The Golf That Mercedes Built (Sorta) - The Golf Country

[@UrbanoDagrippino]

Puch even made the first Fiat panda 4WD Sisley

[@OrthodoxPriest69]

Dude, thank you so much for shedding some light on these less-known mk2 variants! We cannot let them go into obscurity

[@hollandibolygo9172]

Many people may think that: this topic is stupid because it was not Mercedes brought car production to Austria. Commercial vehicle and tractor manufacturing companies already existed in Austria during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Later one manufacturer specializes in the production of all-wheel drive vehicles. European car manufacturers created their first all-wheel drive models in cooperation with this company

[@GTIFabric]

It would be great if an aftermarket company sold the tube frame to build your own golf country, and a version for Mk1 chassis also!

[@andreasgottardi8770]

Puch, not Puke. Sorry, but I heard a lot of wrong pronunciations and I feel the need to correct 🙂

[@427Motorsports]

No worries, we'll always take feedback! :) Cheers!

[@andreasgottardi8770]

@@427Motorsports I'm a native from Austria. If you're interested I am happy to assist with german pronunciation.

[@Px4164]

yeah, that was hard to hear for mee too

[@427Motorsports]

@Px4164 well alright ye ungrateful shite if ya wanna go listen to some Americans mispronounce the main language they speak fire away, other wise ye can deal with an Irishman mispronouncing words that aren’t even in his native tongue

[@Marko_Mk2]

A lot of those country golfs were in Bosnia. I remember there were 4 of them in my small af town. Most of those were 1.6td or 1.9tdi swapped. They were perfect for the rural roads and were used a lot. Nowdays most of them got destroyed because people actually used them, few of those that were good condition were mostly exported to germany so they could sell it for more money so its a rarity that you see it on the road. The last one standing in my town is a white one and it was for sale for dirt cheap but it has some problems with the papers of the car so it isnt on the road that much and its rusty.

[@427Motorsports]

That’s awesome! Funny, two people commented about Bosnia in the space of seconds. Thanks so much for this - we’re genuinely really glad to know they got used for purpose!

[@Marko_Mk2]

@@427Motorsports hahaha thats funny. If we bosnians know something, thats our mk2 golfs. You should do a story on the TAS vw factory in Bosnia Sarajevo. If you need any info on it, hit me up.

[@427Motorsports]

Absolutely, that’s now gonna be on my list! 😍

[@TNDTutoring]

Great content lads! Get the G-Country-TDI on the go 💪

[@427Motorsports]

Lotta shirts to sell first 😝

[@Whatshisname346]

Common enough up here in Finland. To say I’ve been tempted once or twice is a bit of an understatement but couldn’t get the idea past the missus …. Yet. They must’ve been pretty well built cos it’s hard to find one with less than 300k on the clock.

[@petemommo9622]

I remember when these came out, and yes quite a few about. A neighbour got one and the thing was the laughing stock among all the kids in the ´burb.

[@theskig]

My schoolmate grandpa was the owner of the VW dealer of my town in those days. I remember being there at some feast/presentation where there was a brand new Golf Country. It was very cool I remember sitting in it and they let me start the engine. Location: northern Italy.

[@rt_goblin_hours]

I want one of these so bad the styling of the gold plus the lifting is awesom

[@maks9644]

About the Steyr-Puch, Janez Puh, or in german Johann Puch was a slovenian inventor and engineer who build bicikles first, then motorbikes and finally cars. He was born in modern day Slovenija, near town called Ptuj, but he situated his factory in Gradec, or german Graz, modern day Austria, since all was part of Austo-Hungary at that time. He also designed a very smart concept of an engine that I can not explain it in english. He died just before ww1, but his company contiued to operate even after. I dont know about the rest of history with Steyr and Magna, i just know that along the G-Wagon, there was a Puch-G car.

[@427Motorsports]

That made for some good reading, thank you!!

