Gräf & Stift

Gräf & Stift was an Austrian vehicle manufacturer based in Vienna and active under that name from 1904 until 2001. Its origins lay in a bicycle-repair and bicycle-manufacturing workshop established by the Gräf brothers in Vienna in 1893. The brothers subsequently experimented with automobile engineering, commissioning Josef Kainz to design a small front-wheel-drive voiturette during the late 1890s. Although only one example was built, the project became an important early milestone in the company’s engineering history and the front-wheel-drive concept was patented in 1900. The business expanded its automotive activities through cooperation with Wilhelm Stift, an Austrian automobile importer and manufacturer associated with the Celeritas marque. Celeritas vehicles were assembled at the Gräf workshops, and in 1904 the partners formed Gräf & Stift. The company also built vehicles for the Spitz marque before adopting its own name after Spitz’s bankruptcy in 1907. Gräf & Stift then developed a reputation for large, technically sophisticated and carefully finished automobiles. Its customers included members of the Austrian aristocracy and the Habsburg royal household, helping establish the company as a premium Austrian automobile maker. The company’s historical profile was shaped by the role of one of its luxury touring cars in the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. The vehicle was a Gräf & Stift Bois de Boulogne model Double Phaeton owned by Count Franz von Harrach, who was also in the car. The preserved automobile is displayed at Vienna’s Museum of Military History and has become one of the most recognizable historic vehicles associated with the beginning of the First World War. During the First World War, Gräf & Stift shifted toward trucks, buses and special-purpose vehicles. Passenger-car production resumed in 1920 with the two-litre Typ VK, followed by larger six-cylinder models and, from 1930, the eight-cylinder Typ Sp 8. The company later introduced the Sp 9, smaller or less expensive models, and limited collaborations involving Citroën and Ford-licensed vehicles. These efforts did not make the passenger-car business sufficiently profitable. The C 12, fitted with a twelve-cylinder engine, was the company’s final own passenger-car model, and automobile production ended in 1938. After the Second World War, Gräf & Stift concentrated on commercial vehicles. It remained a family-managed business for a period and built its first trolleybuses in 1948. In 1971 it merged with Österreichische Automobil Fabriks-AG, creating ÖAF-Gräf & Stift AG. MAN AG took over the combined company later that year. Under MAN ownership, the Vienna operation continued to manufacture trucks and buses, largely based on MAN designs, while retaining particular importance as a trolleybus producer for the Austrian and wider European markets. Its trolleybuses operated in cities including Salzburg, Solingen, Bergen and Innsbruck. The company produced its first low-floor trolleybuses in 1992, including ten vehicles supplied to Innsbruck. The Gräf & Stift name remained in use for the Austrian operation and for trolleybuses until 2001. Following MAN’s acquisition of Neoplan and related organizational changes, ÖAF-Gräf & Stift AG was renamed MAN Sonderfahrzeuge AG. The entity later became MAN Nutzfahrzeuge Österreich AG in 2004. Manufacturing facilities on the original Vienna site continued to be used by MAN, but the historic Gräf & Stift brand was no longer used as an independent company name.

The Gräf brothers began in Vienna with a bicycle service and manufacturing workshop in 1893. As their bicycle business grew, they moved to larger premises and began exploring automobile production. Their early automobile experiment was a small voiturette designed by Josef Kainz and built during the late 1890s. It used a front-mounted single-cylinder De Dion-Bouton engine driving the front axle, making it an important early example of front-wheel-drive engineering. The design was patented in 1900, although the vehicle was not mass-produced. In 1901 the brothers began working with Wilhelm Stift, an automobile importer who had also been involved with the Celeritas marque. Celeritas vehicles using French engines were assembled at the Gräf works. The partners founded Gräf & Stift in 1904, and the company subsequently produced vehicles for Arnold Spitz’s Spitz marque. When Spitz became insolvent in 1907, the manufacturer began selling vehicles under its own name. Gräf & Stift specialized in substantial, refined automobiles and won a reputation among Austria’s aristocracy and the Habsburg court. Its best-known historical vehicle was a Bois de Boulogne Double Phaeton purchased by Count Franz von Harrach in 1910. Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie were passengers in the car when they were assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914. The preserved car is now held by Vienna’s Museum of Military History. The First World War encouraged the company to produce trucks, buses and special vehicles. Passenger cars returned in 1920 with the Typ VK, a two-litre model that remained in production, in updated VK 2 form, until 1928. Gräf & Stift resumed production of larger luxury cars in 1921, offering six-cylinder models during the 1920s and early 1930s. The eight-cylinder Typ Sp 8 appeared in 1930 and was replaced by the Sp 9 in 1937. The company also attempted to broaden its market through the G 35, G 36 and G 8, through assembly of a Citroën-based MF 6 in 1935–1936, and through Ford-licensed Gräf-Ford V8 vehicles. These initiatives did not restore sufficient profitability to the passenger-car division. The C 12, introduced in limited numbers in 1938, was the final Gräf & Stift passenger car. From 1938 onward the company concentrated on commercial vehicles. After 1945 it continued as a family-owned enterprise for a time and expanded its bus and truck activities. It built its first trolleybuses in 1948, eventually becoming a significant supplier of trolleybuses in Austria and elsewhere in Europe. The company merged with Österreichische Automobil Fabriks-AG in 1971 to form ÖAF-Gräf & Stift AG. MAN AG took over the combined business later that year. The Vienna subsidiary continued to produce trucks and buses, mainly derived from MAN designs, and became MAN’s principal trolleybus producer during the 1980s and 1990s. Its trolleybuses were supplied to cities such as Salzburg, Solingen, Bergen and Innsbruck. In 1992 it built its first low-floor trolleybuses, including ten vehicles for Innsbruck. At the end of 2000, ÖAF-Gräf & Stift AG had 897 employees. The company reported sales of €111 million for the six-month short fiscal period from 1 July through 31 December 2000. These figures describe the MAN subsidiary shortly before its historic name was retired. In 2001, after organizational changes associated with MAN’s acquisition of Neoplan, the company was renamed MAN Sonderfahrzeuge AG. It became MAN Nutzfahrzeuge Österreich AG in 2004. MAN continued using the Vienna production site, but Gräf & Stift ceased to exist as an independent operating brand.

