Two Nice NOS Austro Daimlers
05-12-21, 06:19 PM
#1
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Two Nice NOS Austro Daimlers
I was fortunate to just acquire two NOS Austro Daimlers from a seller whose late husband worked in marketing for them in the 70's/80's. They, an Ultima and Vent Noir (circa 1978 and 1977, respectively), were literally "barn finds" as they had been stored for decades at the seller's farm. They were never even test ridden and the Ultima still has protective wrap on one of the seat stays and the crank arm. The tires on both bikes are shot and the O rings on the Ultima's Campy brakes are cracked, but the brake hoods aren't terrible. Otherwise both have survived in good shape. I've spent some time cleaning them up, but still have a way to go. The seller is going to look for the Ultima's seat, which she has stored in a box somewhere, as well as original AD brochures and literature.
I haven't had an Austro Daimler until now and have never ridden one and would love to hear thoughts/experiences from those who have. And please post pics! Thanks!
I haven't had an Austro Daimler until now and have never ridden one and would love to hear thoughts/experiences from those who have. And please post pics! Thanks!
05-12-21, 06:25 PM
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Wow. Talk about a time machine find.
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05-12-21, 06:30 PM
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That Ultima was top of the line in its day and the Vent Noir was a rung or two below it. Nice.
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05-12-21, 06:35 PM
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Holy Moly! So happy they're not my size, so my drool factor stays at 10 instead of going to 11.
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05-12-21, 07:03 PM
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Incredible find.....my size but happy that you have them! 
Best, Ben
Best, Ben
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05-12-21, 07:11 PM
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I have an Austro Daimler frame and fork which I bought from another forum member. This was believed to be from a 76 Ultima. It had been well used and had spent time as a fixie. I built it up with some fairly average components and have enjoyed riding it. Put another 20 miles on it today.
05-12-21, 08:14 PM
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I go to bed at night dreaming that something like this find will happen to me.
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05-12-21, 08:45 PM
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spudly When you look for new tires, don't try to go wide. Think stock width, maybe just a bit wider.
Beautiful bikes, great find.
Beautiful bikes, great find.
05-12-21, 08:57 PM
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Hey Mr. @spudly - sir.... 
If there is extra general stuff from earliest '80s - a poster, stickers, labels, AD headbadge or a white top tube decal Olympian, those would be something of value to me. But I may have to purchase a whole decal set from someone online that offers.
ADs in a large size just fit me to a T, when fitted with narrow bars and 24mm tubulars for rides on pavement/light gravel.
And the Michelle got repurposed to city upright.
.....let find a pic of the family....brothers and sister. Olympian & VN came to me as framesets, Michelle missing a bunch.
1980/81 AD Olympian and 1982/83 Puch/AD VN
Michelle out recently to check the Spring air.
If there is extra general stuff from earliest '80s - a poster, stickers, labels, AD headbadge or a white top tube decal Olympian, those would be something of value to me. But I may have to purchase a whole decal set from someone online that offers.
ADs in a large size just fit me to a T, when fitted with narrow bars and 24mm tubulars for rides on pavement/light gravel.
And the Michelle got repurposed to city upright.
.....let find a pic of the family....brothers and sister. Olympian & VN came to me as framesets, Michelle missing a bunch.
1980/81 AD Olympian and 1982/83 Puch/AD VN
Michelle out recently to check the Spring air.
Last edited by Wildwood; 05-12-21 at 09:23 PM.
05-12-21, 11:27 PM
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Yes, Daverup, good advice. I'd like to find some tires that are somewhat period correct (or at least appear that way) if possible. If anyone has any tubulars for sale or any suggestions of good sources/brands, please let me know.
05-12-21, 11:35 PM
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Hi Wildwood: I don't know what the seller has (hopefully she can find it!), but all I'm really interested in would be brochures for the models I have. Anything else I'll be happy to pass along and will keep you posted.
Like your mixte! (and the tree behind it too).
Like your mixte! (and the tree behind it too).
05-13-21, 05:47 AM
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Those are incredible finds..just beautiful!!
05-13-21, 05:56 AM
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spudly Here's an interesting history, if you haven't already seen it,
My Austro-Daimler "Vent Noir II" Bicycle And Brief History of Steyr Daimler Puch
My Austro-Daimler "Vent Noir II" Bicycle And Brief History of Steyr Daimler Puch
05-13-21, 06:22 AM
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I have a long history with Austro-Daimler's sister brand, Puch, and this particular Royal X from 1976 -
- Puch as sold in the U.S. was the lower-priced brand. A-D was the fancy one with with the cool Campagnolo parts. The Vent Noir you have is from the vintage that Richard Ballentine described as "Sexy!" in one edition of Richard's Bicycle Book, and yours is my personal favorite vintage. It's very, very similar, parts and frame-wise, to the Puch Royal Force, which was the top of the Puch line.
