The master of sparks

The master of sparks

Almost exactly 100 years ago, the specialist company “Brandt Autoelektrik” opened its doors on Pannaschgasse in Vienna-Margareten. At that time and for decades afterwards, the electrical components of automobiles and motorcycles were subject to high levels of wear due to their design, so that the demand for repairs and spare parts rose sharply with the boom in individual mobility. The automotive electrical trade experienced its heyday between the 1930s and 1960s; at its peak, the Brandt company employed up to 27 people. In 1976, when the young apprentice Alfred began his training in his father's company, the zenith of the golden age of car electrics seemed to have arrived. Alfred also learned how to turn and mill the collector of an alternator armature on the lathe, how to replace bearing bushes and replace windings, how to adjust ignition distributors with mechanical testing devices, and how to detect short circuits and broken cables. Above all, the latter ability, which he developed into mastery in the following years, still gives him the highest reputation in classic car circles today. But with the cultural change from the former repair society to the modern exchange society, the economic basis of the craft businesses specializing in car electrics dried up. Brandt therefore also completed training as a vehicle mechatronics technician and adapted his repair offerings to modern vehicle electronics.

Spare parts in demand

In the spacious hall on the ground floor, automotive gems from Jaguar, Triumph, Alfa Romeo, Rover and Morris await the healing hand of Master Brandt. Wiring harnesses need to be laid, ignition distributors or alternators repaired, spark plugs and headlight bulbs replaced, or short circuits and other cable problems identified. The causes of starting difficulties, engine misfires or even stalling can be varied. For around ten years, Alfred Brandt has been running his company as a one-man business with no employees. He manages his extensive spare parts warehouse of electrical components for historic vehicles, helps regular customers with troubleshooting and, upon special request, puts his museum-ready, yet still precisely functioning test equipment into operation in order to restore dynamos, starter motors or ignition systems of vintage cars true to the original. You can make a living from it, says Master Brandt, but rapid technical development is causing the niche to continue to shrink. Alfred Brandt will close his business next year due to retirement and a lack of a successor - and with it a chapter in contemporary automotive history.