Nell’agosto del 1940 fu presa la decisione di creare un nuovo veicolo ad 8 ruote che potesse rimpiazzare le già esistenti varianti ad 8 ruote del SdKfz 231, 232 e 233. Si decise di sviluppare un veicolo simile al 231 ma con carrozzeria corazzata così come il telaio. Alla ditta cecoslovacca Tatra fu data la responsabilità di realizzare il potente motore ed i prototipi furono pronti per il giugno del 1941, ma il motore Tatra era troppo rumoroso ed era previsto l’utilizzo del veicolo in nord Africa, dove le cose per i tedeschi non andavano troppo bene. La priorità al momento fu quindi data all’assalto delle artiglierie e dei carri e di conseguenza il 234 non entrò in produzione prima del 1943 e non fu sufficiente, come numero di esemplari prodotti, prima del '44. Ne furono alla fine costruiti cir-

ca 2300 esemplari, con un ritmo di più di 100 esemplari al mese. La versione base fu il SdKfz 234/1, armato di un cannone automatico da 20 mm. KwK 38 montato su una torretta esagonale. Questa versione era adatta a contrastare i carri leggeri russi, e il vero SdKfz 234 Puma, o 234/2, fu dotato di un cannone da carro da 50 mm. KwK 39/1 L/60, lo stesso usato nelle ultime versioni del Panzer III. Un’ulteriore sviluppo fu il SdKfz 234/3, il Schwerer Panzerspähwagen, progettato per fornire supporto di fuoco al Puma, armato di un cannone a bassa velocità da 75 mm. KwK 51 L/24. L’ultima versione fu la 234/4, che sotto molti aspetti riflesse la crescente disperazione dei tedeschi che tentavano di andare incontro ad attacchi su due fronti differenti; il risultato fu un mezzo armato di uno spietato cannone anticarro da 75 mm. PaK 40, il quale aveva drastici effetti sul telaio e le ruote del veicolo a causa dell’enorme rinculo. Particolari vantaggiosissimi della serie 234 erano il fatto che potessero essere costruiti rapidamente, potevano viaggiare ad alte velocità, avevano un basso profilo e potevano andare veloce tanto avanti quanto in retromarcia. Questi veicoli tedeschi ad 8 ruote erano da considerarsi particolarmente avanzati al tempo, e quando gli alleati si resero conto della loro presenza cominciarono le loro ricerche per creare mezzi simili, che diventeranno il principale appoggio alle auto blindate nel dopoguerra.

  In August 1940 the decision was made by the Germans to create a new eight-wheel (8 Rad) replacement for the existing eight-wheeled variants of the 231, 232 and the 233. It was decided to develop the vehicle in a similar way to the 231 but with an armoured body as well as a chassis. The Czechoslovakian firm, Tatra, was given the responsibility of developing the high-powered engine, and prototypes were ready in July 1941, but the Tatra engine was too noisy and the vehicle had been envisaged as being used in North Africa, where events were pot going well for the Germans. Priority was given at the time to assault guns and tanks, and as a result the 234 did not come into production until 1943 and was not available in numbers until 1944. Around 2,300 were eventually built, at a rate of up to 100 vehicles a month. The basic version was the SdKfz 234/1, armed with a 20 mm KwK 38 automatic gun on an open-topped six-sided turret. It was ideally suited to tackle Russian light tanks, and the true SdKfz 234 Puma, or the 234/2, was developed with a 50 mm KwK 39/1 L/60 tank gun mounted in the distinctive pig's head (saukopf) mantlet. This was the same gun that was used in the later marks of  the Panzer III. The gun mantlet had 100 mm (3.94 in) armour, and around 100 of these vehicles were produced. The next development was the SdKfz 234/3, the Schwerer Panzerspähwagen designed to give the Puma support fire. It was armed with a 75 mm KwK 51 L/24 low-velocity gun, and again the turret was open-topped. The final development was the 234/4, which in many respects reflected the growing desperation in trying to stem the tide on both fronts by the Germans. It was armed with a 75 mm PaK 40 anti-tank gun and was in effect a very crude tank destroyer. The weapon's heavy recoil had a drastic effect on the chassis and the wheels of the vehicle. What is particularly striking about the 234 series was that they could be built quickly, had a high speed, a low profile and the ability to drive as fast backwards as they could forwards. These German eight-wheeled vehicles were considerably ahead of their times, and as the Allies became aware of their presence they began to step up their own research and design into similar eight-wheeled vehicles, which would become the mainstay of armoured car development in the post-war years.