vintagevehicle Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 (edited) There was a builder in Germany that built a one off prototype called the Spohn that was very similar to the Buick prototype of the 1950's. Does anyone know where I can find some information about it? web page vintagevehicle@aol.com Edited July 28, 2011 by Rawja (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaxops Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 I can't help it...... It sounds like something coming out of the biltzkrieg..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bkazmer Posted December 31, 2005 Share Posted December 31, 2005 any chance this refers to the coachbuilder Spohn? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted April 8, 2010 Share Posted April 8, 2010 I too am guessing you are referring to the similarity between the tail fin and trunk design elements of Harley Earl's LeSabre concept car for GM and the dozens of cars created by the Spohn Karrosserie in Ravensburg, Germany. This was a fin design that Spohn was asked to employ on customs, mostly done for US service men. One example is attached. Spohn had a long history as a high quality coach builder best known perhaps for his Maybach and Mercedes work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 (edited) I have purchased the 1952 Spohn Palos. It also is one of the Spohn-bodied cars with a tail echoing the Harley Earl GM LeSabre concept. Would that the title of this thread could be corrected from Spawn to Spohn. Edited August 14, 2011 by StillOutThere (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 From the Clars auction, I presume. Good luck on your venture Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 What a cool car. Go here for more info on the coachbuilder Spohn.The auction catalog was a bit "sparse" with descriptions. Have you discovered more history on the car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I have personal knowledge of the car dating back to 1957 in Palos Park, Illinois and am working with a friend that still lives there to get possible historical photos from the city archives and to get the original owner name and to talk to a 90 year old car collector who is still perfectly sharp who should remember the car. It all takes time as you surely understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 In my driveway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Most of the other ones are really scary but I like this one a lot. More pictures please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Can you tell me what chassis/engine is under that body? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 The '52 Spohn Palos is constructed on a 1940 Ford DeLuxe chassis. When I first saw the car in 1964 it had already received a transplant of a 1955-57 Ford 272" Y-block OHV8. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 Just an update. The '52 Spohn Palos is well along in restoration. Currently fitting the cabrio top frame. This is the original factory color. Car is at Manns Restoration, Festus, MO. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akstraw Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 There is a 1949 Veritas with a Spohn body similar to this one in the Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley, NC. The founder and curator there, Dale Walksler, may be able to provide you some further information on the car. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Henderson Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 I was surprised to see that credit was given me by Coachbuild.com for the pictures of the '47 Cadillac named Valkyrie. I took them decades ago in Arlington, Va. The car was in very poor condition. I don't know where it went, Frank Towsey's used car lot is long gone, and unfortunately so so is Frank. Pictured are shots of the Chrysler based Spohn which I also took in Arlington, Virginia just a few blocks from Frank's lot. I dont know of any connection between the two Spohns. Judging by the other cars it was parked with I doubt if it has survived. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 2 hours ago, StillOutThere said: Just an update. The '52 Spohn Palos is well along in restoration. Currently fitting the cabrio top frame. This is the original factory color. Car is at Manns Restoration, Festus, MO. This is the same car? Why 3 taillights now, was the fourth a later modification? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 12 hours ago, Akstraw said: There is a 1949 Veritas with a Spohn body similar to this one in the Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley, NC. The founder and curator there, Dale Walksler, may be able to provide you some further information on the car. Photo attached is Dale with the '49 Veritas (BMW chassis) which is kept in "as found" condition. It was purchased at the Hartung collection auction. Several Spohn Customs have the GM LeSabre concept tail as part of their designs. Overall, each car was built to the owner's design choices. Two Veritas were rebodied as customs by Spohn after they were crashed while in competition events. A second photo shows the car shortly after arrival in the US. Yes, it had a zebra hide interior and a few remnants remain in the car today. