At the end of the 1970ies it became more and more apparent that the Steyr Type 680 trucks that had been in service since the mid-1960ies had to be replaced. These started in 1985 and resulted in the Steyr 12M18 being introduced in 1986. In 1979 however, six vehicles were assembled in a configuration that was never part of any official type catalogue: 6x6 chassis with double-cab and second steering wheel for driver training purposes.
Like all 6x6 versions of the "680", the vehicles were equipped with the Steyr WD610 straight-six turbocharged Diesel engine (the early versions still had the older WD609 engines) delivering 150 HP. Together with a non-synchronized 6-speed stick-shift transmission it provided the legendary offroad-capabilities of the "680". The driver training version was indicated by the "F" added to the "M3" type designation.
The uniqueness of these six vehicles is also reflected in the fact that the official vehicle documents describe them as standard 6x6 single-cab configurations with single steering wheel.
Our vehicle was first issued in March 1979 und remained in active service as "BH 76.475" until its discharge in August 2003. As far as we know, only one other vehicle of this small group has survived and can be seen at the ÖAMTC Test&Training Ltd. Teesdorf and Stotzing Driver Training Centers.