thougt about it that way, but it's true xD I know someone who has a C303 and a C306 and a different Person I know has both 4x4 and 6x6 Pinzgauer's. Both very Cool and capable 6x6 or 4x4 Rigs.
Steyr Puch ! The Austrian specialist when it comes to all-wheel drive. Unfortunately so small after WW2 that only a few own models were produced. But large corporations such as Mercedes, VW, Fiat and many others had their 4WD models developed and partly built there. Today the company can be found under car suppliers. Before the war licensed buildings and own models.
It‘s so funny to see you react on the Pinz. As former Chef in the Swiss Army I drove food out to the troops in one of these 30yr. ago. Memory Lane 😮😂
This reminds me of when our cook brought warm food with the Pinzgauer after three rainy days in the high mountains. It was tripe, the best I have ever eaten btw. And because many others didn't like tripe, I think I was able to get seconds four times. ;)
Austrian here. You can buy these for pretty cheap at army auctions afaik. Also regarding the sound - when i was in my mandatory military service (8months back then) we drove in one of these for about 4hours on the highway to some practice (with tanks and jets and all that) we could hardly talk to each other inside because at 80km/h it´s incredibly loud.
Pinzgauer come - just like unimog in VERY different shapes or forms, there are pickup versions, firefighters have these, some Hunters use them, you got like military ambulance etc.
What stood out most was that most of them have a heating built in while parking. Was really nice in the cold times,
Thanks for sharing your experience with the Pinzgauer. I have a 76 710k out of the Swiss Army inventory. It is an amazing vehicle & I feel very fortunate to have this vintage & piece of history. Mine was very well maintained & the rear gas heater works. I've had it out in very cold sub freezing weather & never felt cold. Really appreciate hearing from people who used these amazing vehicles. Best wishes......
You said that you consider "the fuel capacity a little low".
You realize that you could cross Austria (the Pinzgauer's homecountry) 2.3 times from North- to South or 1.2 times in the West to East direction with only one tank?
What would they need a 40-50 Gallon tank for? Invading Russia?
The main thing is the Steyr-Puch sign at 8:20, all normal, really good off-road vehicles use this drivetrain (including the Unimog) Daimler just bought their way in. Steyr developed the drivetrain long before they did.
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Correctly pronounced, Respect!
The famous "Pinzgauer" is of a family of high-mobility all-terrain 4WD (4×4) and 6WD (6×6) military utility vehicles and was the successor of the smaller Haflinger. The vehicle was originally developed in the late 1960s and manufactured by Steyr-Daimler-Puch of Graz, Austria, and was named after the Pinzgauer, an Austrian breed of cattle. Pinzgau is also the name of a region in the mountains in my Homeland Salzburg, Austria.
It was popular amongst military buyers, and was mostly used in the Austrian Army. In my time of conscription (1978/79), the Pinzgauer was used, among other things, as a transport vehicle in the mountains. It showed its efficiency above all during night operations. Cool shit. It was produced from 1971 to 2007.
It was actually named after the _horse_ breed "Pinzgauer" (a.k.a. Noriker, a.k.a. Süddeutsches Kaltblut). Just as the "Haflinger" (which is actually a Pony, so the naming is quite consistent *g*).
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Living in Austria (and not far away from the actual Pinzgau the truck was named after), I often see them driving around, either as military trucks or as a work horse in the mountainous terrain. The Pinzgau is not as versatile as the Unimog, but it is better at being the offroad truck. It is lighter, and nimbler in heavy terrain.
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To be more exact: Pinzgauer originally is a type of workhorse, bred for mountainous terrain. The predecessor of the Pinzgauer truck was called Haflinger, another mountain workhorse type.
The Pinzgauer workhorse originates from the Pinzgau, the Southwestern part of the State of Salzburg in Austria.
Having served in Swiss infantry my ass still remembers having been chauffeured around in these. But our favourite has always been the Pinzgauers little brother: The Haflinger that carried our gear up to the most insane terrain high up in the alps. If you can, take a look at what "Häfis" can do. BTW, the config of displayed Pinz is most likely a command/communication Pinz with a hard shell in the back with seats and table for com equipment and (@05:10) nicely displayed, a big antenna base.
Searching for häfis in Google doesnt give me any usefull results unfortunately
Great show, I live in New Zealand, the 6x6 variant is standard Army issue.
See them all the time, I personally helped with some mil spec fleet modifications.
Cheers....
