Osthügel Motorenwerke

Osthügel Motorenwerke is a small manufacturer of heavy vans, medium trucks and trailers that was originally based in Neu Ludwigshafen, and that was moved to Sankt Ludwigshafen (present-day Lanzerwald) in 16987. The company was founded in 1696 by Ayreon Friedrichssohn, son of a refugee from Sankt Ludwigshafen. Ayreon started his entrepreneurial career with a transport and logistics company, but was upset with the poor quality of second-hand trucks from Jingdao that he was able to import. In co-operation with Baicha Heavy Vehicle Industries the company has developed two diesel engines that were also capable of running on a variety of other fuels when diesel is not to be found including oils from the fishing and whaling industries. Like the rest of Neu Ludwigshafen, the company was not able to survive the extreme cold of the winter of 1696. Assets belonging to the company were recovered in the spring of 1697 by an expedition sent by the Stadtparlement of the Third Republic of Sankt Ludwigshafen, including engines, vehicles and designs. Relatives of Ayreon Friedrichssohn petitioned with the Stadtparlement that their claim on the inheritance of Osthügel Motorenwerke and its assets was recognized. After lengthy negotiations the relatives agreed to pay for the costs of the recovery of the assets and pledged to restart production in Sankt Ludwigshafen. The company started small-scale production of the OMW Kaufmann in Autumn 1697. Most sales have been to local businesses and customers in neighbouring Zandarijn, but Razfreight in the International Mandate for the Settlements in Apollonia has also placed several orders. In the early 1700s road constructions were ordered by the Ludwigshafener Stadtparlement, creating a domestic market for automobiles. However, without any petrol stations in the republic the diesel powered Kaufmann and Handelsmann were not a great success. Osthügel Motorenwerke developed three steam locomotives for the road, with a towing capacity between 5 and 40 metric tonnes, that could be fired up with coal or the even more readily available firewood. Despite their initial reputation for breaking down, these steam locomotives proved to be very popular with the companies in the republic. These vehicles made it possible for the first time in Ludwiggian history to move heavy goods over long distances without resorting to the dangerous transport over sea. In 1702 the company received a major stimulus after the Benacian Union acquired a license to build 4,000 model Große Dampfzugmaschine steam tractors, to be constructed by Stonetree Engineering Group in the Unified Governorates of Benacia. Twenty engineers, a few dozen experienced technicians and some senior managers from Osthügel Motorenwerke were sent to Stonetree to assist in the production and quality assurance.

In XIII.1709 Osthügel Motorenwerke unveiled the first passenger car for the domestic market in Lanzerwald. The OMW Eselchen 201 was a small and light-weight car powered by a two-stroke, two-cylinder engine in the back of the vehicle. The engine that produced 20 horsepower was started with a pull start. Eselchen cars were able to reach a speed of up to 100 kilometres an hour, although there were no roads in the republic where this speed could be achieved safely. One of the design goals of the car was to make a vehicle that could be maintained by mechanics without extensive technical education, or even by the customer themselves. Parts that had to be serviced regularly were easily accessible, for example a flip-front bonnet gave access to the engine, including the carter plug to make oil changes and engine maintenance straightforward even where no lifts were available. The car weighed 550 kilograms and had a wheelbase of 1850mm.

Following the immolation of the Ludwiggian Republic in late 1716 the factory was completely burnt down and all its assets and intellectual property completely destroyed before any raiders could get their hands on it.

Products

Powered vehicles with an external combustion engine

Trade name	Vehicle type	Engine	Loading capacity	Towing capacity
OMW Kleine Dampfzugmaschine	Road steam locomotive	OMW D05T	2,500 kg	5,000 kg
OMW Mittelgroße Dampfzugmaschine	Road steam locomotive	OMW D20T	5,000 kg	20,000 kg
OMW Große Dampfzugmaschine	Road steam locomotive	OMW D40T	10,000 kg	40,000 kg

Powered vehicles with an internal combustion engine

Trade name	Vehicle type	Engine	Loading capacity	Towing capacity
OMW Kaufmann Leichte Ausführung	Van	OMW 3L4C 200BHP	500 kg	2,000 kg
OMW Kaufmann Schwere Ausführung	Van	OMW 3L4C 3000BHP	1,000 kg	4,000 kg
OMW Handelsmann Leichte Ausführung	Cab-over truck	OMW 3L4C 300BHP	4,000 kg	4,000 kg
OMW Handelsmann Schwere Ausführung	Cab-over truck	OMW 5L4C 400BHP	10,000 kg	16,000 kg

Notable customers and licensees

• Razfreight, International Mandate. Operates 50 OMW Kaufmann vans.
• Stonetree Engineering Group, Unified Governorates of Benacia. Holds a license to produce 4,000 OMW Große Dampfzugmaschine traction engines.