‘Open house’ marks 75 years of Steyr

The first open house event since 2013 at the Steyr tractor plant has seen more than ten thousand visitors descend on the St. Valentin factory in Austria for Steyr@Home 2022, to enjoy tours of the production facilities, a huge display of ‘oldtimer’ tractors and a glimpse into developments for the future.

With the world returning slowly to normal, it was fitting that the first open event at the factory for nine years should mark a significant milestone, celebrating 75 years since the first Steyr tractor was made.

Visitors were able to examine the latest models from across the Steyr tractor range, from the Kompakt S to the very latest Terrus CVT, experience live tractor demonstrations and guided factory tours on small trains, enabling close-up views of how Steyr tractors are manufactured.

There was also a great deal of interest in future development displays, such as that for the “Hybrid Drivetrain Konzept”. This focus on new drivetrain ideas stems from the unveiling of the Steyr Konzept tractor at Agritechnica 2019, building on the benefits of electric drive. Meanwhile, a display of Steyr tractors through the decades from the 1940s to the 1990s drew the crowds, as many visitors recalled the machines they used to drive.

But there was more than just tractors at the event, with a major crowd puller being one of the Aprilia RS-GP 2022 MotoGP motorbikes. Winner of the Indonesian round of this year’s championship, the bikes, which are competing at the highest level of global motorbike racing, will be Steyr-branded for the Austrian race on 21 August in Spielberg, Styria. Enthusiastic crowds also took part in entertainment around the venue, which included the Steyr hot-wire station.

“We were really pleased to be able to open up the factory once more and hold this event again to be closer to our customers,” says Gunnar Hauser, Business Director Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia for Case IH und Steyr. “The attendance was really impressive, and so was the visitors’ enthusiasm for the brand. Steyr has held a special place for many years in the farm, forest and municipal businesses of many people,” Mr Hauser acknowledges. “This has been a great opportunity to recognize their support and to reinforce our commitment to the brand,” he adds.

“The factory tours for visitors provided a great opportunity to show the investments made in precision manufacturing technology at St. Valentin to support the skills of the workforce in producing and delivering high quality tractors,” says Peter Friis, Steyr Head of Commercial Operations in Europe.

“In addition, the displays of past and future Steyr tractor technology emphasized the brand’s commitment to continuously creating new solutions to the evolving challenges faced by customers,” says Mr Friis. “As we broaden our reach in existing markets and enter new ones, we want to show as many people as possible what is different about Steyr. Our plant, which regularly welcomes guest visitors, is an ideal place to do this, as the success of Steyr@Home 2022 has shown.”