Pinzgauer is an offroad vehicle, Unimog is an all-purpose vehicle. The lack of hydraulics and additional attachment gear of every kind even going on train tracks makes the Pinzgauer a lot more affordable but in the end it cant do what the Unimog can.
Also the higher top speed with a different gear train makes the Pinzgauer run faster on the streets for sure but the Unimogs strength when going on very low speeds with the correct gear it has almost unlimited traktion and pulling power which would let the Unimog pull several Pinzgauer trough rough terrain with ease.
The Pinzgauer is more or less an offroad bus, the Unimog is THE absolute workhorse. Also the Pinzgauer lots even it's military use because of the lack of armor for passangers protection whereas the Unimog can be equipped and upgraded with anything.
It is like comparing a swiss army knife and a chefs knife and ask which can cut better.
During my time in the military (Austria) I was lucky enough to drive one of those (4x4) for a couple of months.
What that thing is capable of off-road is spectacular.
A friend of mine has one, we use it extensively at airsoft games and mil-sims. It's expensive and I don't understand my friend, but we trash it like there's no tomorrow, especially at mil-sims where we offroad, shoot from it and at it. The windows are a bit "scratched" but the thing just rocks.
I've seen these a lot in my childhood, as the Swiss military used our school's parking lot (and slept in our school's gym) over the Summer break. We went up to the soldiers basically every day, because they tended to have military cookies to give to children.
same here :-)
You have military in Switzerland? what for? :D
@@Rob-bt7io Wow, what ignorance. Look at a map on where it's located and then think of, say, some wars of the past century. Being neutral doesn't mean nobody will ever attack. It means they _shouldn't_ - but who knows...
@@fryke Yes, you are right. Just joking. The swiss army knife is known around the world, I think. :D
But as far as I know nobody tried to attack since Napoleon...
@@Rob-bt7io A certain Austrian in German power was thinking about it (with plans and all, but without actually acting on them). One of the reasons why he didn't, of course, is that we _do_ have a capable army. But I must stress: I'm very glad that the main active role of Swiss soldiers is to hand out cookies to schoolkids.
You sometimes see these at military shows or veteran car meets.
And this is in Denmark.
The video shown does not reflect the actual off-road suitability of the Pinzgauer! Just search for other videos on YT.
The Austrian Army still use the Pinzgauer in various configurations (ambulance, communication, transportation,...).
And yes, i'm living in Graz, Austria, home of the Pinzgauer, Haflinger, Puch G aka Mercedes G wagon,... 😛
I drove the 6x6 version of it in the Austrian Army and worked for the Company which built it in Graz.
I can't imagine any offroad vehicle that is more capable than a 6x6 Pinzgauer.
Comfort - NO, every soldier in the back always left the helmet on, because you permanently bump your head against the roof.
20k is a bargain, in Austria you barely get one, and in driving condition usually well above 40k.
... UNIMOG 6x6 if you give him the space to drive, as it is much bigger!
Hello from Switzerland. Here in Switzerland they were very present in the eighties and nineties because they were used by the military, today you rarely see them. Privately, they are still used a lot by farmers in the Alps. Unfortunately they are very expensive in Switzerland, a 4×4 in good condition 30-40K the 6×6 over 50K
About ten years ago Austrian army was with sale of used ones...few hudred vehicles. The price range was from 4000 € and up. The whole lot was sold within a day (not sure but was told when I ordered it the few days after the start of the sale and was allready sold out)
I actually own the same version pinzgauer you highlighted. I have to say after owning several hard off road vehicles the Pinz is by far the most enjoyable. Mine is a Swiss 710k built in 1976. Granted it doesn't have all the modern amenities of today's vehicles but for me that's a big part of the attraction. The capabilities of the Pinz is absolutely amazing! Especially considering its age. It's is so well balance & with the majority of the weight low in the drive train it's extremely stable off road. As you shown & I can attest the off road speed is impressive! As for comfort, it's by far one of the most comfortable off road vehicles I've ever driven. The suspension system & extreme ground clearance takes you smoothly over obstacles. I took it on a 1000 mile on & off road trek last August. Although the ride was smooth this vehicle was made for off road. It is understandably loud inside at highway speeds. Mainly from the drive train. Mine is completely stock with the exception of the SSI system installed for improved ignition performance. The Unimog has its place & I respect it's performance & history but for me the Pinz fits & exceeds my needs for overall enjoyment. It's truly a piece of history! I didn't expect how much attention it draws. There aren't many of them in the states & it definately turns heads everywhere I take it. I'm currently planning an overland conversion with the goal to keep it as original as possible. Great content highlighting this amazing vehicle! Best & keep.em coming!
