Austro-Daimler Press Kit of August 1976 — Puch Launch the £600 Bicycle: a Photograph, a Caption and Press Releases with the Range’s Prices

A press kit for the British launch of the Austro-Daimler range by Steyr-Daimler-Puch (Great Britain) Ltd, Nottingham, issued through Murray Evans Associates: a press photograph, a caption sheet and typed releases, one dated 26 August 1976, with the range’s prices.

— Page 1 —
[A black-and-white press photograph of a young woman and a young man standing close together beside a drop-handlebar racing bicycle on a city sidewalk, with a brick house and a street behind them. The page carries no printed lettering; the bicycle’s down tube and top tube show the maker’s name in lettering on the frame.]

— Page 2 —
CAPTION

With a £600 bicycle at the kerb, what more could a man want. Our intrepid pedaller might soon be eyeing up a tandem, but in the meantime it is the luxury of £600 cycling for him. The Puch Austro-Daimler Ultima Superleicht (the name is nearly as long as the price tag) is definitely the ultimate in pedalled transport. It will appeal both to the professional racer and to the well-heeled executive. The machine is part of a range starting at £110 and available from the national network of Puch cycle dealers. The kerb is part of Bayswater’s exclusive (and expensive) Lombardy Place where an Austro-Daimler on the garage wall wouldn’t raise an eyebrow.

Further information from:
Nick Harvey, Murray Evans Associates Limited, Hartree House, Queensway, London W2 4SQ. Tel: 01-727 1475
Telex 21527

[A typed caption sheet headed “CAPTION” for a press photograph of the Puch Austro-Daimler Ultima Superleicht, with a contact name, address, telephone and telex line at the foot. A strip of yellowed adhesive tape residue sits at the top edge; the heading and the word “nearly” are underlined in the typing.]

— Page 3 —
PRESS RELEASE
STEYR
PUCH

STOP PRESS!

THE £600 BICYCLE AT EARLS COURT

The up-to-£600 range of Austro-Daimler bicycles (see enclosed press release) will be seen at the Earls Court two-wheel show, August 28-September 4. The exclusive A-D models will be shown alongside the complete range of Puch bicycles which starts at £43.

Austro-Daimler price list

Ultima Superleicht | £599.95*
Superleicht | £499.95
Vent Noir | £299.95
Vent Noir Mixte | £309.95
Inter 10 | £199.95
Inter 10 Mixte | £209.95
A-D SL | £139.95
A-D SL Mixte | £149.95
A-DS | £109.95
A-DS Mixte | £119.95

All prices include Value Added Tax
and free fully comprehensive insurance
Frame and forks are guaranteed for ten years on all models except the Ultima Superleicht (*) which carries a lifetime guarantee.

Austro-Daimler bicycles are available through the extensive national network of Puch dealers

for further information contact
Murray Evans Associates Limited, Hartree House, Queensway, London, W2 4SQ. Tel: 01-727 1475. Telex 25127.
Issued on behalf of Steyr-Daimler-Puch (Great Britain) Ltd. Steyr-Puch House, 211 Lower Parliament Street, Nottingham NG1 1FZ (0602-56521)

[A typed press release on a printed letterhead with “PRESS RELEASE” in large black letters and the Steyr and Puch roundels, announcing the Austro-Daimler range at the Earls Court two-wheel show, with a typed price list for the Austro-Daimler models. A horizontal fold line crosses the sheet at the price list heading, and a green rule above the printed contact lines at the foot.]

— Page 4 —
TI
REYNOLDS
a member of
TI Steel Tube Division
Charles Keil
Press enquiries to:
Harrison Cowley Public Relations (Midlands) Ltd
60/61 Lionel Street, Birmingham B3 1JF
Tel: 021-236 7530

REYNOLDS 531 FRAME TUBES FOR NEW EXECUTIVE CLASS CYCLES

The six top models in the new Austro-Daimler range of executive class cycles launched today (Thursday, August 26th) by Puch – including the £600 Ultima Superleicht (claimed by Puch to be the most expensive production bicyle in the world), will all have frames made from special high strength lightweight REYNOLDS 531 tubing.

Produced by Reynolds Tube Co Ltd, a TI Steel Tube Division company of Tyseley, Birmingham,REYNOLDS 531 is a special manganese molybdenum steel tubing developed specifically for top quality cycles. The cold drawn seamless tube is butted to provide increased strength – tube butting being a process invented by Reynolds which permits the internal diameter of a tube to be increased at the end so that there is a controlled change in wall thickness over the tube length. In this way, the central portion of the tube has a wall thickness of minimum size with thickness increasing at the end to provide the necessary strength for joints. Thus, it is possible to provide cycle frame tubes of minimum weight and maximum strength.

