Automobile: 100 years later, a fragment of Austrian automotive heritage finally completes the Monte-Carlo

In 1926, snow shattered the dream of the first Austrian team entered in the Monte Carlo rally. A century later, the sole surviving vehicle of the AVIS brand has finally crossed the finish line in the Principality.

When the silhouette of the AVIS type 3 made its entrance into the streets of the Principality, emotion overwhelmed the crew. At the end of a journey of eleven days started on August 25, punctuated by several stops in each country, tears mingled with relief. « It was too emotional. We cried when we arrived. We immediately thought of the pioneers who never got to see this accomplishment in their lifetime », confides with emotion Dr Robert Krickl, Austrian researcher, geologist and historian at the origin of this mad project. At his side for this timeless adventure, his parents and his wife. Together, they have just sealed the chapter of a story begun exactly one hundred years ago by proudly driving on the Monaco GP circuit.

Nothing destined this automobile to see the light of day again. Found in the darkness of a Swiss barn in the form of a « rusty skeleton with rotten wood », the car seemed doomed. It took waiting until 2019 and the meticulous work carried out by Robert Krickl and a team of experts for this car to regain its splendor.

A century in reverse

The challenge was immense. It was impossible to order spare parts commercially for a brand that had disappeared nearly a century ago. Thanks to rigorous scientific and historical work, the vehicle was reconstructed 80-90% with its original centennial elements. Under the hood, its small twin-cylinder engine of 20 horsepower displays a top speed of 60 km/h.

To understand the magnitude of this feat, we must go back to January 1926. At that time, the AVIS factory embarked on a mad gamble, sending the very first factory team from the young Austrian Republic to face the racing giants at the Monte Carlo Rally. Leaving Vienna to acclaim, car number 44 impressed with its reliability. But at the Italian border, the road to happiness closes. A snowstorm accumulated meters of powder on the asphalt leading to the inevitable withdrawal of the car. At Monaco, the disappointment was immense, the brand promised to return, but would never have the opportunity again.

The company took its name from the Latin word Avis, which means bird, in tribute to its original activity in aircraft construction. Relocated to Brunn am Gebirge, near Vienna, it produced these popular light cars until the Great Depression of the 1930s reduced the factory to silence. « I have been searching for clues around the world for more than ten years. We would never have believed it possible that even one of these vehicles could have survived the century », recalls Dr Krickl.

Duty of remembrance and transmission

The 2026 journey was nevertheless no walk in the park. Registered with the FIVA and proudly bearing the number 44 of the time, the centenarian had to face the terrible Semmering pass, the steepest summit on the Austrian route. On the third day, the drama nearly repeated itself after the appearance of a technical defect. « Without the help and dedication of passionate colleagues who worked tirelessly through the night to solve the problem, we could not have continued », recounts the historian.

Beyond the technical achievement, the crew transformed this journey into a genuine cultural and pacifist bridge across Europe. The team stopped almost every day along its journey to exchange and transmit the beautiful legacy left by this AVIS.

As a tribute to the brand, origami representing doves and swallows were distributed to residents. Upon arrival, a paper bird was presented to the Monegasque authorities under the aegis of the Austrian Consulate as a sign of peace and prosperity.

But the adventure does not end at the Rock. For Robert Krickl, this unique automobile has no place under a tarp at the bottom of a private collection, « it belongs to public heritage. »  The centenarian will take a well-deserved retirement at the Lower Austria Museum. 

At the same time, the historian will continue his mediation work in schools and at exhibitions to tell young generations the story of these forgotten pioneers of the European industry.