the great thing ont he pinzgauers: its small like a car (a european car, not a ami-car) - its narrow.. you can go through woods with narrow planted trees...
nevertheless its that small, you can fit 10 (or 14 for the 3 axel version) People inside, or put 1 ton of material on its back..
its truely a workhorse.. mine i had at the millitary was somehting about 35 years old and running great
British Army loved these. They were still being built in the UK till 2007. That was years after Steyr-Daimler-Puch themselves had ceased production in Austria. The UK assembly line passed through a lot of different owners with BAE Systems being the last. Like the Land Rover and Humvee, the Pinzgauers proved too vulnerable in Iraq and Afghanistan. There was an armour kit for the three axle version that was used for a while but I think that was more of an interim solution till proper MRAPs like the Mastiff and Foxhound came into service. BAE did some development work on a Pinzgauer II that would have had better IED protection (I think they even did some trials with it in South Africa) but nothing came of it unfortunately.
Edit: Just looked it up, the British army don't use them for personnel transport anymore but loads still with the Royal Artillery for gun tractor duty.
Considering how much these cost now in Switzerland in a drivable comdition, he's gotten quite the deal (especially in the states)
Bings a lot memories to me 😂 off-roading in the Swiss Alp at my Army time in the 80s and 90s. It was mostly our daily Transport vehicle. There is no comfort in it. In winter time we where freezing like hell but the Pinz as we calf it is a workhorse and a real pain driving off road sitting behind on the benches 😅
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Great reaction again, when i was in the austrian army, we always drive with the Pinzgauer
Apparently a very small number of these do drive in the US, there was another one being driven in Oregon at some Vanlife-type gathering. That one was obviously former military since it had US flags etc. on it, this one here looks pretty clean and less ex-mil. Though some of them are old enough to probably be able to be imported to the US without much of a hassle too.
They did 6x6 versions of these too. And a smaller, lighter "Haflinger" version with less bodywork and a smaller air-cooled engine, though they stopped building those quite a long time ago.
They are commonly used as wildfire trucks in my country, Unimogs as tankers, pinzgauer as pumps or for carying equipment.
Ok
@@ivanh.d3297that stupid reply up there isn’t me it’s a scam bot
Unimogs and Pinzgauers seem like a lot of fun, but only when you're not forced to travel with them. In the Swiss Army, we were more than happy when we got new vehicles like the Duro.
I used to drive one when I was in the army and used to be a 6x6 military ambulance. We only used it for exercises in the mountains of Cyprus. Very capable off roader but really shit to drive on normal roads. When it was cold in the winter we used to remove the top cover of the engine and it was nice and toasty inside!😂
Already commented about it on another video but I used to drive these back in my austrian military times. They are unique in so many ways, both good and bad, and it‘s crazy how many weird stories I could tell that happened because of this vehicle. It‘s almost impossible to not have an amazing experience driving those and they all come with their own characteristics, i.e. stuff that is broken and weirdly fixed.
Edit: might add a video recommendation as well. There is a video of the Red Bull and Alpha Tauri „racing“ Pinzhauers.
Yeah, love or hate RedBull racing, you will wish you are working for Red Bull instead of other F1 teams.
Party atmosphere, doing what you love (cars), doing crazy things together
And most importantly, GETTING PAID FOR THAT!!!
Definitely worth having a look at is the Bandvagn 206 (Bv 206) family . Thanks for the interesting and entertaining videos.
I drove a Pinzgauer during my compulsory military service in Austria. Was fun.
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We have a 2003 uk Royal Navy pinzgauer 6x6 TMV. (I believe only 2 tmv made in the uk) it’s big enough to play and also use as a camper, it’s good on the road and manages about 11 mpg off road and 21mpg on normal roads. There is a promotional video where you can see the suspension on a test track and it’s pretty amazing. I love it and it just gets better every time we go out on adventures.
We had a lot of them as i was in the army in Switzerland, we mainly had 6x6 which were real beasts. I remember we were once crossing a field covered with 80 cm of snow, slowly making our way without getting stuck thanks to ground clearance and the 6x6 traction.
As i was in the army we also had Unimogs and Halflingers, the little halflinger was a fun thing to drive, so small and going everywhere but you better not tip over as there was no roof or any protection, well if you were stuck under it you could maybe just push hard and put it back on his wheels 😆
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You spelled it right.
