Horch | Classic Car Club of America Forums

alsancle · 2014-05-02T22:01:58.000Z

We have a thread for Prewar Mercedes Benz but none for Horch so here is one. One of my favorite prewar cars. Here is one that was a Pebble Beach best of show.

V

· May 3, 2014

I was in a position in November to acquire a collection of cars from a family collection that had begun in 1956. thisis one of the cars a 1937 Horch 853.

V

· May 3, 2014

Love it! Does it have the 2 speed behind the tranny? I have always wondered how these drove compared to the Mercedes. They were under appreciated until about 10 years ago.

V

· May 3, 2014

I have never driven a 500 or 540. It can't be compared to the 290 or 370 I have driven. The 290 feels like a light and sporty fun car. The Horch is more off a heavy and stately cruiser. possible one of the heavier cars i have ever driven. it feels very similar to my SJ dual cowl.

V

· May 3, 2014

Sorry I forgot it does not have a 2 speed behind the trans. I have only driven it about 20 to 30 miles.

· May 3, 2014

The 540k has been described as driving a sturdy overstuffed coach down the road (Until you engage the blower) so I would say they are probably pretty similar. The 852/853s has one of my favorite dash panels. Beautiful. I have a friend that has one of the 4 or 5 special roadsters. I have sat in it but have never gone for a ride. Very tight fit. I'll find some pictures of that and post them.

· May 3, 2014

Here are the crappy pictures I have of the special roadster. A very snazzy car in person. Maybe not quite a 540k Special Roadster but a spectacular car.

· May 3, 2014

Here is one that was for sale last year. Gullwing had it and flipped it pretty quick. I don't know what they were asking.

T

· May 3, 2014

Looking forward to the Special Roadster pics, these are MUCH rarer than the MBs, less striking maybe but still some of the most beautiful German coachwork designs of the late 30s.

The Special Roadsters were offered by the factory but made by independent coachbuilders, Gläser and Erdmann & Rossi. That striking Cabriolet from Robert Lee's collection is a one off by Voll & Ruhrbeck.

This is a Special Roadster on a 853 chassis by E&R. One of a small series ~ 6 built. Won PB in 2003.

The 855 Gläser SR on display at the Audi museum Ingolstadt. Interestingly this came from Rudi Klein's infamous LA exotic junkyard, but unlike the Carraciola 500K this somehow got away and is now on permanent loan in Germany.

Another 855 SR, very similar to the above example but supposedly by Erdmann & Rossi. With a Texan collector at Pebble sometime in the late 90ies.

T

· May 3, 2014

Here are the crappy pictures I have of the special roadster. A very snazzy car in person. Maybe not quite a 540k Special Roadster but a spectacular car.
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This came out of the Riga car museum several years ago. Rough (by western standards) restoration. From the same series as the PB 2003 winner. I think it went for ~ $3MM, not a steal, but this can be made into an absolute stunner when finished nicely. Whats the current status? Im sure a complete resto is planned right?

V

· May 3, 2014

Here are the crappy pictures I have of the special roadster. A very snazzy car in person. Maybe not quite a 540k Special Roadster but a spectacular car.
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I know how large my 853 felt driving. That car must feel huge.

B

· May 8, 2014

Jim Stevens (d) had a Horch in one of his barns north of Cortland, NY.

· May 8, 2014

I was at the Stevens auction and went into shock when that car sold for 300k

V

· May 8, 2014

What was the condition? Rough?

S

· May 8, 2014

I didn't consider it rough. It was a complete car that needed everything restored. However not being an authority on the marque I am unable to comment on the "jewelry". But to view the car as it sat outside it appeared complete and needing restoration. Probably as good a one you could find on this side of the pond, but I did not look under the hood. I had seen one on the Autobahn outside Munich in the early '50's and was more impressed than with the Mercedes of the same era. May have been the rarity? ---Bob

B

· May 8, 2014

It was a used car like any other, I think it was a closed car. He had barns and sheds full of cars, all the way from an Austin 7 to what he called Betty Davis' Cadillac, an early or mid-thirties 12 or 16 limo, I don't recall which. One later model car was an approx '50 Roadsmaster conv, black w red leather. It was in the hay mow of the dairy barn. Jim hopped in, cranked it over and it started. I was surprised the place didn't burn down. He was a character, and of course, the world needs more characters.

· May 9, 2014

Here it is at the auction. I don't think they even washed it when it was brought to Pebble.

· May 9, 2014

The last Horch is an interesting story: http://www.fourtitude.com/news/publish/Tradition_News/article_4150.shtml

J

· May 13, 2014

Hey guys,

I've been following the prewar M-B thread that AJ started as that's an area of serious interest (and thanks Kirk for your comments about the London auction ), but Horch is a soft spot of mine. This is a picture of me around age 15-17 with an 853 Cabriolet that was purchased by the owner of the restoration shop I worked for. It was one of a pair that had been in hiding in my hometown in Connecticut for decades.

· May 13, 2014

Jonathan, I think I might have mentioned to you I swear I saw that car for sale in 2001 for around 180/200k. It was definitely in Connecticut so I can't imagine there were many others. Do you know what it looks like now? Hopefully not bright red.