The Austro-Daimler range employs a frame tubing which has established itself as the international leader. Not only do Reynolds export the tube to markets all over the world (- only for top class cycles) but the cycling world’s most renowned event – the gruelling 2 500-mile Tour de France – is consistently won by riders using cycles made from REYNOLDS 531 tubing (the first four riders in the 1975 and 1976 Tours de France were all on REYNOLDS 531).

Its low weight, high strength, resistance to fatigue, the facility with which it can be jointed and its international reputation made REYNOLDS 531 a natural choice for the top models in the new Austro-Daimler range.

RTC/101

[A typed press release on a Reynolds letterhead with the TI roundel, headed “REYNOLDS 531 FRAME TUBES FOR NEW EXECUTIVE CLASS CYCLES”, about the frame tubing of the Austro-Daimler range. Two small rust-colored spots sit at the top left, a horizontal fold crosses the sheet near its middle, and a blank gap follows the dash in the third paragraph.]

— Page 5 —
PRESS RELEASE
STEYR PUCH
26 August 1976
10/232/844

PUCH LAUNCH THE £600 BICYCLE

AUSTRO-DAIMLER FOR THE WELL-HEELED EXECUTIVE

Big new benefits on all Puch cycles:
Ten-year guarantee, free insurance, free annual inspections

THE ULTIMATE in pedal power sees the light of day this morning (August 26) with the announcement of the world’s most expensive range of production bicycles – the Puch Austro-Daimlers. Top bike is a staggering £600; the Ultima Superleicht has everything that the pampered executive could devise or desire and must surely be the most prestigious way of keeping fit and travelling in style.

The new Austro-Daimler range includes bicycles from £110 to £600, extending the already popular list of Puch bicycles starting with the £43 Mini Sprint.

At the same time Puch announce far-reaching changes in the deal offered to buyers of all bicycles – both Puch and A-D. Even the cheapest model in the range is to have a ten-year guarantee on frame and forks. For the Austro-Daimler Superleicht this guarantee is extended to life.

The new warranty applies to any cycle sold after September 1 and, on the same day, a new fully comprehensive insurance scheme will come into operation. It gives every Puch or Austro-Daimler owner free comprehensive cover (with guaranteed replacement in the event of fire, theft or write-off) and a £250,000 third-party indemnity.

for further information contact Michael Evans or Peter Fraser
Murray Evans Associates Limited, Hartree House, Queensway, London, W2 4SQ. Tel: 01-727 1475. Telex 25127.
Issued on behalf of Steyr-Daimler-Puch (Great Britain) Ltd. Steyr-Puch House, 211 Lower Parliament Street, Nottingham NG1 1FZ (0602-56521)

[A typed press release dated 26 August 1976 on a printed “PRESS RELEASE” letterhead with the Steyr and Puch roundels, headed “PUCH LAUNCH THE £600 BICYCLE” and announcing the Austro-Daimler range, a ten-year guarantee and a free insurance scheme. Two brown rust-colored streaks, one across the first letter of “PRESS” and one above the contact line at the foot, and horizontal fold lines mark the sheet.]

— Page 6 —
£600 bicycle/2

With the continuing emphasis on safety, all Puch cycle owners are to be offered a free annual inspection by the selling dealer.

Puch and Austro-Daimler bicycles can be purchased only through bona-fide cycle dealers to ensure that a full after-sales service can be offered. Sale of bicycles through mail-order houses and non-specialist retailers is deplored by Puch. The company maintains that, in many cases, such suppliers cannot match the level of pre- and after-sales service offered by the specialist.

THE GUARANTEE

With an eye to long-term reputation and reliability, Puch have taken the unprecedented step of extending frame-and-fork guarantee to ten years after purchase. In the case of the top model in the Austro-Daimler range – the Ultima Superleicht – it is a lifetime guarantee, an unlimited expression of confidence in workmanship and materials. All other parts and workmanship are guaranteed for twelve months.

FREE INSURANCE

Bicycles are one of the few road vehicles which do not have to have compulsory insurance cover. Puch feel that cover is essential, both to protect the customer’s financial investment and to cover him against the possibility of third-party claims. With settlements in accident injury cases escalating, no cyclist can afford the risk of being the cause of an expensive accident.
The argument applies particularly to parents whose children could unwittingly cause an accident involving other vehicles and expensive personal injury.

