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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The Puch 800 combined an unusual four-cylinder layout with a brief production run: Dorotheum says 550 were built between 1936 and 1938. Two examples sold at the auction house in 2020 for €115,000 and €103,500. Those are historical, lot-specific results—not current valuations.
Why is the Puch 800’s engine called a 148-degree V4?
“148-degree V4” is a familiar shorthand for the Puch 800’s unusually wide engine layout, but it can make the design sound more conventional than it was. Dorotheum’s account describes Giovanni Marcellino’s four-cylinder engine as boxer-derived: each cylinder block was tilted upward by 16 degrees from the usual horizontal orientation. The resulting engine looked like a very wide-angle V rather than a conventional V-four. New Atlas uses the 148-degree description; Dorotheum supplies the more detailed geometry in its October 2020 lot record.
Dorotheum says angling the cylinder heads this way provided 7 cm more ground clearance. In its historical account, the layout followed an earlier 750 cc two-cylinder boxer prototype that was rejected because of excessive vibration. The four-cylinder design was considered smoother and strong enough for difficult terrain and mountain use, including government-service sidecar work. These are explanations in the auction-house catalog, not results of a separately documented performance test.
How many Puch 800s were built, and why did production end?
Dorotheum’s auction catalog gives the production period as 1936–1938 and the total built as exactly 550. That figure is the catalog’s production count; it is not a count of surviving motorcycles. The reviewed records do not establish how many remain today.
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Dorotheum links the model’s development to restrictions on exports of German BMW and Zündapp motorcycles. Its account says that after Austria’s 1938 annexation and the move to centralized German administration, authorities saw no future for the domestic government-service model, and production stopped.
What did Puch 800s sell for at auction?
Dorotheum recorded two Puch 800 sales in 2020. Both lots had estimates of €90,000–€120,000, but the realized prices differed. The October 1937 lot page says its price includes buyer’s premium and VAT.
| Motorcycle | Sale date | Estimate | Realized price | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 Puch 800 | 29 August 2020 | €90,000–€120,000 | €115,000 | Dorotheum lot page |
| 1937 Puch 800 | 17 October 2020 | €90,000–€120,000 | €103,500, including buyer’s premium and VAT | Dorotheum lot page |
These are results for two individual lots, not a market index, an appraisal, or evidence of what a Puch 800 would sell for now. The records do not support a general ranking of the bikes’ condition or an inflation-adjusted comparison.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How did the two auction motorcycles differ?
The 1936 example
Dorotheum says the 1936 motorcycle was first registered on 22 August 1936. It later belonged to one owner in Obritz from 1961 until it was deregistered in 1979, then underwent an extensive five-year restoration before being registered again. The August 2020 catalog record documents this history.
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The October lot followed a different path. According to Dorotheum’s catalog, the consignor acquired a poor-condition frame, fork, matching engine and some attachments in 2015, then spent two years finding or obtaining missing items. The account says original used parts were preferred; reproduction parts were used when finding originals seemed hopeless or disproportionate. The restored motorcycle received Austrian individual approval in May 2019.
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