The Steyr 1500A became the standard heavy military passenger vehicle from 1941 onward. There were two basic variants: the 1941-1942 version had spare tires mounted outboard on either site to increase mobility. In the 1942-1944 version, however, the spare tire was stowed inside the vehicle.

The vehicle was designed with four primary criteria in mind:

• High speed on paved roads
  Good cross-country mobility
  All-weather performance
  A high degree of versatility

The vehicle had a conventional 4x4 layout. It was powered by a 85hp three-liter V8 air-cooled engine (which made it well-suited to service with the Afrika Korps) and had four-wheel drive.

Some 18,000 Steyr 1500A trucks were built by Steyr Daimler Puch, and under license by Auto Union.

The vehicle came in both troop carrier and staff car versions, as well as a flat-bed truck.

The Steyr 1500A on display is on loan from the Bundeswehr's Historical Museum in Dresden.