/mf

[A typed continuation page headed “£600 bicycle/2” with the sections “THE GUARANTEE” and “FREE INSURANCE” and a paragraph on annual inspections and sales through cycle dealers. The sheet shows horizontal fold lines across the middle and a few small staple punctures with faint rust traces near the top left corner.]

— Page 7 —
£600 bicycle/3

The Puch twelve-month insurance, arranged through Guardian Royal Exchange, provides for a £250,000 third-party indemnity and covers damage to the machine. In the event of loss, theft, fire or total write-off, the machine will be replaced even if the new price is greater than the original cost. A £5 excess (ie the customer pays the first £5 of any claim) will help avoid frivolous claims and keep down the cost of administration.

The insurance, which is supplied automatically with every Puch and Austro-Daimler bicycle sold after September 1, is completely free and extends for the first year of ownership. It may be renewed thereafter by the cycle owner.

AFTER-SALES SERVICE

Perhaps the most important aspect of buying a Puch or Austro-Daimler bicycle is the confidence of knowing that the dealer is a specialist able to offer good service and technical advice.

To emphasise this and to provide for even better service, all Puch purchasers after September 1 will be eligible for a free annual inspection to ensure that the bicycle is kept in a fully roadworthy condition.

By this major contribution to road safety Puch hope to underline the importance of dealing with a reputable and experienced specialist. Puch feel that too many bicycles are now supplied through channels where adequate service cannot be offered. Some machines, particularly those sent by carrier, are delivered boxed and have to be assembled by the customer.

From a safety aspect this is not acceptable for a road vehicle and Puch insist that a full pre-delivery inspection be carried out. This invariably means using an established cycle dealer with workshop facilities and the necessary experience to do the job.

THE PUCH AUSTRO-DAIMLERS

Austro-Daimler, one of the most respected motoring marques in pre-war Europe, is now the hallmark of the world’s most luxurious range of sporting bicycles. The

/mf

[A typed continuation page headed “£600 bicycle/3” with the sections “AFTER-SALES SERVICE” and “THE PUCH AUSTRO-DAIMLERS” and paragraphs on the Puch twelve-month insurance arranged through Guardian Royal Exchange. The sheet shows horizontal fold lines across the middle and a few small staple punctures near the top left corner.]

— Page 8 —
£600 bicycle/4

long tradition started in 1899 when the Austrian Daimler Motor Company was founded in Vienna under the direction of Paul Daimler.

Luxury cars bearing the A-D marque of the golden bow and arrow achieved prominence in Continental Europe between the wards, helped in no small measure by the genius of the chief designer, Ferdinand Porsche who was later to create the Volkswagen beetle and the unrivalled Porsche sports cars.

As the Austro-Daimler range developed, a parallel course was being steered in Graz by the country’s major bicycle manufacturer, Puch. Eventual amalgamation created Steyr-Daimler-Puch, now one of Europe’s largest automotive groups and one of the most respected cycle manufacturers in the world.

These are the ingredients of Austro-Daimler, the ultimate range of bicycles from Puch. Research both in Britain and America has proved that there are many people willing to pay for quality and, indeed, A-D machines have been selling well in the USA for several months. Every A-D bicycle is built to exacting standards and from the best components available in the world. All this must be reflected in price tags of up to £600.

Top of the tree, the £599.95-and-keep-the-change-my-man Ultima Superleicht is the newest status symbol for the keen ecologist. Cheaper to run than a Rolls-Royce but just as exclusive, the Ultima is guaranteed to make heads turn wherever it is seen.

Hand-made from double-butted manganese molybdenum steel tubing by Reynold of Britain, the machine will appeal equally to the professional racing cyclist. The frame comes in three sizes – 21, 23 or 25in – and the machine is equipped with the best components available from Campagnolo, Fiamme, Clement and Cinelli.

Exquisitely finished in red or regal purple, the Ultima is supplied complete with a specially prepared foam-filled case which can be garage-wall mounted for machine storage purposes.

The attention to detail and unrivalled finish is reflected throughout the six-model Austro-Daimler range, from the Ultima Superleicht at £599.95 to the A-D S at £109.95.

– e n d s –

[A typed continuation page headed “£600 bicycle/4” on the history of Austro-Daimler and Puch, the Ultima Superleicht at £599.95 with its tubing, frame sizes and components, and the six-model Austro-Daimler range. The sheet shows horizontal fold lines across the middle and a diagonal row of small staple punctures with faint rust traces near the top left corner.]