Collection

  • 1937 Horch 853 Sport Cabriolet
1937 Mercedes-Benz Sport Cabriolet

This 1937 Horch Sport Cabriolet was located in Zwickau, Germany and underwent a two year restoration by its owners Drs. Dieter and  Silvia Roth owners of Classic Centrum Zwickau in 2014. The Roth’s are in the business of brokering collectible cars. Their business is literally located next door to the Horch Museum where they had unlimited access to historical documents and thus were able to accurately authenticate the car. It has corresponding chassis (853-509) and engine (851083) numbers. Christopher Kramer was retained to authenticate this car and concluded that the body was original to the chassis and that the restoration was completed such that car maintained its original authenticity.

 

Only 619 Horch 853 were produced between 1937-1940, and sold for $14,900RM. The subject Horch has a standard Horch/Auto Union Body designed by Guenther Mickwausch. The Straight 8 cylinder 4994cc engine produces 100 hp @ 3600 RMP and has a top speed of 87 miles per hour. The car features a 4-Speed ZF Manual Transmission, Independent Front Suspension, DeDion Rear Axle and 4-wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes
 

The Horch Type 853 Sports Cabriolet was popular among Germany’s rich and famous, as it was the only German-made car that offered an alternative to Mercedes-Benz. (Horch was part of Auto Union with Audi, DKW and Wanderer). 

Ownership History

This Horch is a survivor inasmuch as many such cars were either destroyed during the war or scrapped for their metal. The factory was destroyed at the end of the war and many records were forever lost. Thus, the name of the original owner was not obtainable. This car had a fate not unlike many other luxury German cars that were “acquired” by U.S. Army officers and then exported to the United States. The list of owners is as follows:

  • Captain (Name unknown) US ARMY imported the car to the United States in 1954 and maintained current registration until 1957.
  • There are no records of the car between 1957 – 2004. Evidently the Horch passed through a few owners/brokers in 2004
  • Flemming Grove (South Eastern Sales and Auto Brokers, Inc., Birmingham, AL.  2004
  • Earl Gordon (Manchester Motor Cars), Manchester, CT. 2004
  • Beerens NV, Antwerpen, Belgium. 2004-2010
  • Horch Classic, Fellbach, German 2010-2011
  • Silvia & Deiter Roth Zwickau, Germany. 2011-2016
  • Valerie & Aaron Weiss, San Marino, CA.  2016 -Present

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