[@guyk2260]

Love Pinzgauers , stack one next ot a LandRover the quality is no comparison at all , last forever go pretty much anywhere

[@nirfz]

Ptuj is part of the slovene part of styria if i am not mistaken (Stajerska?) And graz is the capitol city of styria (and was since before 1181 or so) Until the end of WW1 Stajerska (today slovenia) and what is today the austrian federal state of styria were one entity. And in Austria Hungary it was one of the "crownlands". (Btw.: the coat of arms of styria is one of the oldest almost unchanged coats of arms that is still used for the same entity in the world.) So for Janez Puh /Johann Puch to move to the capitol city of the crownland he lived in is not as much of a stretch than it seems today if he would move from slovenia to austria. I can add a few things about the company: His bycicles were built in Graz under the name Puch until the late 80's or early 90's if i remember correct. And the Mopeds made by the Puch factory were what motorized austria. (But not just austria, the motorcycles became pretty successfully too, and i saw a model in a museum a few years ago that was specially and only built for an american police deparment. But i don't remember which one. But it had a flat 4 engine i think.) The Puch copmany Puch was merged with Austro Daimler (who made cars) and "austrian plane works" in 1928. And then in 1934 with Steyr (out of upper austria, by the town of Steyr) where since the middle ages weapons were made. And the merged company was called Steyr-Daimler-Puch. That company made bycicles, mopeds, motorcycles in Graz, cars, trucks and tractors rifles, machine guns, pistols, bayonets in Steyr. During WW2 the factories were transformed to make military equipment. (So they made bycicles and motorcycles tank chassis, rifles MGs submachineguns ect. for the german army) And after WW2 they focussed first on tractors and trucks (in Steyr) But they also realized that small cars would be needed and cooperated with Fiat and were allowed to license manufacture the smallest Fiats (Fiat 500 600...) But they used their own engine. But the cars were then made in Graz. Tanks and stuff were develloped in cooperation but built in Steyr i think. Also in Graz they started making offroad vehicles for the army. The first realt impressive thing was the Haflinger. It had the same engine as the License Fiat they produced a 600cc flat twin but it had portal axles and diff locks. And it was so small that it could go up hiking trails. It was a replacement for pack horses basically. The Haflinger still has a huge following. The next thing was the Pinzgauer which is a bigger version of the Haflinger. They develloped a 4 cylinder aircooled 2.5Liter engine that sits between the driver and the front passenger. It also has portal axles and was built ind 4x4 or 6x6. And is still used in the austrian army. Although it is more and more replaced by more modern and less capable and less reliable vehicles. That offroad, 4wd, awd experience in Graz made Steyr - Daimler -Puch to one of the leading experts in that field (it seems). As Subaru approached them for their first awd car. So get this: Subaru, world famous for their awd, got their first one develloped for them by Steyr Daimler Puch. And in the late 70's Mercedes, when they were to built an Offroad Vehicle for the Shah and the german army, approached them for a cooperation: They were not that far away, and they knew what they were doing, and were develloping awd and 4wd systems for anyone who needed one and paid them. But Mercedes did something different: Mercedes and S-D-P founded a new company to devellop and build the G-wagon. Both owned 50% of that factory. And to this day that same factory devellops and builts all G-Wagons. There is not a single G-Wagon out there, that wasn't made in Graz where Janez Puh had founded his factory! (The only license produced ones were done by Peugeot and have a Peugeot emblem and engine for the french army. And there are no civilian ones as far as i know) In the 90's when the bycicle and Moped sector struggled and the rest of S-D-P in Graz The company was split again, and the part in Graz was bought by Magna. Magna itself is a canadian company, which was founded by an emigrated guy from styria. (Franz Strohsack or as he is now known: Frank Stronach) He bought the financially struggeling car and offroad specialists for "no money" and since then it is calles Magna-Steyr. (Sadly the Puch part was dropped) So Magna Steyr holds the 50% ownership of the G-Wagon company. And even before Magna bought that part, they were develloping and manufacturing awd and 4wd Systems and whole cars for any manufacturer that wanted it. And even more: If some manufacturer had limited manufacturing cpabilities or only wanted a imited series of vehicles they did build them for the manufacturer for money: The Chrysler Voyager during the late 80's and 90's for the european market was built in Graz. The Fiat Panda 4x4 (the original one) was made in Graz, they built 4matic e-class Mercedes, they develloped the X-drive for BMW, develloped awd for VW for ages, IF you think of any awd car of today, you can deduct Suzuki and a the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator and todays Subarus, the rest had their system at least partially develloped by the guys in Graz. (No Joke, they are quite silent about it, and only had one ocacsion where they had one of each car that had a system made/develloped by them at the Spielberg racetrack. And there was everything...) They also develloped and manufacturerd the Aston Martin Rapide, as AM did not have the space to do it, and so the factory in Graz did it for years, until Aston Martin had their factory ready. And the lastest things: The Ineos Greandier was develloped in Graz (hence why many reviewers say it feels more like a G-wagon than a old Defender) and the BMW Z4 and current Toyota Supra are built in Graz (the numbers are so small that neither BMW nor Toyota built a manufacturing line and all of them are made in Graz). And the Fisker Ocean was built here, but as "nobody" bought one that has stopped. Today there are again bycicles built under the brand Puch, but i have no clue where they make them, and how they got the rights for the name. It's kind of sad with the brand name Puch to me. (I am from an area close to the outskirts of Graz) As the "Puch Maxi" is soemthing iconic i remember from my childhood. There was one everywhere. It's as iconic to this area as the G-Wagon. ("petrol heads" would call both national icons, even though most of the world things the G-Wagon is made in Germany)

