Johann Puch's factory in Graz started making bicycles in 1899 and rapidly expanded over the next decade into cars, trucks, and even locomotives. Engine production began in 1901, and automobiles came in 1904. In 1909, a Puch automobile broke the world speed record with 130.4 kph. Puch became known for quality of workmanship and materials, and provided custom-built sedans for the Austrian imperial family and the American market.Early Puch motorcycles were also exported to the United States, as witnessed by the advertisement for the Princeton-based distributor depicted below. As early as 1912, Puch was producing 16,000 bicycles and 300 motorcycles a year. The Puch engaged in competition early on, and after 1923 made a name for itself with its novel split-single engine design from Giovanni Marcellino. It won the German Grand Prix in 1931 and convinced DKW that the split-single, or “twingle,” was the design of the future. Puch constantly updated the concept for the next 50 years, sticking with it until the early 1970s.
