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At the international Berlin Motor Show, which opened on February 15, 1936, the German company Stoewer (“Stever”) presented a sensational novelty. It was the first ever serial passenger car of an army type – with a simplified tented body and drive on both axles, that is, a jeep in German style.
Note that the word “jeep” itself appeared only in 1942, when the United States began producing all-wheel drive Fords with the JPW index (pronounced “JPW”).G.P. vi"). It turned out that the term "jeep" did not yet exist, but the type of such a car already existed - 7 years earlier!
The most interesting thing: a characteristic feature of this German jeep was the steered wheels not only on the front, but also on the rear axle. This significantly improved its maneuverability: the turning radius was only 6,5 m. The car had an overall length of 3900 mm, a wheelbase of 2400 mm. Ground clearance was 235 mm.
In 1936 – 1937, Stoewer produced such a model under the designation R180 Special. It had a 1,8-liter engine with a capacity of 42 hp. And in the following two years, a more powerful version was produced – the R200 Special, equipped with a 2,0-liter unit with a capacity of 50 hp.
We should add that similar two-liter cars were produced in 1937-1940 by two more companies: BMW – model 325, and Hanomag – model 20B. Their chassis and body were the same. But the engines, although of the same displacement and power, were different, of their own design. Moreover, the BMW had an inline “six”.
As for the Stoewer company, in 1940 - 1944. it began to produce a simplified and lightweight version of its jeep - Typ 40. Its carrying capacity increased noticeably - from 425 to 500 kg. Only the front wheels became steerable. However, the curb weight of the car, as before, was noticeably greater than that of the American jeep: 1700 kg versus 1020 kg. Of course, this had a negative effect on the dynamics: the maximum speed was 80 km/h and 105 km/h, respectively. But the main problem was something else: the interval between maintenance was only 1000 km for the "German", and lubrication of the control system and chassis had to be carried out every 100 (!) km.
In total, from 1936 to 1944, all three companies produced 12 of these German “jeeps.” And after the war, the Stoewer automobile plant in the city of Szczecin ended up in territory annexed to Poland. And all its equipment was taken to the USSR, where it was used to produce completely different products.
