Ledwinka, Hans

Ledwinka, Hans, b. Klosterneuburg (Lower Austria), Feb. 14, 1878, d. Munich (Germany), Feb. 14, 1967, car designer. 1921-1945 chief designing engineer of the firm TATRA-Werke in Kopřivnice, Czech Republic (then Nesseldorf). Invented the frameless central tubular chassis with swing axles and the air-cooled pancake engine. From 1955 his son Erich L. constructed the vehicles Puch 500, Haflinger and Pinzgauer at the Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG works in Graz.

Literature: NDB.