Intermeccanica IMP 700 GT

We’re off to a great start when a car’s name is debated. Is it the Intermeccanica-Puch 500, the IMP 500, the IMP 700 GT, the Steyr-Daimler-Puch 700 GT…?

This first part is easy: IMP stands for (I)nter(M)eccanica-(P)uch. 

The tale begins with Hungarian-born Canadian Frank Reisner who, after marrying Paula, a Czech-Canadian, took a long vacation in Europe that ended up lasting nearly 20 years. 

The pair were automobile fanatics, and started their holiday by purchasing a Fiat 500 to drive around the continent in — from which their luggage was stolen. 

Frank Reisner was a chemical and mechanical engineer by trade, and for a short time worked for Fiat tuner Giannini — all while Reisner became more and more infatuated with starting his own car company.

Backed by the North East Engineering Company of Canada (whose main asset was its Italian subsidiary), Intermeccanica started in Turin, 1957, by producing a small number of tune-up and performance kits, as well as a small Peugeot-engined formula car. This gave the Reisners the startup experience they needed to launch their most ambitious project yet.

First, they needed a new car.

The Reisners' Fiat 500 had worn out, and after seeing a Puch 500 in Turin decided to purchase one…with the closest dealer in Stuttgart, Germany.

This was because in Austria, Puch made a beefed-up Fiat 500 under license, with one important distinction: it was powered by a motorcycle-derived flat-twin engine. This engine gave the Puch 500 great flexibility and torque, perfect for the hilly Austrian terrain.