All of the Reynolds 531-tubed Puchs and A-Ds were silver-brazed and built in Graz. They're all very, very nice riding bikes with lovely road manners.
If, among the documents, you happen to run up on the single-sheet Puch poster from 1976, please let me know. My copy of that disappeared decades ago. The back of that poster was a series of panels with all the models Puch sold in the U.S. that year, and that is the only catalog appearance to my knowledge that features the Royal X.
- Puch as sold in the U.S. was the lower-priced brand. A-D was the fancy one with with the cool Campagnolo parts. The Vent Noir you have is from the vintage that Richard Ballentine described as "Sexy!" in one edition of Richard's Bicycle Book, and yours is my personal favorite vintage. It's very, very similar, parts and frame-wise, to the Puch Royal Force, which was the top of the Puch line.
All of the Reynolds 531-tubed Puchs and A-Ds were silver-brazed and built in Graz. They're all very, very nice riding bikes with lovely road manners.
If, among the documents, you happen to run up on the single-sheet Puch poster from 1976, please let me know. My copy of that disappeared decades ago. The back of that poster was a series of panels with all the models Puch sold in the U.S. that year, and that is the only catalog appearance to my knowledge that features the Royal X.
05-13-21, 06:32 AM
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Showroom floor condition! The paint color on the Ultima is so hot!
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05-13-21, 07:29 AM
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In the catalog photos of the Ultima, the DS photo shows an excessively long RD cable. But in the close-up of the RD the cable has been looped to shorten it.
05-13-21, 09:35 AM
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Those are beautiful. The Ultima was positioned as top-of-the-line, but the Vent Noir was just dead sexy and seems to have retained more cachet.
I was the previous owner of the Ultima that @daverup posted above, and I also enjoyed riding it. It's a nice, solid Reynolds 531 frame. Austro Daimler was positioned as a luxury brand at the time, kind of like Lexus today. One of their press releases touted it as the most expensive line of commercial bikes on the market. I guess that was a good thing for their target audience.
I was the previous owner of the Ultima that @daverup posted above, and I also enjoyed riding it. It's a nice, solid Reynolds 531 frame. Austro Daimler was positioned as a luxury brand at the time, kind of like Lexus today. One of their press releases touted it as the most expensive line of commercial bikes on the market. I guess that was a good thing for their target audience.
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05-13-21, 12:46 PM
#23
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spudly Here's an interesting history, if you haven't already seen it,
My Austro-Daimler "Vent Noir II" Bicycle And Brief History of Steyr Daimler Puch
My Austro-Daimler "Vent Noir II" Bicycle And Brief History of Steyr Daimler Puch
05-13-21, 01:00 PM
#24
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Those are beautiful. The Ultima was positioned as top-of-the-line, but the Vent Noir was just dead sexy and seems to have retained more cachet.
I was the previous owner of the Ultima that @daverup posted above, and I also enjoyed riding it. It's a nice, solid Reynolds 531 frame. Austro Daimler was positioned as a luxury brand at the time, kind of like Lexus today. One of their press releases touted it as the most expensive line of commercial bikes on the market. I guess that was a good thing for their target audience.
I was the previous owner of the Ultima that @daverup posted above, and I also enjoyed riding it. It's a nice, solid Reynolds 531 frame. Austro Daimler was positioned as a luxury brand at the time, kind of like Lexus today. One of their press releases touted it as the most expensive line of commercial bikes on the market. I guess that was a good thing for their target audience.
I think you're spot on with the Vent Noir/Ultima observation, though I wonder if it's that's more due to the later cool smoked chrome models. That was the only AD model that had been on my radar, but they don't appear too often and I never found one in my size.
The MSRP of the Ultima in 1977 (again per the referenced site) was $1275! Over twice what the Vent Noir retailed for ($575) and a lot of money at the time (and still not pocket change now...).
05-13-21, 02:57 PM
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just for fun...
an advertisement for the Ultima from the April 1978 issue of Bicycling magazine.
A shop in Ames, Iowa carried Austro-Daimlers when I was going to college there in the early 80's, and I was known to stop in just to drool over them now and then. Very nice!
Steve in Peoria
an advertisement for the Ultima from the April 1978 issue of Bicycling magazine.
A shop in Ames, Iowa carried Austro-Daimlers when I was going to college there in the early 80's, and I was known to stop in just to drool over them now and then. Very nice!
Steve in Peoria