Born: 1899 Nationality: German
Bernhard and Emil Stoewer were the sons of a maker of sewing machines and bicycles in Stettin in Germany - they took over an ironworks to pursue their dream of building automobiles. They were well matched for the enterprise, with Bernhard being adept at techical innovation and Emil the commercial specialist.
Their first car was the Grosser Motorwagen, which had a 2.1-litre 2-cylinder engine capable of driving the four-seater at speeds of up to 17 km/h. By 1908 the brothers had evolved their designs to much more modern styles, and their G4 sold very well during its three years of production. It had a 4-cylinder 1.5-litre engine.
After something of an automobile hiatus during the first World War, when the company built military vehicles and aero engines, the first significant car from the marque was the D Type produced at the beginning of the 1920s. It was sporty and strong, and built in a number of body styles with 4- and 6-cylinder engines -- the former designated D3, D9 and D10, while the latter were D5, D6 and D12. The most powerful, launched in 1921, was the 11-litre D7, which used an aircraft engine made by the company. In its time, it was the most powerful car built in Germany, with a 120hp output.
From 1928, Stoewer added 8-cylinder engines to its range, and the 1928 2-litre S8 and 3.6-litre G14 were among the first "eights" in Germany. Filling a demand for more power in both, an S10 with a 2.5-litre motor and a 4-litre G15 were quickly added. That last was also named the Gigant.
Other major 8-cylinder models produced before the Great Depression began to bite into the luxury car market were the M12 Marschall with a 3-litre power unit and the Reprasentant which had a 100hp 5-litre engine. The Marschall was the last to survive, with production ending in 1934.
In 1931 Stoewer had produced Germany's first series front-wheel-drive cars in the V5, a reasonably affordable model with a 1.2-litre engine in V configuration. The in-line engined R140 replaced that in 1932. In 1934 the very stylish Greif V8 was launched, with a 2.5-litre V8 engine and FWD.
Another Greif produced in 1935 was a smaller car with a more modest 1.5-litre engine and a design licensed from Czech car-maker Tatra. The body was styled by Bernhard Stoewer, and was a neat streamlined affair.
Two new models were produced in 1937, the Sedina and Arkona which had a similar range of bodies - the latter with a more powerful 3.6-litre engine. But civilian car production was stopped with the outbreak of the second World War, and manufacturing was turned over to a Light Production Car which had been developed in 1936 with an eye to military application. With 1.8- and 2-litre engines, 4WD and all-wheel-steering, it was built until 1944 when the region was captured by the advancing Soviet Army.
After the war, the factory equipment was dismantled and shipped to Russia, and Stoewer automobile production never resumed. Stettin became part of Poland in a border re-drawing.A museum dedicated to Stoewer has been established in Wald-Michelbach in the Odenwald in Hesse. In addition to cars, it features Stoewer sewing machines, typewriters and bicycles. Meanwhile, the very first Stoewer "Grosser" is still to be seen in Moscow's Polytechnic Museum.
Best Car: We would have to consider the G15 Gigant in Sport-Phaeton form, but the Greif V8 is also in contention.
Worst Car: The 1828 S8, because it was underpowered.
Weirdest Car: None known.