Steinwinter GmbH was a German car manufacturer.
History.
In 1969, Steinwinter began production of automobiles in Stuttgart. In 1987, the company ended series production and engaged in building special vehicles and prototype vehicles. On 5 January 2022, the company was dissolved.
Vehicles.
Amigo.
The first model produced was the Amigo, an open buggy on Fiat-basis. It utilized the engine of the Fiat 126. The Amigo was produced until 1982.
Junior.
Around the same time as the Amiro, Steinwinter started producing the Junior, with a Fiat 500 based body. It used a two-cylinder two-stroke engine from the Goggomobil.
250 L.
The 250 L or Figo (Fiat/Goggomobil) was the successor of the Junior. In this model the Goggomobil engine was placed in the more modern body of the Fiat 126.
Junior 50.
The last model was the Junior 50, with an in-house developed body. It used an air-cooled one-cylinder two-stroke Fichtel & Sachs 50 cc engine.
Steinwinter 2040 concept.
As a freelance engineer, founder Manfred G. Steinwinter was already involved in optimizing commercial vehicle design. He designed a concept truck using steering, engine and driveline components from Drögmöller and Mercedes-Benz. The rest of the truck was made by Steinwinter's company.
Using this support and public funding, Steinwinter created a newly designed driveline and steering module, required to get approval for use of the vehicle on public roads. The full-size prototype was presented on trade fairs in Europe and the US.
The vehicle was nicknamed a 'cab-under' (as opposed to cab over) due to the cabin being located under the trailer chassis. This created a larger transport volume, leading to savings of up to 50% compared to conventional designs.
Concerned with weakining their own product portfolio, suppliers and cooperating companies withdrew their commitment. In 1999 Steinwinter sold the rights of the design to a Swiss company.