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[[File:Ludwig Lohner, c. 1910 (Allgemeine Automobil-Zeitung, 1925).jpg|thumb|Ludwig Lohner, c. 1910]]
'''Ludwig Lohner''' (15 July 1858&nbsp;– 14 July 1925) ran his family's company as it became one of the first manufacturers of cars and airplanes in [[Austria-Hungary]].

== Life and work ==
Lohner studied mechanical engineering at the [[Vienna University of Technology]] from 1875 to 1880. In 1887 he took over the management of his father's carriage company, [[Lohner-Werke|Jacob Lohner & Company]], and inherited it when his father died in 1892.

In 1897, the company began manufacturing electric automobiles.  Lohner hired [[Ferdinand Porsche]] in 1898, and with him developed the [[Lohner Porsche]] which was popular at the [[Exposition Universelle (1900)|1900 World Exposition]] in Paris. The partnership went on to develop mixed gasoline-electric drive cars.<ref>{{citation| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=6guLi7s0cpQC| title = Great Auto Makers and Their Cars| author = Robert Italia| author2 = Bob Italia| publisher = The Oliver Press, Inc.|year = 1993| pages = 64–68| isbn = 9781881508083}}</ref><ref>{{citation| url = http://origin.porsche.com/uk/pictures/picture-of-the-week-1903-lohner-porsche-mixte| title =Picture of the Week: 1903 Lohner-Porsche Mixte| work = origin.porsche.com| date = 17 August 2011| publisher = Porsche Cars Great Britain Ltd}}</ref><ref>{{citation| url = http://origin.porsche.com/uk/pictures/picture-of-the-week-lohner-porsche-electric-voiturette-1| title =Picture of the week: Lohner-Porsche Electric Voiturette| work = origin.porsche.com| date = 12 October 2010| publisher =   Porsche Cars Great Britain Ltd}}</ref><ref>{{citation| url = http://media.daimler.com/Projects/c2c/channel/documents/1467995_Hybrid_e.rtf| title = Hybrid drive at Daimler AG| at = 1907 - The first hybrid from Daimler: The Mercedes Mixte| work = media.daimler.com| publisher = Daimler| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151208093211/http://media.daimler.com/Projects/c2c/channel/documents/1467995_Hybrid_e.rtf| archive-date = 2015-12-08}}</ref><ref>{{citation| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=5689qa8vrLQC| title =The electric vehicle: technology and expectations in the automobile age (Geschiedenis van de Auto van Morgen)| author = Gijs Mom| publisher = Johns Hopkins University Press| year= 2004 |orig-year=1997 | pages = 22–24| isbn =9780801871382}}</ref>

In 1909 Lohner decided the company should make airplanes.  With technical manager [[Karl Paulal]] he built a glider in April 1909<ref name=stein>Steinböck, 1984, p. 33</ref> then began to invest in making powered aircraft with a 40-hp [[Alessandro Anzani|Anzani engine]].<ref>{{citation| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=wxD86UnsmVcC| title = Automobil a spalovací motor| author =Branko Remek | publisher = Grada Publishing a.s.|language = Czech|year = 2012| isbn = 9788024735382| at = Lohner, p.60}}</ref><ref>{{citation| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=j1_FQqRfZn8C| title = Faszination des Fahrens: unterwegs mit Fahrrad, Motorrad und Automobil| author =Kurt Bauer| publisher =Böhlau Verlag Wien|language = German|year= 2003| isbn = 9783205770978| at = Kleine Enzyklopädie des Fahrens, "Lohner", pp.250-1}}</ref>
<!--36 aircraft of the type '' [[Etrich Taube]] ''. As a result, he built a biplane, the [[Lohner Arrow flyer]], which could be used both as a land and as a seaplane. The engines had up to 350 hp.

At the beginning of [[World War I | First World War]] was significantly extended the work in [[Floridsdorf]]. In 1916, the 30,000 vehicle and the 500th aircraft was manufactured.

In 1917 the company into a [[limited liability company (Austria) | GesmbH]] was converted. After the war, production was switched to car bodies and also with the construction of | started [[railroad cars cars]].

Apart from his activities as an entrepreneur Lohner was active in numerous public offices. So he had a seat as [[Liberal Forum | liberal]] held council in Vienna. He, too, was among the founders of the [[Industrial Association | Austrian Industry Association]], the [[Austrian Automobile, Motorcycle and Touring Club | ÖAMTC]] and [[Austrian Aero-Club | Austrian Aero clubs]].

[[File:Lohner L.jpg|thumb|left|[[Lohner L]] aircraft]]
In 1909, the firm undertook aircraft manufacture,<ref name="h1"/> producing [[reconnaissance aircraft]] for the [[Austro-Hungarian army]] during the [[First World War]], and a series of [[flying-boat]] patrol aircraft for the Navy,<ref name="Gunston">Gunston 1993, 188</ref> which were later copied by the Italian [[Alenia Aermacchi|Macchi]] aviation firm for the Italian military in World War I.{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}} Lohner also produced aircraft for the budding [[Spanish Air Force]].<ref>{{citation| url = http://www.ejercitodelaire.mde.es/ea/pag?idDoc=A963122D791E3CCFC125744800472D23 |title = Ejército del Aire - 1913| work = www.ejercitodelaire.mde.es| language = Spanish|quote  =17-XII-1913 : Primer bombardeo aéreo de la historia con auténticas bombas de aviación: Los Capitanes Barrón y Cifuentes sobre biplano Lohner en Ben Karrix, Marruecos}}</ref>

After [[World War I]] the company abandoned aircraft production,<ref group="note">The [[Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919)]] restricted Austria from having a military airforce, and restricted the number of armanent factories to one.</ref> and shifted its production to the manufacturing of [[tram]]s, and coachbodies. During the [[Great Depression]] the factory in [[Floridsdorf]] shut down.<ref name="h1"/><ref name="h2"/>
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== References ==
<references />

== Bibliography ==
* Erwin Steinböck. 1984. ''Lohner zu Land, zu Wasser und in der Luft: die Geschichte eines industriellen Familienunternehmens von 1823-1970.'' H. Weishaupt. (In German)

== External links ==
* [http://www.strassenbahn-europa.at/strassenba_02.htm Lohner company]

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[[Category:Businesspeople from Austria-Hungary]]
[[Category:1858 births]]
[[Category:1925 deaths]]
[[Category:Aviation pioneers]]