Haflinger
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For Haflinger horse breed see Haflinger (horse)
The Haflinger is a small, lightweight, four wheel drive, off-road vehicle about 3.5 m long and 1.5 m wide, powered by a 646 cc twin horizontally opposed, rear mounted, air-cooled engine. Weighing around 600 kg (1322.8 lb), the Haflinger can be lifted by four strong people and yet can carry a load of 500 kg (1102.3 lb).
They were made by the Austrian firm Steyr-Daimler-Puch between 1959 and 1974 and were exported all over the world. A total of 16,647 were made, most of them being taken up by the Swiss and Austrian armies. Since August 2006, there exists a web-project that wants to document the different Haflinger types, the many many details and the changes that came with the years of production. See: Haflinger TDC
Particular features that add to the off-road capability include:
- Exceptionally low center of gravity due to the low placement of the chassis and the lack of upper bodywork
- Generous approach and departure angles
- The provision of both front and rear differential locks enables the vehicle to make progress even if only one wheel is in firm contact with the ground.
- The 'portal' type design of the front and rear axles means that the centre of the axle is above the centre of the wheel, thus increasing ground clearance under the axle without the need to increase the wheel diameter. Power is transmitted from the axle to the wheel via drop gears in each wheel hub.
- The suspension is fully independent, each half-axle having about 25 cm of free movement.
The majority of enthusiasts are found in Germany and Austria, where there are thriving clubs. However there are also many owners/enthusiasts in the UK, USA, Australia, and Asia. One of the more important club meetings is held every year at the village of Hafling (Avelengo) in Italy.
Steyr subsequently designed and produced a much larger vehicle of very similar layout to the Haflinger, called the Pinzgauer, which is available in both 4x4 and 6x6 versions.
The name originates from a horse breed of the same name.
[edit] Variants
The Haflinger changed very little during its years of production, but there are some notable changes and variants along the way:
- Series 1: original model, 4-speed gearbox
- Series 2: 5-speed gearbox (Krawler gear) and a higher output motor
- Polycab: upper steel bodywork replaced with a fully enclosed fibreglass cab
- SchneeWiesel: "Snow Weasel" with tires replaced by tracks for snow/ice operations
- Swiss Military: Series1/2 hybrid with unique bumpers, canvas, and other details
- USA-spec: Larger "bugeye" headlights, other modifications to meet US requirements
[edit] External links
- Yahoo Group discussion forum for Haflinger owners
- SchneeWiesel information site
- Haflinger Information site
- plenty of pics