Iam from Austria, i drive the Pinzgauer in the Austrian Army (Bundesheer), it was a very fun vehicel ;-)
I bought one of these after taking a ride with alpine adventure tours in New Hampshire..and is the most fun and capable vehicle I have ever driven..one day working on it aa runner came up the road and approached me in the driveway he stood there just looking at it with emotion written on his face..I asked if he was ok and he asked me if he could open the door and smell it...perplexed I said sure...you can sit in it if you want...he declined that but opened the door took a deep breath, tears were rolling down his face as soon as he did. I asked him if he was ok and he proceeded to tell me that he and his company were pinned down by the enemy and were facing certain death when suddenly a pinzgauer was seen climbing the side of the mountain. He and his crew jumped into the vehicle and drove down the mountain to safety and reinforcements..he said that vehicle saved our lives and I never forgot the smell. I asked if he wanted a ride but declined saying that would be too much for him to bear. I understood his reservation and also understood that unique smell of the interior of this vehicle.
Fun fact: The designer of the Pinzgauer, Erich Ledwinka is the son of Hans Ledwinka, the man who created the famous Tatra chassis. That's why they are similar in many aspects!
Maybe i missed it, but those things also have a quite strange battery configuration. 2 x 12V Batteries, that can be used in unison or as a normal 12V configuration with a backup. (They were made to be reliable, even in the coldest mountains)
2х75 Аh, for electronic equipment(radio station, etc...)
Pinzgauer, top pronunciation👍 we used to use them in the swiss army too.
There is a 6x6 version aswell👍
Keep up the great work, thank you for your time, effort and entertainment.
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Drove the 6x6 version during my recruit school in 1979 in the Swiss Army.
Much preferred the 6x6 model to the 4x4 as this one tended to be a bit unfriendly when going down steep inclines.
Swedish military TGB 30 and 40 built by Scania 4x4 and 6x6 are some awesome trucks. TGB 11 and 13 looks a lot like the Pinzgauer. With portal axles also. Theres an older one lovingly called "Valpen" from Volvo. This is 1960 to 1980´s vehicles used by Swedish army. I´m an old artillery soldier, so i got know these vehicles. Please look them up.
We had old one laying around at work at the factory where the bushmasters are made in a Australia it's name was Dr Pinz
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Check out the Hawkei next Gen protected vehicle from Thales Australia. ruclips.net/video/eK173Qt1pRA/видео.html the makers of the Bushmaster
Drove the 'ABC Pinz' or 'Radio Pinz' while in the Swiss Army. Loved it 👍
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Your enthusiasm is as always contagious! Here I am proud being Austrian and if I won the lottery I would put one of those things right before your house - it is a promise!
Glad you enjoy!!! I would be amazed to see such an amazing vehicle at my house! 🎉😎
Had much fun with it when serving millitary... 38 years ago. It was the most iconic car, and still it is. When my county
joined nato we were somehow pushed to order Humwees but after testing drives... nah... Puch overclass it manytimes.
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Pronunciation was perfect!
The conception of this thing is extremely puristic. :-) There are just a few requirements made:
- non armored military mule
- offroad-go-anywhere
- function only, no comfort
- as tiny as possible for transportation by airplane or... idk... inside of a standard industrial container or stuff like that.
But these 4 goals were put to the ultimate limit one could possibly imagine!!!
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Volvo made a very similar car for the Swedish military in 1961 called Valpen (The puppy) Tgb 903. Terrain car 903. Search for Volvo valp.
volvo did not made a version of pinzgauer, they made their own trucks.
The Volvo c303 is 4x4 3.5to the 304 4.2or 4.5 to &306 are 6x6 up to 6to
@@TomaszbtdZiobrowski I did change that, but it seems that YT didn't update. 903 is older too, but they look very similar.
There is a company in Colorado that imports these from Switzerland. They are made in Austria, but most of the the Pinzgauers are ex Swiss Army. There is a 6 wheeled version with either a 4 or 6 cylinder aircooled motor. Not sure if a 6 cylinder motor was optional for the 4 wheel version.
This is the Swiss make of Volvo TG 11 and TG 13. Still in use at some swedish army units. And for you as a Scania fan. Check out the Swedish Army trucks TG 30 and TG 40. Mostly used to pull Haubits 70 mm guns. If you look at the axels you find the secret for ground clearance. Look at the L-shaped ends that gives you extra 4 inch of clearance.