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 12 hours ago, Dave Henderson said: I was surprised to see that credit was given me by Coachbuild.com for the pictures of the '47 Cadillac named Valkyrie. I took them decades ago in Arlington, Va. The car was in very poor condition. I don't know where it went, Frank Towsey's used car lot is long gone, and unfortunately so so is Frank. Pictured are shots of the Chrysler based Spohn which I also took in Arlington, Virginia just a few blocks from Frank's lot. I dont know of any connection between the two Spohns. Judging by the other cars it was parked with I doubt if it has survived. The '50 Chrysler Spohn Custom was originally named "Le Centaur". Remembering that "good design is subjective" and that the owner of the car, not Spohn, made the design choices, we have to assume the owner was happy with the product. Yes, Dave, there has been no sighting of the car since your photos all those years ago. Attaching one of when the car was probably newly completed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Mereness Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 No offense, though a lot of bulk in the fins - unique and fun, but a lot of bulk in the fins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moskowitz Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 Boy this thread brings back memories of the most fun auction ever...Hartung's auction. I was there everyday and bought a bunch of stuff and so did my friends. The Veritas was the subject of much talk, even more so than the skeleton that was uncovered but that is a whole other story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Henderson Posted December 25, 2019 Share Posted December 25, 2019 (edited) 20 hours ago, StillOutThere said: Photo attached is Dale with the '49 Veritas (BMW chassis) which is kept in "as found" condition. It was purchased at the Hartung collection auction. Several Spohn Customs have the GM LeSabre concept tail as part of their designs. Overall, each car was built to the owner's design choices. Two Veritas were rebodied as customs by Spohn after they were crashed while in competition events. A second photo shows the car shortly after arrival in the US. Yes, it had a zebra hide interior and a few remnants remain in the car today. Wasn't the Veritas (BMW) from the Lee Roy Hartung auction of 2011 re sold at Hershey about 4 or 5 years or so ago? I recall it being shown in front of the Giant Center, in untouched barn find condition right down to the layer of dust on it, for a hammer price of about $165,000? Or could it be that it was the other one? Edited December 25, 2019 by Dave Henderson (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted December 25, 2019 Share Posted December 25, 2019 I find the above custom coach built car interesting, historical, and their stories of being built, found, and now restored great fun. The only issue is their styling is how should we say.............way outside the envelope of natural progression at the time.......they didn’t end up with a masterpiece of design. They ended up with a strange curiosity. I’m glad someone is taking on the restoration of the car back to it’s original configuration. I’m sure I will see it at Pebble and Amelia when finished, and I expect that they would win a trophy. But it won’t be for design, or style. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58L-Y8 Posted December 25, 2019 Share Posted December 25, 2019 1 hour ago, edinmass said: …" The only issue is their styling is how should we say.............way outside the envelope of natural progression at the time.......they didn’t end up with a masterpiece of design." Is that ever an understatement! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted December 25, 2019 Share Posted December 25, 2019 2 hours ago, 58L-Y8 said: Is that ever an understatement! I was trying to be kind and diplomatic.........I’m not too good at it!🤔 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted December 26, 2019 Share Posted December 26, 2019 On 12/23/2019 at 9:54 PM, Bloo said: This is the same car? Why 3 taillights now, was the fourth a later modification? Yes, exactly, a body shop owner on the south side of Chicago was the second for the car. He did some customs and made a custom grille for the Spohn Palos and added the uppermost tail lights and also the Chicago sourced (Unity) spotlights. He also painted the car a near-pink for promotion out on the curb in front of his business. That all had to go away! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted December 26, 2019 Share Posted December 26, 2019 (edited) 12 hours ago, edinmass said: I find the above custom coach built car interesting, historical, and their stories of being built, found, and now restored great fun. The only issue is their styling is how should we say.............way outside the envelope of natural progression at the time.......they didn’t end up with a masterpiece of design. They ended up with a strange curiosity. I’m glad someone is taking on the restoration of the car back to it’s original configuration. I’m sure I will see it at Pebble and Amelia when finished, and I expect that they would win a trophy. But it won’t be for design, or style. I regularly have to remind commenters that Spohn DID NOT style these custom cars. The customer made the styling choice and most of them were USAF pilots reading US custom car books. Spohn did have a "box of toys" which was photos and drawings of other cars including US concept cars like the GM LeSabre concept from Harley Earl. Multiple pilots came to Spohn and chose those LeSabre fins that were so very much like their Sabre jets! Yes, their choices were often incongruous. Keep in mind Spohn Carosserie was the primary coachbuilder for Maybach, completing a significant