A 1974 Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer 710M once owned by legendary automotive executive Bob Lutz is up for sale in Round Rock, Texas, still wearing its olive drab military paint and soft-top troop carrier configuration.
From Swiss Army Service to Lutz’s Personal Collection
Before it ever belonged to Lutz, this Pinzgauer served with the Swiss Armed Forces, one of the countless examples built for European military duty. Lutz picked it up in 1991 and added it to his personal collection, keeping it in its original military configuration rather than converting it into something more conventional. It received a cosmetic refurbishment in 2005 and later changed hands again on Bring a Trailer in June 2021.
Under its current ownership, the truck has had its carburetor re-jetted, fluids changed, and axle boots and gauges replaced, the kind of mechanical freshening that keeps a five-decade-old off-roader dependable rather than a full restoration. A replacement digital odometer currently shows 255 miles, though given the truck’s age and history, that number reflects the replacement unit rather than the vehicle’s total lifetime mileage.
Why the Pinzgauer Was Built the Way It Was
The Pinzgauer takes its name from a hardy Austrian horse breed prized for handling difficult alpine terrain, which tells you exactly what Steyr-Puch was going for when it engineered the truck. It wasn’t built for speed or comfort; it was built to move personnel and equipment across steep, unforgiving mountain landscapes reliably. Once military surplus started reaching the civilian market, examples like this one found their way into private collections rather than continued service.
This example comes with Swiss registration documents, service records, the owner’s manual, and a clean Texas title, giving a buyer a documented paper trail stretching back through its military service and its time in one of the automotive industry’s most recognizable executive’s personal collection.
About the Author