Land rover also did a boxy forward control truck like this .The 101 I think it was
@hitmeupontelegrammtashed5887 whenever I watch your videos and see your enthusiasm for all this different stuff I'm a winner
Pinzgauers are, outside of Switzerland and Austria, a rare breed.
They are purpose-built small military off-road vehicles and I haven't seen one here in my part of Germany.
I am pretty sure there are some in mountainous areas like Bavaria - here in superflat Westphalia, they wouldn't make sense at all.
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in the bundesheer (army) one also says "mountain goat with crampons" to it because its so nice to try up mountains
@IWrocker you are correct - the levers are for the diff locks.
The owner got it wrong - the left lever is not for 4WD - it is for locking the center diff. It's a Freudian mistake.
4WD is permanent on the Pinzgauer.
I once rode alongside a friend in his tractor. As he went off-road he used a similar lever. I asked him for it's purpose and he told me "it's the 4WD". I looked at the sign and it was clearly the central diff lock. Like I said, it's a Freudian mistake.
There are vehicles out there, like the famous Willys Jeep with a 2WD/4WD switch lever/button. 2WD for more speed and less wear and consumption on-road - 4WD for off-road.
Hardcore-off-roaders and farm tractors are permanent 4WD - but diff locks can be disengaged for better road handling and less wear.
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There's this saying from the original Steyr testdrivers of the Pinzgauer which roughly translates to: "the only thing that stops the Pinzgauer is the fear of the driver".
You will notice that a lot of comments from austrian and swiss people mention that they know the Pinzgauer from their army service: both countries had and have conscription.
And apart from bigger trucks, the Pinzgauer was (and sometimes even is to this day) the main form of motorized transport on small mountain paths.
Many of those you wouldn't be able to fit a Unimog or Humve.
I remember from my time, when our NCO who drive while i navigated changed from a small path to a mountain bike track. (I did not tell him to do that, but he insisted that it is a shortcut he knew) We made it through the track with ease.
Next day he choose a horse trail with the argument "there's a horse race named Pinzgauer too..."
Only two of the fun stories i have experienced with them, and i only ever was a passenger in one. (our army only lets dedicated drivers who have to make a seperate mil drivers license drive vehicles)
And something unique about it is the engine sound. I bet, any former infantery conscript in Switzerland and Sustria can identify a Pinzgauer blindly from a far just by the sound of it driving by, nothing else sounds like it.
Unimog is much more in use because of it's utilitarian capabilitys and is still in production. The Pinzgauer in comparsion is a lighter, faster carrier by its time.
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Unimog vs Pinzgauer -> I'd go with the Pinz. The Pinz seems faster, lighter and more agile.
Now for something compleeetly different: check out the 4-wheel drive Citroen CV2!
Used to drive with these a lot while serving my 6 months of mandatory military service (mostly the 6x6 version). One day we went to an offroad track and it was a lot fun.
Also its not really in the same category as a Unimog, a better comparison would be a Steyr 12M18 - also an awesome machine which despite being from the 90s still used very widely.
He should know the 12M18, it is used in the USArmy as FMTV.
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I still love it - so old (in nearly any view) but this beast just get you everywhere 🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟
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I was a hlaf years ago in the austrian military. These days is drove the pinzgauer daily, the 6x6. I drove it in a half year about 20000 km and i loved it and we we're going in really ruff terrain. You cant destroy this vehicle. It's gonna last forever.
I used to go wheeling with some guys who had some crazy gear. There was a 6x6 Pinz, a Haflinger, a G Wagen and a Hummer. They were some pretty wild trips.
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I had a Pinzgauer , a 710K K = Kastenwagen = hardtop like this one. They are offroad better than an Unimog from the same year. In the beginning it's very strange to sit on top off the front axle. They are great fun, but also very rare. Spare parts are expansive.
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You have learned Things about the Unimog (Heavy Vehicle) and the Pinzgauer (Medium weight Vehicle), please search for the Haflinger (Light weight Vehicle) with its Twenty-something HP 2-Cylinder-Boxer-Engine. You won't regret!
Difficult to get one
They are few and far between in Sweden, because we have our own terrain vehicles. Built by Volvo for the army. The equialent of the pinzgauer is called Volvo C303 (4X4) or C304 (6x6). The equialent of the Haflinger would be the Volvo 903 (the "puppy"). The Unimog is in a class of its own, but my favorit is still the old Volvo TP21 (The "sow"). If you search "Arsenalen Tank Museum" they have videos in english about most of the vehicles used by swedish military.
