The Steyr 1500A was a light truck used by Germany during World War II.
Description[]
The 1500A was powered by a 85 hp, 8-cylinder air-cooled Steyr 3517cc OHV petrol engine, and had a top speed of 90 km/h on roads, and 45 km/h cross-country. The 1500A had a maximum range of 400 kilometers when travelling on roads, and 280 kilometers when travelling cross-country, and the total fuel capacity was 100 liters. The 1500A measured 5.08 meters long, 2.03 meters wide, and 2.23 meters high, and weighed 2,485 kilograms empty. The total carrying capacity of the 1500A was 1,500 kilograms, raising the fully loaded weight, including fuel, crew and passengers to 4,160 kilograms. The light truck version of the 1500A required a crew of two. The passenger capacity varied depending on the type of vehicle. The troop carrier version could carry eight passengers and the command car version six. The 1500A had no armor protection or armament, making it a non-combat vehicle.[1]
Variants[]
There were two main variants of the 1500A, the first being the 1500A-1, which was a fully enclosed troop carrier with bench seats fitting to the load bed, and was ideal for transporting squads of troops. The second variant was the command car version, designated the Kommandeurwagen Kfz 21. The command car version featured a radio transmitter and luxury interior and a fold-out roof. Some of the light truck bodies were also modified and used as field ambulances.[1]
History[]
Production of the 1500A began in 1941 when the Austrian company Steyr-Daimler-Puch. Later on, Auto Union and Audi began to manufacture the 1500A as well. Auto Union assigned production to their Wanderer factory in Sigmar and Audi to their factory in Zwickau, Germany. The 1500A saw extensive use throughout the rest of World War II with various branches and formations in the Wehrmacht, including the Waffen-SS and the Afrika Korps. Production ended after being cancelled in 1944, by which time Steyr had produced some 12,450 vehicles and Auto Union and Audi some 5,600, a total of 18,050 vehicles, many of which stayed in service until the end of the war.[1]