[@neilmckay8649]

That's some crazy pronunciation. My favourite SP product was the Haflinger

[@maks9644]

@@nirfz wow, thank you for this explanation One more thing about Magna-Steyr, they recently build a factory (car chasis galvanisation plant I think) in Maribor, Slovenija, only few kilometers away from Puhs birthplace (offcourse with heavy government subsidies), but they closed the plant down before it could start, because of covid and they havent started it back up since.

[@Ducatista749s]

You’re wrong because of the points you mention later in your video. Please refer to your video as references as to why you are wrong.

[@427Motorsports]

😂😂😂

[@fastinradfordable]

Gaslighting 101

[@pauldupre2269]

Love this comment ❤️

[@ingvarhallstrom2306]

I just had to stop the video and say because I couldn't hesitate any further: Nice haircut, dude! Looks fab. It really suits you!

[@Ollie-ps6qe]

Love you boys, keep going like this and you’ll end up being one of the big timers. Love from a Mk5 GTI owner x

[@427Motorsports]

Thank you so much!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@ciaoitalia47]

We own 5 mk2 golfs, and one of them is a Country with a 1.8 8v😍

[@scottbogfoot]

There's one Golf Country here in Newfoundland, a Montana green with the black pushbars and spotlights

[@dreammaker730]

Im from England , only ever seen one syncro/ country , that was from europe so that figures. Didnt realise till 6 years ago they even existed. Imagine a golf mk4 syncro .

[@427Motorsports]

Technically the R32 is a syncro, but that's not really the same haha!

[@liamjohnhawkins4212]

The golf mk4 4motion with a 2.8 vr6 was out in the uk before the r32 from around 1999

[@mojonaut]

Enjoying the videos from just over the road from yiz in Castleblayney - keep them coming! Liking the history lessons but very much here for the build vids too. That Montana colour is fairly class. I want one.

[@427Motorsports]

Ah deadly, honestly the mad thing is we get people over the world watching but we get more excited and surprised when people local to us comment 😂😂 thanks very much!!

[@tommyolsen8224]

It’s one green in my town , cool car

[@neilmckay8649]

Subaru did this whole 4WD of an ordinary 2WD saloon thing in the 80s

[@427Motorsports]

Yup! We love Subarus.

[@martinb.770]

I think there is a misconception about the 4WD mania of the 80ies. Audio experimented with 4WD in the 70ies, based on the *VW Iltis*, which became the drivetrain of the Quattro. Mercedes hat the Unimog, but like many others, used the knowhow and build capacities around Graz and Steyr (Austria) for for cooperation in development, small batch production and special versions (just like Ghia, Bertone and some other old names). Fiat was another long term partner of Steyr-Puch, developed the Panda (+ Lancia Y) 4WD versions themselves, but let them build the parts, Lancia did likewise for the Delta integrale, while e.g. for Alfa Romeo (in the same group) there was some logic to ask Subaru to design the rear drivetrain to the 33 Boxer. Talking of "Mercedes genes" doesn't apply. Mercedes just was one of the early cooperators, like Fiat (e.g. the original Cinquecento also being built as a Puch variant with another engine), but one can say: it's Steyr-Puch DNA, which comes from trucks, tractors, motorcycles, engines etc., long before the G-Class was developed, when people like Hans Ledwinka were the engineers behind the REAL 4WD/6WD monsters like the PInzgauer and Tatra trucks.