My father drove Pinzgauer, in military and told me story’s how fun it is, hopefully you find one, me in the other hand on my previous job drove a unimog and it is a beast for sure 💪🏽🔥
there are a lot here in Switzerland, my neighboor was able to get his hands on a 6x6 variant of the thing, i want to buy his truck when i'll be able to
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@IWrocker: i nearly crashed one Pinzgauer once:
i drove Pinzgauers in my military service in Austria, at "Grenzeinsatz". i was bringing wood for fire to some borderguard which had a tent on a hill..
i was parking the Pinzgauer on top of the hill, i slightly Incline: The thing with the pinzgauer: it has no classic parking brake: the parking-brake brakes the rear cardan shaft.
so i applied the parking brake and had first gear in. When we left the car and smashed the doors of it, it started to rolling: fullwheeldrive was not engaded: one rear wheel was standing on solid asphalt, the other rearwheel on wet, slippery gras: so, the cardan shaft was blocked: the diff was spinning, the wheel on the asphalt forward, the wheel on the slippery gras backwards..
so the pinzgauer was running away, faster and faster down the hill..
fortunatly there was a street crossing.. when he reached that, bouth rear wheels had aphsalt, and it stopped ! otherwise it would have gone 200m down through a steep vine yard
loved this vehicle..
Here in Namibia there are a few Pinzgauers around. 4x4 and 6x6...
The South African Defence Force / South West Africa Territory Force purchased a number of them in the 70's to evaluate.
Even though they are very good, they lost out to the Unimog.
Thanks for sharing this video 👍 they also apears in Paris Dakar early years,side by side with unimogs😃
In army,i drive both 😍😍😍 hello from Portugal
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Hello from Australia. While I am very interested in the Pinzgauer, and I've been into heavy 4WDing for quite some time, I have never actually seen one in Australia.
I just did another search for one for sale in Australia and could not find any currently for sale.
However there are some here as I did find some old ebay ads for them on Australian Ebay, but I think they were all privately imported.
well each one has it pros and cons while the unimog was intended and build for farmers as an utility multipurpose traktor wich made it the better work horse. while the pinz was build as an military offroad vehicle for the mountains in austria switzerland...... so its the better offroader... by choosing wich is better u shouldnt forget for what kind of work habitat they where build.
I truly admired this vehicle!I'm differential mechanic.the secret is on the differential .independent left and right diff'l suspension with mechanical lock!the best design for off road!!
A friend of mine has a 6x6. A funny truck. In the nearby city is also one driving around.
Driven many variants of these back in army times in Switzerland. They are fun. Just remember how old they have to be: I joined the army in 1996 and by 2002 most of these were gone. I never saw any newer than 1974 so this beast is probably 50 years old. I got a cargo model with tarp back to 130km/h (around 80mph) but that was scary, exceptional and some high rpm warning light was on as well.
The Pinzgauer is not common in Germany but I saw a few in Austria. I never had chance to drive ohne but I drove a Unimog 2 or 3 times at German Army in 1990. What I found amazing about the Unimog was the gearbox, you have 8 gears for forward or backwards driving. They use a additional tumbler gear to do this.
this is from my country it give also 6x6 and Haflinger it´s a smaller one
I drive them regulary, 6x6 is most used because of the load capacity but i love them, they are great, reliable and durable. They are aviable as gas and diesel. Sadly there is no fitting replacement in existence.
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Hm, this brings the "Eastern Block" type of such car to mind (at least similar). Soviets started using it. They recently released yet another iteration, so it's still being made! It's called Buchanka from UAZ (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UAZ-452).
The Russian and Ukrainian armies are still using this vehicle in the war today.
Lada Niva is also still available brand new too!
@@ZIGZAG12345 I don't have much experience with Niva. Driven it just once, and I've seen it more like a small SUV. Buchanka, as i understan it, is a candidate for the socialist Unimog :) Simple, rugged, off-roady, multipurpose,...
The big difference is: Swiss and Austrian products are pure quality, while Soviet cars are basically scrap that's just closely able to roll. The difference on the pro side for Soviet cars: Parts are cheap and the tech is simple enough for anybody to fix it (Swiss and Austrians tend to overdesign).
@@stanislemovsky5590
Any European truck brand which tried to copy any Russian/former Soviet brand doing any of that Siberian logging stuff would see the European truck get badly broken very quickly. They'd almost certainly get stuck in the same terrain as the Soviet trucks would too.
