Gräf & Stift
Graf & Stift ( 1907: . Vienna automotive Fabrik AG, vorm Graf & Stift ) was established in 1904 by the brothers Franz, Heinrich and Carl Graef and the merchant and investor Wilhelmstift Austrian automobile manufacturer.
Company History
By 1896, with initially three brothers Graef a workshop in Vienna, in 1897 already surrendered the first car with a water-cooled four-cylinder engine. This vehicle was equipped with a four-speed gear transmission with gate shift instead of the belt transmission used at the time. 1898, the first automobile was manufactured with front wheel drive. This technique they left in 1900 and patented.
1901 came the investor Wilhelmstift, from which in 1904 resulted in the establishment of the company in the Weinberggasse ( Vienna Dobling ). From 1905, the company built especially large sedans ( and Others for the Habsburg imperial family ) and small buses that were used from 1908 among others for the tourist traffic. Graf & Stift was in Austria but also a major manufacturer of buses - both for the city and for highway driving - and of superstructures for trams. Had developed by Graf & Stift Dolomitenbus 22 kW ( 30 hp ), a folding top and eleven seats, which were divided into two classes. He was on the route Vienna - used Bolzano.
In a Double Phaeton (28/ 32 hp ) of Graf & Stift, which was owned by Count Franz Harrach, Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne sat, as the assassination attempt was made on his life in Sarajevo, which triggered the First World War. The car is now on display at Heeresgeschichtlichem Museum in Vienna. During the war years 1916-17 the Döblinger work was substantially expanded. The planning was carried out by architect Philipp Jakob Manz.
1929 merged with the Graf & Stift automobile factory Perl, which had its seat since 1922 in present-day district of Vienna Liesing. At the beginning mainly trucks and buses were produced, but the production was in 1929 temporarily halted.
On 28 May 1931 Graf & Stift buses than the remote line Vienna -Budapest was opened. The first ride was young in six hours by the designer of the bus, Mr Josef Graef. even performed.
In the days of March 1938, the workforce consisted only of about 300 men who were partly in short-time work. After the "Anschluss " 1,500 people were employed. The production program was changed from small series to mass production of trucks and buses.
Beginning of the sixties, the company began to make losses. 1964 were built just 165 trucks. By 1970, the losses continued to rise. Graf & Stift started negotiations with the ÖAF and 1971 acquired the Austrian Automobile Fabriks -AG 99% of Graef shares. The new company name was now ÖAF - Graf & Stift AG; In the same year the company was acquired by MAN AG.
In 1978 the company received the National Award and was allowed to use in commercial transactions, the Federal coat of arms.
1988 MAN built on the site of Graf & Stift strain work in Liesing a new plant. 2004 MAN again invested seven million euros for a modern and environmentally friendly paint and thus secured the jobs in Vienna. MAN at the old site of Graf & Stift is still the largest employer in the district.
Since 1988, recalls in Vienna Dobling ( 19th district ) of Gräfweg to the founders of the company.
Rolling stock
Automobiles 1920-1938
Trolleybuses
It also electric trolley buses for the cities of Salzburg, Innsbruck ( Austria ), Solingen, Eberswalde (Germany ) and Bergen (Norway ) from ÖAF Graf & Stift were built.
Truck
The Graf & Stift ZAFD is a tractor in the Austrian army. It was from this house but also 4x4 and 6x6 truck with a simple cabin and double cabin. One of these was the three-axle heavy truck type ZT 200
Special series
Except buses put Graf & Stift also constructions for tram chassis forth. Graf & Stift produced mobile post offices, blood donation buses, X- buses, buses hospital for the Armed Forces, as well as courtesy buses with 14 meters long and 3.5 meters wide for the airports of Vienna -Schwechat and Los Angeles (USA).