Magnificent seven for ÖAMTC

Publication date: 20 January 2008

The Austrian automobile club is marking a series of important events this year including the birthday of its famous helicopter fleet.

Never a club to hold back, Austria's ÖAMTC is celebrating a staggering seven key anniversaries in 2008.

One milestone which stands out is the 25- year anniversary for its iconic emergency rescue helicopters. The first ÖAMTC helicopter started operating a quarter of a century ago, a point at which the Austrian paramedic system also started running. Today Austria counts among the countries with the best emergency medial care system in the world.

Despite some fierce resistance, the ÖAMTC installed the first Austrian rescue helicopters in Innsbruck and Krems. In 1988, exactly 20 years ago, Pope John Paul II blessed the ÖAMTC rescue helicopter "Christophorus 4" on the occasion of his visit to Austria.

In 1985 the "emergency rescue helicopter pool" operated by the Austrian Ministry of Interior and the ÖAMTC provided a seamless network of airborne medical units for the country. In the first half of 2001 the ÖAMTC took over all airbases from the Ministry of the Interior and now operates a total of 16 airbases nationwide. About 16,000 rescue assignments are carried out each year. Since 1983 more than 167,000 lives have been saved because of quick help from the air. Thanks to the excellent cooperation with the club's partners – the Austrian Red Cross, the Vienna Ambulance service and the Austrian mountain rescue service as well as 250 highly qualified paramedics – the Austrian emergency rescue helicopter network operates at the highest standards of quality.

The other key anniversaries in 2008 are:
• 10 years ago, in October 1998 the ÖAMTC launched a membership card with credit card function;
• 15 years ago the ÖAMTC and the ADAC organised the first ECO Tour of Europe – well ahead of the present considerations about saving fuel;
• 40 years ago, on 14 November 1968, the ÖAMTC launched - first on a trial base only- "24 hours breakdown assistance" in capital of Vienna. Today people can't imagine motorists not being assisted during the night; u continued u
• 35 years ago, in 1973 the ÖAMTC was authorised to conduct MOT tests. The same year all patrol cars were fitted with seat belts; and
• 30 years ago, in December 1978 the ÖAMTC re-launched the club-magazine. It was transformed from the newspaper format to a modern, coloured small format magazine.

Looking back 110 years further back, 1898 was a very important year for the ÖAMTC. On 24 October 1896 the ÖTC (the Austrian Touring Club) was founded and on 6 February 1898 the ÖAC (Austrian Automobile Club) was officially launched. Both associations merged 1946 to form the ÖAMTC.

In 1898 the Austrian engineer & mechanic, Siegfried Marcus died and the same year, the ÖAC acquired the second Marcus car, the oldest car in the world – which is still kept in its original form.

The history of the ÖAMTC is therefore inseparably linked with that of the Marcus car. The ÖAMTC has owned the car the since 1898 and since 1915 it could be visited at the Vienna Technical Museum where it is exhibited on permanent loan. The second Marcus car was constructed between 1875 and 1888 and is considered as the forerunner of the modern car.

The ÖAMTC is particularly proud of the fact that, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the death of Siegfried Marcus in 1998, the History and Heritage Committee of ASME International (the American society of Mechanical Engineers) awarded the Marcus car the International Historic Engineering Landmark; an award bestowed for outstanding technical achievements from the world over.

If all this wasn't enough, last but not least 110 years ago, in 1898 the LIAT (the predecessor federation of the AIT) was founded in Luxemburg proposed by the Austrian Delegation.

As the club itself says: "2008 is set to be yet another anniversary year for many ÖAMTC services, of which the club is rightly proud."