No, the Buchanka is not similar. Compared to the Pinzgauer the Buchanka is a luxury vehicle. It has a heating, the motor is a bit noise isolated, it drives much faster, is easier to load, has working wipers, comfortable seats, and so on. But the Pinzgauer is much more capable in really heavy terrain - and comes with a camouflage light 😉.
I see a 4x4 Pinzgauer twice a week here, parked in my mothers frontyard and am thinking about buying a Buchanka. The latter would be much better for campingtrips.
I'm living in rural Bavaria and the Unimog is a staple around here. I heard of Pinzgauer but never saw one driving around here.
Check out the swedish Volvo C303 and C 306, they are called TGB11, TGB 13 and TGB 20 in the swedish military. They lock almost identical with the Pinzgauer.
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during the military in Switzerland I drove several .... both 4x4 and 6x6 ...... unstoppable but with exaggerated fuel consumption ..... I had fun with the Pinzgauer 👍💪
I have driven one, completly restored, better than new! That thing is an offroad beast and yet drives as good as an (old) normal car!
just a reminder: the KMW Dingo 1/2/3 have militarized Unimog chassis and many Dingo variants are very successful in service. The large Dingo 2 version for example is the direct competition to the Bushmaster you looked at before, with a very similar success story.
You might want to look into it as a new Unimog fan.
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The Pinzgauer was designed as a troop transport. Its designed to get you somewhere quickly, the unimog is a motorized multitool, it may not be as fast and light but it'll do any job except Prostitution. The plant that the pinzgauer comes from is legendary though. Thats where the G Wagon was made, the iltis maybe as well but don't quote me on that (the iltis was the successor to the type 181 and the first vehicle to use the audi quattro 4 wheel drive system) and also the syncro Volkswagens from the time where having a 4 wheel drive vehicle actually ment something. The T3 syncro, the golf country, the LT Syncro. The fiat panda 4x4.
Nice little detail…
The exhaust is in a position that the exhaust
fumes are getting sucked into the loading/sitting
area of the troops which guarantees a healthy dose
of poisoning….at least in the old days of austrian service.
Greetings
That is similar to the Land Rover 101, it has a forward control cab, in the US you have a 25 year old rule for importing vehicles or you can fetch them in if a vehicle of interest.
I’ve watched both the Unimog and Pinzgauer video and really like the basic and unprejudiced approach you take. Funny enough I actually own 2 Pinzgauers (4x4 Petrol and 6x6 Diesel) and also owned a Unimog 92’ U1200, so I might be able to do some comparison. I personally think they are indeed very different, but let me explain:
Fair enough both cars were similar on the outside and had mostly the same purpose when they were developed. There even was a legendary offroad test between both trucks arranged from the Swiss military before they bought the Pinzgauers in large numbers. The Legend goes that Mercedes-Benz had very good connections to the military staff, and they made sure that the offroad-test-track would fit the Unimogs capabilities perfectly to improve its chances. But it simply happened that the Pinz performed superior in every task and so Steyr-Puch won the contract.
But there are quite some differences between the two. While the Pinzgauer was designed explicit for military purposes and tried to also serve the civilian market, it was mostly the other way round with the Unimog. Also, the Pinzauer mostly stayed the same during all its production timespan, while the Unimog was developed heavily. And so over time they got further and further apart from each other. The Unimog got much bigger over Time and competed with the bigger trucks while the Pinzgauer stayed rather small in its almost Car-Like dimensions (at least the 4x4 version).
Also, from a technical standpoint they are not as close as it seems. Of course, both have Portal Axles and are Body on Frame, but that’s where similarities pretty much end. While the Unimog has a ladder frame and traditional rigid axles, the Pinzgauer (as its predecessor the Haflinger) takes a totally different approach with its characteristic center tube frame and fully independent swing axle suspension. This also means that every driveshaft runs inside this rigid tube frame and the differential casings are also an integrated part of the frame.
Basically, the frame of a 4x4 Pinzgauer from front to back consists of: Front-end piece with hitch, differential case, large middle section with inner driveshaft, group gearbox piece with power inlet, another differential case, and the rear-end piece with tow hitch and integrated handbrake. Want a 6x6? Simply add another differential case and a smaller middle section. So theoretically you could make an endless long Pinzgauer with as many axles as you want by simply bolting these frame pieces together. But the cleverest trick of this construction is, that the swing axles are directly carried in the differential casings. There are no open axle bushings or anything like that. This whole construction is massively overbuilt, and Steyr-Puch was always keen on using only the best materials available. Subsequently you end up with an extremely stiff and capable, yet very light vehicle frame.
