65 years of Yellow Angels

65 years of Yellow Angels

65 years ago, the ÖAMTC breakdown drivers first swarmed out to help stranded motorists and motorcyclists. Their company vehicles were chrome-yellow motorcycles and sidecars of the Puch 250 SG and Puch 250 SGA, their equipment included a few tools and a lot of technical know-how, and their nickname “Yellow Angels”. The idea for roadside assistance came to Gerhard Seidel, then head of technical services, when a Viennese fishmonger asked him for help. The man had broken down on his motorcycle with his delicate delivery and walked to the ÖAMTC garage on Einsiedlergasse in Vienna's 5th district. Seidel drove his private car to the scene, where he managed to get the motorcycle back on the road and save the fish from destruction. Exactly 50 years ago, the service was further professionalized and since then the Yellow Angels have been providing breakdown service around the clock. Her company vehicle at the time was the Puch 500 small car.