Spohn Karosserie (Ravensburg)

[StillOutThere]

Interested in any information relative to individual builds done POSTWAR by the Spohn Karosserie (Carosserie) in Ravensburg, Germany.   Prior to WWII Spohn had been the primary builder of most Maybach automobiles.

 

Spohn built on numerous chassis.   Veritas BMWs have a great deal of support elsewhere. 

 

My primary interest is the approximately two dozen "Spohn Custom" cars created on customer chassis primarily for US service men while they were stationed in Germany.  Josef Eiwanger, Jr., manager of Spohn postwar, felt that American-styled custom cars could be a profitable market niche to keep the company alive.  Spohn closed mid 1957.

 

I own one of the Spohn Customs and it is in concours restoration.  It is 1952 titled and based on a 1940 Ford chassis.   The Spohn Palos was displayed in unrestored condition at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles a few years ago. 

 

All brands, comments, questions are welcome regarding the postwar Spohn Karosserie.   Thank you for your interest.

Edited July 30, 2021 by StillOutThere
add photo (see edit history)

[StillOutThere]

Another view.

[38Buick 80C]

Wow looks like The LeSabre concept had some significant impact in the inspiration of this car.

[StillOutThere]

On 3/16/2024 at 3:31 PM, 38Buick 80C said:

Wow looks like The LeSabre concept had some significant impact in the inspiration of this car.

Yes, it certainly did on my car and several other of the Spohn Customs.  Josef Eiwanger Jr., head of the company, was building custom cars TO THE CUSTOMER'S desires.  They are not in-house designs.  Many of those customers were Army Air Force (AAF which changed to USAF about this time) and they liked those LeSabre fins as they were flying the new F86 Jets, many of which had a paint "Sabre stripe" depending on their squadron identification. 

I've seen the GM LeSabre's aluminum stripe up close and it is the exact same milled aluminum stock material as was used on at least my car, if not all "LeSabre-tailed" Spohn Customs.  No idea where that material was sourced.

Broadly speaking, of the approximately two dozen American chassis'd Spohn Customs built, around half of them were fin-tailed.  All other custom aspects varied widely.  No two were identical.