Naturally this genius and rather unique solution of building a truck comes at a very high price and that’s the reason the Pinzgauer was never successful in the civilian market. Besides military purposes it was only bought by a few firefighting and rescue units in mountainous areas as well as some power grid companies that really had to go everywhere. But this construction is also another Reason that the Pinzgauer always stayed the same, as you’d need to reconstruct literally everything if you want a slightly different vehicle (except in length of course).
So, which one’s better? Honestly, I have no Idea. Personally, I like both vehicles very much and in reality it depends on what you want to do with them. The Pinzgauer is lighter and a little more capable in off-roading. In Europe the spare parts situation is better on the Unimog, but only because you get everything at the Mercedes dealer around the corner while Puch parts must be ordered online. Although Steyr-Puch as a Company sadly isn’t around anymore for quite some time there are still suppliers for (most) original Parts, at least for now.
Here in Austria you see them from time to time, less then a Unimog, but they are more sureplus as zivilian vehicels, and they are...really not that cheap. This is a verry specialiced car for millitary use (Aircooled-gas engine, so the wathercooler cant be hit by a bullet etc.) while evrey comunity has at least 2-3 Unimogs in use (gardening jobs,firefighting etc).So there are mutch more Unimogs in the used marked.The Pinz" is also a car ,specialized for Austria-alpin terrain, with narrow roads and forrests,so they are often used for a expedition-vehicel, mostley with the 6-zylinder dieselengine (wathercooled,less consumption of gas) in the 6x6 configuration (Type 718, if i remember correct) because in normal usage they are nearly "Indistructible" just like by all old cars......rust
They still had those when I did my national service and I was a radio/signals troop leader with my "own" Pinzgauer. They're so awesome, but not when you have to sit in the back and the driver is speeding over a country road hehe.
I thought about buying one, but they're INSANELY expensive... I mean maybe if you can get one directly from the Bundesheer, but the ones I saw for sale privately are too much for what they are.
In late 1960s as I was developing interest in 4WD vehicles and reaching 18yrs age and thus getting my driver's license, we had a small company in my suburb Springvale in Melbourne Australia that was selling both the Pinzgauer and a popular at the time smaller sibling the Haflinger vehicles, assembling these from complete kits from the Austrian manufacturer.
I even test drove both, and thevPinzgauer was quite an experience, but cost wise way out of my range. In 1974 I ended up buying my first 4WD a Suzuki LJ50 'Jiminy' 3 cyl 540cc two stroke motor compact 4WD.
The smaller Haflinger was cheaper than a VW Beetle and very, extremely capable, though only a two cylinder motor. Its worst characteristic due to narrow width was a tendency to overturn and worse due to having diff locks, that many used to try conquering especially steep climbs, they back flipped and tumbled down the hill. Efforts to add roll cages made them even more prone to such rollover and back flipping due to raised centre of gravity.
The larger Pinzgauer 4WD/6WD cost considerably more, though it too was only a 4 cyl engine from recollection. It fared better as far as stability but also was frequently laid on its side. Its special feature was a herring bone central chassis, which gave significant lengthwise twist. On rough ground in the rear vision mirror you could see the rear end twisted at significant angle to the front end. The central core was almost an oval tubular form with side producing 'ribs' or fish bones holding body and suspension and Axel mounts. Drive was to wheels by down angled shafts to wheel hub reduction gearing. Giving the entire vehicle a huge ground clearance along the entire length of the vehicle, far more than other 4WD vehicles with typical H frame chassis and Axel's.
Note both names Pinzgauer and Haflinger are names of working horses in Austria, the Pinzgauer a large sturdy working horse not quite to Clydesdale mass. The Haflinger a smaller horse bit bigger than a large pony. Both used on farms and mine sites as well commonly seen in winter pulling sleds through snow cover land, and pulling various size carts and carriages in warmer times.
Another note worthy point, both vehicles are designed and manufactured by an Austrian company, Styre-Puch that Mercedes Benz contracted to design their Mercedes G Wagon 4WD that become quite a success around the world.
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The fuel tank size definitely is not an issue. Believe me, you won't want to drive it for more than 50-100 miles before stopping. ;) You'll definitely need to give your ears a break even before that.
The New Zealand military uses both Unimogs and Pinzgauers. Both have been sold to the public as well.