alsancle Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vintagerodshop Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vintagerodshop Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted May 3, 2014 Author Share Posted 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vintagerodshop Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vintagerodshop Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted May 3, 2014 Author Share Posted 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted May 3, 2014 Author Share Posted 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted May 3, 2014 Author Share Posted 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tilomagnet Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tilomagnet Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted 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.[ATTACH=CONFIG]245888[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]245889[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]245890[/ATTACH]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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vintagerodshop Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted 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.[ATTACH=CONFIG]245888[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]245889[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]245890[/ATTACH]I know how large my 853 felt driving. That car must feel huge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BillP Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 Jim Stevens (d) had a Horch in one of his barns north of Cortland, NY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted May 8, 2014 Author Share Posted May 8, 2014 I was at the Stevens auction and went into shock when that car sold for 300k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vintagerodshop Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 What was the condition? Rough? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seldenguy Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BillP Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted May 9, 2014 Author Share Posted May 9, 2014 Here it is at the auction. I don't think they even washed it when it was brought to Pebble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted May 9, 2014 Author Share Posted May 9, 2014 The last Horch is an interesting story: http://www.fourtitude.com/news/publish/Tradition_News/article_4150.shtml 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanSierakowski Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted May 13, 2014 Author Share Posted 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanSierakowski Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 AJ - your timing is about right. One of the cars was sold in the early 2000s, and the other around the mid-2000s. As far as I am aware the car in the picture I posted is still original. Horch-Classic in Germany had it for sale but I don't see it on their web site anymore. The car that sat alongside it for many years was restored and sold by Artcurial within the last couple years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vintagerodshop Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 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. [ATTACH=CONFIG]247815[/ATTACH]Jonathan how are you? Can you or Alsancle tell me why the headlights look to tall in that picture is it the mounts, the lights or do i need more sleep? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rb6673 Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 I was the tech that maintained the 855sr the ten years the Tex collector owned it.Fabulous car to drive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted May 14, 2014 Author Share Posted May 14, 2014 I would say the factory lights were replaced with Marchals at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanSierakowski Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Kirk,All well here, just ramping up for the summer. Hope all your projects are moving forward. Believe it or not these are actually Bosch headlights, perhaps installed because the original got damaged or maybe the then-current owner felt they lit the road better? I am trying to trace the histories of both cars backward, and this one was in Massachusetts in the 1950s, perhaps owned by the veteran that imported it (I am not sure if the two cars were a pair before their purchase by the CT owner in the 1960s). I've found most 853s look very similar so at least they help this one look unique enough to identify it in a photograph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vintagerodshop Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Kirk,All well here, just ramping up for the summer. Hope all your projects are moving forward. Believe it or not these are actually Bosch headlights, perhaps installed because the original got damaged or maybe the then-current owner felt they lit the road better? I am trying to trace the histories of both cars backward, and this one was in Massachusetts in the 1950s, perhaps owned by the veteran that imported it (I am not sure if the two cars were a pair before their purchase by the CT owner in the 1960s). I've found most 853s look very similar so at least they help this one look unique enough to identify it in a photograph.Hi Jonathan, Yes everything here is going well. I did sell the Horch and now j491x as they were the bigger number cars to take the heat off a little. Everything else is just like juggling 47 balls in the air. Learning lots about car moving logistics and just having a crash course on driving a 1915 simplex-crane what a animal. I came across this youtube video about audi trying to locate the last Horch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davlet Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 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.[ATTACH=CONFIG]245891[/ATTACH]Hey AThat one gone too fast for $155k. I was trying to buy but was to late .Still looking to buy one but can't find in private sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share Posted July 14, 2014 Remember the one Hyman has a few years ago? That seemed like a better car. It was gone in 1 week. Do you know what he go for it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davlet Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Hello AJ.Do you mean that car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davlet Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted July 18, 2014 Author Share Posted July 18, 2014 I guess based on who is standing in front of it that must be the one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davlet Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 I am not sure what was the price they never post car for sale online was sold privately. But that really nice peace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davlet Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Do anyone have any horch????.Please let me know would love to buy one.414 six30 2853Dav.Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share Posted August 28, 2014 Here is a better picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davlet Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Wow. I need one of this kinda cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bill K. Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 I scanned this from Oswald's book recently, for a friend. If anyone wants more data from this or Kirchberg's books, I'd be happy to scan it. Oswald's has a serial-number listing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockingchairmotors Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I had 2 cars. A 1938 830 BL Pullman and a 1939 930V Sport Cabriolet (as per Horch lit.) The Horch sport cab I believe is similar to the Mercedes Cab "B". I will be at Hershey OBD-41 if anyone wants to stop by. I will try and find some of my old pictures. Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted October 7, 2014 Author Share Posted October 7, 2014 That would be great if you could find some pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Nice car........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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