The main reason I picked this Puch G posted by Roshake is because…I heard two British guys discussing a Puch engine in a video, and one kept calling it a “Pooch”, and the other a “Putsch”. Ouch. Ok, I know the German “ch” is a bit challenging for English speakers to pronounce, but come on; if you’re going to make several Youtube videos on the subject, maybe a wee bit of effort?
I love the word “Puch”, because of course it’s the name of a storied Austrian company, one that made some wonderful cars , motorcycles, bicycles and other high-quality things. Puchs were everywhere in Austria back then; my mother’s bicycle, my aunt’s car, Puch mopeds everywhere in the streets. And I love saying “Puch” out loud. It reminds me of my roots; it’s hard to think of a word that’s more Austrian than Puch.
So here’s how not to say it:
Ivan from Shed racing says “Pooch” for the first time at about 0:35, and his guest says “Putsch” at 1:20. For that matter, I have a heard time understanding Ivan at all, in his mumbling British.
If the German “ch” is really that hard, here’s a tutorial on how to pronounce it.
The Puch G is of course a Mercedes G, but badged as a Puch prior to 2000 when it was sold in certain countries: Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Yugoslavia (and its successor states: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia), Mongolia, and Eastern European COMECON countries. Given that this one is wearing Austrian tags, we can assume it’s from before the year 2000. As to a more precise model year, someone more knowledgeable is going to have to tell us, but it’s pretty obviously not a very early one either; most likely from the 1990s.
No plaid cloth seats like in the late 70s, early-mid ’80s.
I used to really want one of the early ones, before they became a thing. And then more of a thing. And then still more of a thing. Who could have predicted that when it came out in 1979? Not me. It’s almost painful to see one now, especially a fully-kitted out AMG, or do they have Maybach versions now?
If you’ve done your homework and watched that tutorial, now you can all say “Puch” with me. And if you still can’t, just say “Pook”, trying to soften the k some, which is still way better than “Pooch” or “Putsch”.
The Puch Magnum and Cobra top tank mopeds are in as high of demand as the stupid status symbol G-wagens today. Very fun and popular platform to mod with a “kit” to increase power and displacement.
Interesting vehicle, too bad they’ve become such status-mobiles, at least in this country. I’m sure they’re super capable in what should be their native off-road environment, not some nightclub in a US city. I’d also assume they are more reliable than their nemesis, the Range Rover, and perhaps more desired also as the king of bling, at least here. The last one I saw had chrome accessories plastered all over it and huge chrome wheels… yeesh!
Interesting find, and thanks for the German lesson! My Dad took German in high school – Central PA had a decent sized German speaking population at the time (“Pennsylvania Dutch”), so he would drop phrases in every now and again…my pap loved “Hogan’s Hereoes” and would call me “Sgt Shultz” as well as telling me to “Macht Schnell” if I was going at a leisurely pace.
You know something is over the top when it’s the chosen ride of The Kardashians…
I love the name Puch also, but for a different reason. Pronounced slightly differently (hard “k” for the last letter) but still close enough to the correct German pronunciation, it’s the Russian word for fart. A word I learned at a very young age but was still part of my family’s vocabulary when Puch mopeds became popular in the US, and then my automotive interests revealed more Puch vehicles, including the Stey-Puch Haflinger and Pinzgauer … names which had their own polysyllabic appeal.
Sorry – but I don’t see anything special about that vehicle, so I wouldn’t be impressed by anyone driving it. Interesting how some wealthy people want to look like hobos.
I didn’t learn German in the States, I learned it there. Consequently, I am shocked by how rough so many German speakers sound when they arrive in Deutchland from the US. Many can’t even pronounce “ich” correctly, so they sound like idiots. Worse, is how often German is made fun of by people butchering its pronounciations in English. They really don’t sound funny – they sound stupid.
For 20 minutes I had the chance to listen to “The Tonight Show” in English and it was the only English I heard during my time there. I was where few English speakers lived. So it made my brain feel good to hear English, even spoken in the heavy Bostonian accent of Jay Leno. One night, I suggested to my friends that they watch the Show. So we saw Billy Crystal interviewed about how his movies were translated into other markets. Crystal said how much he loved hearing himself dubbed in French. Then he turned to Leno and started insulting the German language. He made every spitting sound possible and sounded like he was a cast member of “Hogan’s Heros”. It was really painful to watch and embarrassing.
Since learning German, I can’t tell you how many times I have heard others insult it. I know we’ve fought two wars against them, but it is time to move on from using the language as a joke, isn’t it?
Yep, ‘making fun’ of another language by insultingly mispronouncing it is SO not funny. . The western world has become a lot more multicultural in the last sixty years. As we hear more of other languages, our ears become more aware of differences in the sounds.
I’m half German, and I did two years of German in high school back in the early seventies, but it was only when family friends started speaking German to me that I realised how bad my own pronunciation was. Oh well, “Ich bin Aüslander….” – but then I tried to do better.
The real question is : were these trucks any good ? .
Maybe one that wasn’t all blinged out would be a good, comfy people mover ? .
All the German immigrants I know tell me to say “pook” .
-Nate
Yes. Not as comfy people mover but as a serious off-road vehicle which is up there with the best of them and – if properly maintained – as reliable as a Toyota Land Cruiser. Are they worth the preposterous money asked for even over 30 year old examples (good ones start at €15K here in Austria)? No to me but I am not the market…
I always thought it was pronounced more like “puck” than “pook”, but with a bit of that German “ch” sound at the end. But I wasn’t sure if they pronounced the “ch” in English. I’m reminded of some mid-’80s US VW commercials where they tried to get Americans to pronounce “Volkswagen” the German way, kind of like “volksvoggen”. Some car manufacturers gave up trying to get us to say their names “right”: here’s how Hyundai pronounced their name when they first arrived in North America, which was already somewhat anglicized but less so than the “hunday” they now use:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRp39zAFAZs
…and Subaru:
Used to see many older ex-army ones in Switzerland back when I lived there. Super basic and no Mercedes badge – to me, the only attractive G-Wagen. Just too many blinged-out AMG versions where I live now. Talk about screwing the Puch.
Sometimes the problem isn’t that the non-English word is hard to say but that it sounds altogether too weird and maybe even fakey. Just about everyone in Texas can manage a Mexican food menu but anyone who could and would pronounce San Saba correctly is a rare bird. Or maybe any English speaking person faced with ‘Waterloo’. That ain’t how it’s said.
…Versailles, Coeur d’Alene, Des Moines…
I’ve always pronounced it “pook” but aha a head start because my mom did business with SDP US in the 70s. This did net me an English language Pinzgauer brochure and a Austro-Daimler bicycle at dealer cost.
This is first generation W463 made from 1991 to 2017.
The presence of dual airbags narrows this Puch G to 1997-2000. The owner used the OEM headlights with clear lens from 2002.
If you think we can screw up the Puch, you should try Borgward, Porsche or even Daimler!
At least Septics get the R sound closer – we Limeys use a W instead.
You didn’t even go near Steyr…and we’re best warned off MAN.
I always wondered how the Septics got on with Merkur..? It would have run away from us.