Here is a round-up of STIHL Contra adverts, images, and interesting memorabilia.
The Contra was made from 1959 – 1968 and is one of the most iconic chainsaws ever made.
Let’s get into the old ads!
In this framed newspaper ad STIHL states:
FOR HAPPY SAWING AND MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKET
The saw was marketed as the Contra Lightning in the USA.
STIHL NZ shared:
Flashback to 60 years ago when STIHL modernised the forestry industry around the world with the STIHL Contra gasoline-powered Chainsaw! This marked the start of a new era for STIHL.
The 6-horsepower, 12-kilogram product was the first gearless STIHL chainsaw.
The Contra was one of the early one-man saws, following the likes of the STIHL BLK.
This is Andreas Stihl, inventor of the earliest chainsaws, in one of the few public photographs of him. He’s beside the Contra, of course!
A pretty cool die-cast model of the Contra.
The Contra and the STIHL 07.
An example of how STIHL still references the Contra today.
An old STIHL Contra advert sharing some of the specs… “9 HP at 6500 r.p.m., 12.2 kgs complete with 17″ bar…”
This image of Andreas Stihl is found in museums.
This ad states:
The new Lightning GS with motorcycle chain reduction combines 12 horsepower and vibrationless cutting with a weight of only 34 lbs. complete with bar and chain—built as only STIHL can build an engine.
(Lightning GS is a stronger version of the already popular Lightning G).
This saw can handle bar lengths of any size and cut the largest tree with ease. The rubber-coated handles absorb vibration, making operation as comfortable as driving a luxurious automobile.
This is an advert for the Lightning, Model BLK, and Model ELS, a three-phase electric saw.
All STIHL saws are made in West Germany by the world’s oldest chainsaw manufacturer.
Made to old world standards to stay in the woods and out of the repair shop.
Stihl saws are now made all over the world.
A chainsaw model with the Contra and other old models.
A 1964 newspaper ad featuring the Contra Lightning, Lightning GS, and Lightning S.
The legendary STIHL CONTRA chainsaw celebrated its 60th anniversary. The “mother of all saws” was launched on the market in 1959. It revolutionized forestry and will always remain an important part of our history.
The STIHL Lightning outperforms any other chainsaw in felling, bucking, limbing, or plunge cutting in any position.
It outlasts any other chainsaw…
Another image that’s regularly used in STIHL marketing.
This is the Golden Contra that was sent out as part of a promotion to mark 200,000 Stihl Chainsaws produced.
Contra t-shirts are popular.
After the Contra came the STIHL 070 and STIHL 090—two other great chainsaws!
