Cavalier Automotive

**Cavalier Automotive**, usually referred to as **Cavalier**, is an Austrian car manufacturer from Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Austria. Established in 1879 as a firearms' manufacturer, Cavalier proceeded to work on light motor vehicles for military purposes during the later years of World War I.

After the end of the war, Cavalier began producing civilian light motor vehicles. Robert von Hohenberg, son of company founder Richard von Hohenberg, entered several of the company's cars in motor races across Europe. He famously won the Eifelrennen in 1924 driving a Cavalier Lancelot.

After the end of World War II, Cavalier Automotive was re-established, having previously been disbanded under German rule. Since 1946, Cavalier has been active as a car manufacturer.

## History

Entrepreneur Richard von Hohenberg established the *Hohenberg'sche Schusswaffen-Manufaktur* in 1879, producing firearms for the military of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. At the onset of the First World War, von Hohenberg had already begun experimenting with motorized vehicles, which he assumed would see military application further down the line. A prototype for such a vehicle was referred to as "der Kavalier" (en. *the cavalier*), an early version of an armored vehicle.

In 1917, the *Armeeoberkommando der Bewaffneten Macht* enquired with several Austro-Hungarian engineering companies about potential applications for armored motorized vehicles. Among them was the Hohenberg'sche Schusswaffen-Manufaktur, which proposed the production and deployment of 150 armored vehicles *Typ Kavalier-1*. However, the war ended before the production of these vehicles was completed, and only thirteen prototypes were ever completed. Two of these were put to use in the final weeks of the war, but both were destroyed.

Following the war, the Hohenberg'sche Schusswaffen-Manufaktur was ordered to disband its firerarms production, as military production in the now-defunct empire was heavily restricted. Von Hohenberg had already identified automobiles as his new market of choice, and in 1923 officially launched **Cavalier Automotive**, the name a reference to the Kavalier-1 armored vehicle.

### The early days (1923 - 1938)

From 1923 onward, Cavalier started producing motorized vehicles for private use.

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In 1933, following the Anschluss (the incorporation of Austria into the Deutsches Reich), the vast majority of Austrian engineering facilities were ordered to focus on producing military equipment. Since the Hohenberg'sche Schusswaffen-Manufaktur had been disbanded only fifteen years prior, Cavalier was among the companies ordered to produce firearms.

Despite these limitations, Cavalier was allowed to maintain their motorsport operations and compete in Grand Prix Racing.

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In 1938, on the onset of World War II, the Cavalier factories in Klagenfurt were confiscated and placed under the control of Rheinmetall to be incorporated into their production lines.

### Reestablished (1945 - 1950)

Following World War II, factories and equipment were returned to Robert von Hohenberg, enabling him to restart production of civilian vehicles. The first such vehicle was the Cavalier Camelot, which hit the markets in early 1947. The first available edition was the four-door limousine, later followed by a two-door coupé version. The latter was particularly successful as Cavalier's first overseas export. One such car, in the hands of Oliver Brown, won two races in the 1948 NASCAR Modified Division.

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## Motorsport

Since the very early days, Cavalier automobiles have been represented in motorsports around the world. At the wheel of a *Cavalier Lancelot*, Robert von Hohenberg won the Eifelrennen in 1924. The winning car still exists today and is currently exhibited in the Cavalier Automotive Museum near the factory grounds in Austria.

In 2021, Cavalier Motorsport returned to the 24 Hours of Le Mans after a 26-year-absence.