AutoCult Kahlbacher Schneewiesel K2000 (1968) (Austria)

About the Original:

When it becomes winter

On Tuesday, 14 May 1968 the company Toni Kahlbacher presented its caterpillar – named Schneewiesel K 2000 – at the mountain Kitzsteinhorn in Austria for the first time.

The Schneewiesel embodied the idea to create a special vehicle that allowed ideal locomotion on icy and snowy off-road tracks in the Alps. The technical coup to achieve this feature was the change from tires to tracks. The vehicle was created from a considerable number of parts of the Steyr-Daimler-Puch Haflinger in the premises of the St. Johanner Straße 50 in Kitzbühl. The front end with its closed drivers cab initially came off the Haflinger production line, or, more precisely, off the production line of the type, which became popular as the Communal Haflinger. Due to its striking drivers cab many viewers had the impression that they were standing in front of a Steyr-Daimler-Puch Haflinger, which was merely fitted with tracks instead of tires. This opinion wasn´t totally wrong as the heart of the caterpillar came off the Steyr-Daimler-Puch production line as well. The air-cooled two-cylinder boxer engine, which produced 24 HP out of 643 cc capacity, found its place, together with a four-speed gearbox, turned by 180 degrees within the chassis. Factory specifications confirmed a top speed of 35 km/h for the 700 kg vehicle. But that should not have been the main criterion for buyers. They focused on the impressive climbing power of up to 80%, depending on snow consistency.

Sales promotion was primarily focused on operators of ski lifts and slopes, but fitted with the right caterpillar tracks it was also possible to utilize the Schneewiesel on earthy and stony surfaces. From 1968 until the end of production in 1972 totaled 81 caterpillars were assembled and sold by the company in Kitzbühel.