[@tadasstrikauskas1205]

I came here to raise a smile

[@anthonymillar6183]

😎 that Mercedes Benz were involved with vw

[@guyk2260]

....might be an easier route buying an Iltis ? Will be a LHD , and you can argue more Audi than VW , but kinda fun even if they like to roll over a lot . 3-5K would get you one esp if you can arsed importing it cheap from Belgium , been tempted myself . There were about 10 made RHD for German forces in the Castlemartin ranges but only ever seen one for sale in UK. Mate had a "Thing" turned onto a "Kubel a like" , that was fun too . PS Loved the numberplate on the promo car - WOBs.

[@melvyncox3361]

Unusual Country T shirt.Bought one!Shame VW never made more of the Golf Country.👍

[@427Motorsports]

Thank you so much!! 😎🤙🏻

[@peterjanvanbijnen226]

you forgot, the fiat panda 4x4

[@427Motorsports]

We didn’t forget, we just didn’t list every thing they did - it’d be a much longer video!

[@matthewturner5168]

9:48 yeah I wish I had one of them . If it were me I’d try to put a VR6 in it .

[@woodrow_mayes]

Saw one this year at the international mini meet in south Germany

[@nirfz]

Little nitpicking: Mercedes never owned Steyr Daimler Puch! The only thing they owned and still do is the company they founded together with Steyr Daimler Puch. And that's the company (located still where the offroad and passenger vehicles of Steyr Daimler Puch were made.. in Graz) That did and does the devellopment and manufacturing of the G-Wagon. So the Golf country has no Mercedes DNA in it, but Steyr-Daimler-Puch DNA. The renaming was because the vehicle manufacturing part of the company (Steyr not the G-wagon company) was struggeling and was bought by canadian company Magna. (founded by an austrian who emigrated to canada decades earlier) But this also meant the company splitted and the Steyr part disconnected from the Puch Part which basically is Magna in Graz now. (In Steyr they still did build trucks, tractors and tanks for vehicles but other than that, weapons) Magna in Graz (where this all happened) and their predecessor in Graz did paid engineering, devellopment and small scale manufacturing for anyone who needed it and paid. Hence the cars you mentioned being built here: If a company has more demand than capacity they seek for someone to cover those numbers. Magna in Graz can do that. Or in case for the Aston MArtin: to bridge the time untile Aston Martin had their factory ready. In Case of the Z4 and Supra: the numbers are not worth for either BMW or Toyota to build a manufacturing line when they can have Magna do it in Graz. The Ineos Greandier: develloped in Graz (Who do you go to if you want to found a new car brand and have a capable, reliable offroad vehicle? You go to someone who can do the engineering for you until you have your stuff together. That's the market niche these guys are working in for decades now. And lastely:i would argue that the "better fuel economy of hang on awd systems" is a myth but not real: The same number of parts need to be moved. But instead of move them directly, in a decoupled hang on system they are moved by moving the car. Which should mean more loss than directly moving them. (the rear diff and the drive shafts in this case). The only way this would save fuel would be if the driveshafts would decouple at the wheels too, and the drivehsafts and read diff and driveshaft to the rear would not turn, but also not cause drag. But the only cars having a drivetrain that comes close to that ideal are old 4wd cars whit lockable wheel hubs. And back when Audi develloped the quattro, they were surprised that the vehicle needed less fuel than they calculated. So what they found, was that a wheel that is driven has less roling resisntance than one that is just passively dragged over the surface. And that countered the additional loss from the additional drivetrain a bit.

[@427Motorsports]

That is interesting history - thank you! Especially intriguing about the quattro fuel economy

[@sleepyweasel447]

Fuckin love these mk2 videos!❤ I have a jetta mk2 Wolfsburg here in South Africa(my first car) that i'm fixing up. So glad I've found this channel 👌👌👌🔥

[@427Motorsports]

Thank you so much, that means the world to us!! 😬

[@jasonglisson1690]

I do want one

[@AlexisTichko]

I was instantly a fan of these cars. Sadly I never got the chance to buy one for two reasons. First of all, I would have needed to rob two banks and sell a tonne of dope to be able to buy one, secondly there wasn't an automatic option/version of this country beauty (yes yes I know... I was already an old fart even when I was young...always hated stick shift cars... don't shoot me). And oh yes, being a young guy I would have probably had to rob a third bank and sell another tonne of dope to pay for the fuel bill as these were all but sober cars...you know...the added weight and height...

[@djpierre4613]

Steyr-Puch is not part of Mecedes in any way. They build the G-wagon for them but they are not part of them. Their truckdivision belongs to M.A.N. these days (which is VW). But the carmanufacturing division is it's own entity.

