Steiger

During World War I the Steiger firm repaired aeroplanes and aeroplane engines. In 1917 the owner and his engineer, Paul Henze, began to work on motorized vehicles. Plans for the manufacture of tractors were abandoned in favour of automobiles; their first model, the Steiger 10/50 PS, was produced in 1920. This touring model with a 2.6-litre four cylinder engine (50 hp / 37 kW) became Steiger's most significant product and was still in production when the firm collapsed in 1926. Its modern OHC engine was distinctive because of an overhead camshaft driven by spiral-toothed bevel gear wheels. These cars, with 'u' shaped pressed steel frames, two axles with leaf spring suspension, and a pointed radiator, were considered to be "the most significant technical innovation of the early 1920s" and "the most progressive German serially-produced cars of their time".