• 2001

  Historic name discontinued

  [1]Gräf & Stiften.wikipedia.org

  The MAN subsidiary was renamed MAN Sonderfahrzeuge AG, ending the formal use of the Gräf & Stift company name.

• 1992

  First low-floor trolleybuses

  [1]Gräf & Stiften.wikipedia.org

  The company produced its first low-floor trolleybuses, including ten vehicles for Innsbruck.

• 1971

  Merger with ÖAF and MAN takeover

  [1]Gräf & Stiften.wikipedia.org

  Gräf & Stift merged with ÖAF and the resulting ÖAF-Gräf & Stift AG was taken over by MAN AG.

• 1948

  First trolleybus production

  [1]Gräf & Stiften.wikipedia.org

  Gräf & Stift built its first trolleybuses, beginning a long-standing specialization.

• 1938

  End of automobile production

  [1]Gräf & Stiften.wikipedia.org

  The company ceased passenger-car manufacturing and concentrated on trucks and buses.

• 1930

  First eight-cylinder model

  [1]Gräf & Stiften.wikipedia.org

  Gräf & Stift introduced the eight-cylinder Typ Sp 8.

• 1920

  Passenger-car production resumes

  [1]Gräf & Stiften.wikipedia.org

  The company returned to passenger cars with the two-litre Typ VK.

• 1914

  Double Phaeton used in Sarajevo

  [1]Gräf & Stiften.wikipedia.org

  A Gräf & Stift Double Phaeton carried Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie immediately before their assassination in Sarajevo.

• 1904

  Gräf & Stift established

  [1]Gräf & Stiften.wikipedia.org

  The Gräf brothers and Wilhelm Stift formed the joint company that carried the Gräf & Stift name.

• 1900

  Front-wheel-drive patent

  [1]Gräf & Stiften.wikipedia.org

  The Gräf brothers patented the front-wheel-drive system developed for their experimental voiturette.

• 1893

  Gräf brothers establish bicycle workshop

  [1]Gräf & Stiften.wikipedia.org

  Franz, Heinrich and Karl Gräf began a bicycle-repair and manufacturing business in Vienna, providing the foundation for their later automotive activities.

Originally positioned as a premium Austrian automobile maker serving aristocratic, institutional and affluent customers; later repositioned around trucks, buses, trolleybuses and special-purpose commercial vehicles for Austria and other European markets.

• Luxury automobile

  Bois de Boulogne Double Phaeton

  A large open touring car associated with Gräf & Stift’s pre-1914 luxury-car reputation. One example, owned by Count Franz von Harrach, carried Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. The preserved vehicle is displayed at Vienna’s Museum of Military History.

• Passenger car · 1920

  Typ VK and VK 2

  The Typ VK was a two-litre intermediate-size passenger car that marked the company’s return to automobile production after the First World War. It remained in production until 1928, with the modernized VK 2 designation used from 1926.

• Luxury automobile · 1930

  Typ Sp 8 and Sp 9

  The Sp 8 was Gräf & Stift’s first eight-cylinder automobile, introduced in 1930 as part of its large luxury-car range. It was succeeded by the Sp 9 in 1937 as the company continued to serve the premium segment before ending passenger-car production.

• Luxury automobile · 1938

  C 12

  The C 12 was the company’s final own passenger-car design. It used a twelve-cylinder engine and was produced only in limited numbers in 1938, shortly before Gräf & Stift withdrew from automobile manufacturing.

• Trolleybus · 1948

  Gräf & Stift trolleybuses

  Trolleybuses became a major postwar product line and remained associated with the name under MAN ownership. Vehicles were supplied to several European cities, including Salzburg, Solingen, Bergen and Innsbruck. The company introduced low-floor trolleybuses in 1992.

• 2001

  Retire the Gräf & Stift corporate nameStrategy

  Background

  MAN reorganized its operations following the acquisition of Neoplan.

  Action taken

  ÖAF-Gräf & Stift AG was renamed MAN Sonderfahrzeuge AG.

  Aftermath

  The Gräf & Stift name ceased to identify the operating company, although the Vienna facilities continued under MAN ownership.

  Source

• 1971

  Merge with ÖAF and join MANM&A

  Background

  The Austrian commercial-vehicle business was reorganized through a combination with Österreichische Automobil Fabriks-AG.

  Action taken

  The combined company became ÖAF-Gräf & Stift AG and was taken over by MAN AG in the same year.

  Aftermath

  The Vienna operation continued as a MAN subsidiary, producing trucks, buses and trolleybuses largely based on MAN designs.

  Source

• 1938

  Withdraw from passenger-car manufacturingStrategy

  Background

  Attempts to improve passenger-car profitability through smaller models and collaborations with Citroën and Ford did not provide a sufficient commercial foundation.

  Action taken

  The company ended automobile production and redirected its business toward trucks, buses and special-purpose vehicles.

  Aftermath

  Gräf & Stift remained active in commercial vehicles and did not return to independent passenger-car production.

  Source

1. 1Gräf & Stiften.wikipedia.org