[@427Motorsports]

Hence the *Sorta being said multiple times, and saying there’s some Merc DNA in it as they were built alongside each other and naturally some crossover will occur in how they did things for both.

[@fastinradfordable]

“Not part of Mercedes…” “… they did build Mercedes tho” “…. And was OWNED BY MERCEDED at the time” Wtf bro

[@mattteee2973]

I couldn't care less about VW's, I'm just here for the GT music and foul language. Keep it up!

[@427Motorsports]

Feck yeah buddy! Cheers for the honesty 😂

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

Will you do a video on the Vento

[@427Motorsports]

We can add it to the list for sure!

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

@427Motorsports Cheers, I remember them everywhere in Ireland in the 90s.

[@milopenales2413]

We never get cool cars either. Not even from our own Ford. I would love an XR3i but we never got them.

[@rikhotsochannel9334]

Please educate us about the Vw city Golf from South Africa and the City R-line 1.8 i wanna know more about the car

[@427Motorsports]

I’ll add it to the list! Mk1s really aren’t something I know a lot about in general, so, bear with me! 😂

[@danielfrancella5219]

I want a 4WD Golf.

[@427Motorsports]

Us too!

[@uwusmolbean]

Want one 🎉 🚙

[@Matt_from_Florida]

I've driven RHD cars in the USA. What's the big deal over needing to "swap" the driver's seat?

[@427Motorsports]

Aye you have a lot more room to navigate in the USA. We have very tiny roads, being on the wrong side makes a massive difference here in Ireland

[@MITCH14411]

Make the van into country spec

[@MrDeuvel]

Daimler Steyr Puch isn't Mercedes Benz

[@hadziomer]

great video about the great unrepeatable car, I'll always cry for not owning one, even better when you see it alive, but pronation of Puch is hilarious like to puke 😂😂😂 it's just pronounced pʊχ

[@julianstechsation]

What is the name of the song to the end of the video? :)

[@427Motorsports]

It doesn't really have a name as such but it's one of the last Build Mode tracks from the original Sims for PC. I think it's build mode 6!

[@ivanbro1208]

Make a vid about the volvo 240

[@427Motorsports]

We did!

[@markcumpson1570]

First was VW'S factory BAJA BUG.

[@andrewgardner9615]

I'm thinking Fiat Panda Sisley/4x4

[@Stuffsaboutcars]

Soo the gr supra is bmw and a Mercedes (the identity crisis is outalevel)

[@427Motorsports]

Poor thing is gonna grow up and wind up listening to Radiohead and crying

[@Stuffsaboutcars]

Will the tear be made by audi ?

[@toG-i9i]

First here.....nothing to say actually.

[@427Motorsports]

I’m more amazed we’re at the stage now we have people wanting to be first. 😂

[@fastrace14]

Crossovers just don't make practical sense for the average person an estate and MPV are much more practical, the height of a crossover makes it harder to get in and out of, the golf country is cool though, most new crossovers arent even 4wd.

[@Mladjasmilic]

And all of theđ ended up in Bosnia.

[@b-timeproductions176]

Just make your own Just convert a uk spec mk2 Mk4 gttdi 2.0 4motion awd Lifted suspension Custom bull bars Cause the mk2 is not rear to modify don’t convert a country they be worth plenty in the future as standard

[@427Motorsports]

If we get to the stage we're making content full time and aren't balancing normal jobs, customer cars and videos, we absolutely will take on something that crazy!

[@elgoogkcuf]

it's early in the video but I just know this guy's wrong.

[@Random-nf7qb]

It's Puh, not puke

[@427Motorsports]

Ah fair - I’ve only ever seen it written down. I assumed it was the same as the Fuchs wheels. Thanks for the tip! 🙌🏻

[@michaelcordes]

I get death threats and homophobic abuse within 19 seconds of a vid. I'm not even gay and everyone i've offered to meet and take them up on their threats not one has accepted the challenge

[@the_nondrive_side]

Get a golf country and lower it

[@427Motorsports]

Sacrilege!

[@josephkelly4893]

Can’t believe that this video does not even talk about people commenting on the video before watching it. Do better

[@427Motorsports]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@xprayforapugx851]

Puch is pronounced push

[@kabalu]

nein

[@EMFRocks]

Your'e wrong....

[@BobischEBM]

Never Stop Swearing!

[@427Motorsports]

Our version of Hagerty 🤣

[@izno73]

Mercedes had nothing to do with it.