History is littered with significant motoring marques that have fallen by the wayside, often failing to recover from a multitude of challenges such as financial issues, downturns in the economy and World Wars. Or in the case of Austro-Hungarian automaker Austro Daimler, a combination of all three.
Established in 1899, Austro Daimler initially produced engines for luxurious cars, trucks and trains, eventually developing its own vehicles, which competed successfully at a number of racing events of the era. Notable models included the Prinz Heinrich, capable of 85mph, and the fastest car in the world during 1910. With the First World War putting an end to automotive production, it wasn’t until 1930 that Austro-Daimler got back to building a range of advanced and innovative vehicles. The last one to come out of the factory was the 1931 six-cylinder ‘Bergmeister’, so-called because of its dominance in numerous mountain races.
Nearly 90 years have passed since then and this year its spiritual heir has finally been released, the 1214hp Austro Daimler ADR 630 Shooting Grand. This retro-styled sports car combines the 3-liter inline-six found in the Mercedes-AMG GT with three electric motors, each producing 275hp, giving it a top speed of over 200mph and a 0-62mph time of 2.5-seconds. The plug-in hybrid ADR 630 is capable of travelling up to 156 miles under electric power alone thanks to its 55 kW lithium-ion battery pack.
ADR 630 Shooting Grand project managerRoland Stagl commented, “When we were developing the vehicle, our overriding concern was to capture the spirit of the original Bergmeister and to translate this into the future, just as if the brand never ceased to exist. Considering the ethos and values of the brand and acknowledging its position as a true automotive innovator, led us to design the Shooting Grand with what we like to describe as innovation by tradition.”
Plans to build a small batch of customer cars is a possibility but not much has been revealed on that front as of yet. Having been shown at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy earlier this year, the car is now set to be unveiled to the UK public at the Salon Privé Concours on September 5.
Images courtesy of Salon Privé
