1937 HORCH 853 SPORT CABRIOLET

THE HORCH 853

One of the founding fathers of the German automobile industry, August Horch was born in Winningen in 1868, and following a technical education at engineering school, he worked for a marine engine manufacturer in Leipzig. His next job was managing Karl Benz's motor works at Mannheim, but frustration with his employer's conservative approach prompted Horch to seek financial backing for his own venture, which would be incorporated as Horch & Compagnie Motorwagenwerke AG in 1904 in Zwickau, Saxony.

Horch regarded Benz's rear-engined "horseless carriages" as outdated, and his first automobile which made its debut in 1900 featured a front-mounted, twin-cylinder engine and a shaft-driven rear axle, the first time this latter innovation had been seen in Germany. Larger 4- and 6-cylinder models followed, and Horch became active in the trials and competitions of the day, though ultimately this policy would bring August Horch into conflict with his fellow directors and force his departure in 1909 to found a new company. Known from 1910 as Audi, Horch's new venture would later be united with his original company as part of the Auto Union. As an interesting aside, while Horch means "Listen!" in German, "Audi" is Latin for "I am listening".

In 1932, the company became part of the Auto Union together with Audi, DKW and Wanderer. Horch produced a veritable plethora of model variations in the 1930s, with multiple engine capacities, wheelbases and styles of coachwork being available. However, all were aimed squarely at the prestige end of the market where Horch was the only serious domestic rival to Mercedes-Benz as the production volume of the super-exclusive Maybach was quite small. Introduced for the 1936 season, the 4.9-litre Type 853 was powered by a Fiedler-designed, single-overhead-camshaft, ten-bearing straight-eight mounted in a solidly built chassis boasting a 4-speed overdrive gearbox and servo-assisted hydraulic brakes. A stylish and fast Sports Cabriolet with a 140 km/h top speed, the 853 was produced up to the outbreak of World War II, by which time only 950 of these exclusive cars had been built.

After World War II, Horch's Zwickau factory ended up on the eastern side of a divided Germany where it would eventually be pressed into service manufacturing the utilitarian Trabant – a sad end to a once noble marque that had ranked among the world's very best.

THE MOTOR CAR OFFERED

The Horch Type 853 Sport Cabriolet is the most instantly recognizable Horch style of the latter part of the 1930s, and also the most eminently usable open model. Like its contemporary competitor, the factory-bodied Mercedes 500/540K Cabriolet B, it is a car that exudes a deep and enduring quality and superior workmanship. A Horch 853 Sport Convertible was no effete French summer-concoction in which to cruise along the Croisette in Nice or the Mediterranean countryside. Quite the contrary. It was a convertible conveyance for everyday use, which would stand up to the vagaries of the weather, and where the fully padded top would provide complete protection, also in the winter time.

The bodies were manufactured to the very highest standards in the Zwickau factory, the finest leathers and materials were used, and all hardware and accoutrements were designed and engineered with a deep inherent quality, as was demanded by the elite clientele that bought these cars. The massive doors close with the satisfying click of a well-built safe, and the 8-cylinder engine, while not the most highly tuned at the time, provided smooth, seamless power due to its understressed nature.

Chassis 853163 is an early type 853 with the 100 bhp engine. It was discovered by the established and well-known German high-end classic car dealer Eberhard Thiesen in Russia in the early 1990s. According to Mr. Thiesen, the car was largely complete, and it is believed to have had its current Sports Cabriolet body style from new. Mr. Thiesen owned and operated a Horch specialty workshop at the time and undertook a full restoration. Every item on the car was attended to, with the mechanicals including the engine and gearbox done by the Thiesen shop to a high standard, while the bodywork was finished by a gentleman in Sweden.

Today the quality restoration presents extremely well with a black bonnet, wings and top, with metallic silver flanks and boot lid. It is a felicitous and elegant colour combination which accentuates the technical prowess and serious nature of this quintessentially German Cabriolet. Driver and passengers can luxuriate in the opulent interior upholstered in matte black leather with fine details such as the pretty woodwork, the map pouches on the seatbacks and the Pullman carriage-style grab-handles. Chassis 853163 will be a great tour-car, which is also sure to be welcomed at prestigious shows.