majority of their great German Classics. Spohn was said to have the finest finishes on their cars in the pre-WWII market. With WWII, most of the world's coachbuilders closed their doors partly because of economics and partly because car bodies were no longer being wood framed. Maybach closed with the war. After the war Spohn's managing family the Eiwangers, hoped to make the business profitable once again through individual contracts with Mercedes, Veritas, Volkswagen and others but there was no volume. US style customs for reconstruction US forces in Germany were thought to be one possibility. We think some two dozen Spohn Customs on US chassis were built. Yes, the Spohn Palos will be on the concours scene when finished. Look for it probably in 2021. Photo. What would you like us to do, Lieutenant? Herr Eiwanger talks to a '52 Lincoln owner about customizing his car. That car is one of 5 Spohn Customs extant. Edited December 26, 2019 by StillOutThere (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted December 27, 2019 Share Posted December 27, 2019 I am sure there are those who don't think the dysfunctional grille is not butt ugly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted December 27, 2019 Share Posted December 27, 2019 On 12/25/2019 at 8:23 PM, StillOutThere said: I regularly have to remind commenters that Spohn DID NOT style these custom cars. I'm sure they were just trying to survive at that point. Their prewar work was very tasteful. You are fortunate that the GI that ordered your car had taste. The Veritos is also not ugly, but some of the others... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted December 27, 2019 Share Posted December 27, 2019 You mean the hot dog grille was not a Spohn design ? Is certainly the rong shape and location for airflow either intake or extractor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted December 27, 2019 Share Posted December 27, 2019 2 hours ago, padgett said: You mean the hot dog grille was not a Spohn design ? Is certainly the rong shape and location for airflow either intake or extractor. I don't know which of the dozens of grilles you are calling "the hot dog grille". Which car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted December 27, 2019 Share Posted December 27, 2019 This one. The ones stolen from GM are not bad but why would someone want a Chrysler to look like a Buick ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted December 29, 2019 Share Posted December 29, 2019 On 12/27/2019 at 2:29 PM, padgett said: This one. The ones stolen from GM are not bad but why would someone want a Chrysler to look like a Buick ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted December 29, 2019 Share Posted December 29, 2019 Regards the Buick concept grille on the Chrysler, my supposition would be the car's owner thought it would take the design of the car into the future. Any custom car is the owner's dream. We can criticize but ALL design is subjective. Regarding the upper grille or "hot dog grille" on the Veritas, the car may not always have been so as the attached photo shows. We don't have VINs for the two Veritas customized by Spohn nor photo dates in most cases. Could be that after completion sans upper grille, the car was found to require more cooling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted December 29, 2019 Share Posted December 29, 2019 FYI, Spohn had built more than half of the Veritas car bodies on production chassis. These were not "Spohn Customs". These were the catalog offerings. Examples. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryankazmer Posted December 29, 2019 Share Posted December 29, 2019 not bad except for a particularly bad job on the folded top stack - a problem area for most German coachbuilders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted December 29, 2019 Share Posted December 29, 2019 A couple of the Spohn Customs that do not get into stories about Spohn are these. First a '47 Oldsmobile. You'll agree it looks like a Packard. Then a '51 Chevrolet. Owner chose the Ford X-100 concept grille. And an American style "radical custom" '50 Oldsmobile that has been both chopped and sectioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted December 29, 2019 Share Posted December 29, 2019 Meanwhile in Spohn's quest to survive postwar, they received a contract to build the first Guillore-bodied Bugatti Type 101 prototype. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted December 30, 2019 Share Posted December 30, 2019 On 12/25/2019 at 6:23 PM, StillOutThere said: We think some two dozen Spohn Customs on US chassis were built. Urban legend has it there was one Spohn build on a Tucker chassis.😲 Last I ever read or heard of such a thing was in 1973 or so. Is it still urban legend? Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted December 30, 2019 Share Posted December 30, 2019 12 hours ago, 8E45E said: Urban legend has it there was one Spohn build on a Tucker chassis.😲 Last I ever read or heard of such a thing was in 1973 or so. Is it still urban legend? Craig That is new to me. I think the Tucker enthusiasts might have pursued that to the end of the world by now. Will admit I never thought to look for a Spohn bodied Tucker! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted December 30, 2019 Share Posted December 30, 2019 (edited) This one? Edited January 4, 2020 by StillOutThere Higher quality photo received. (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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