Horch 853 - World Of Classic Cars - Rank 120

Horch 853A Sportcabriolet 1940

In the spring of 1896, 28-year-old August Horch saw his first motor car, a Benz, and immediately wrote Benz & Cie to inquire if the company might be able to utilize someone with his engineering and manufacturing experience. The reply was a positive one, and shortly thereafter, Horch was the plant manager, with 70 employees under him. Driven to accomplish more, he found independent financial backing and in 1899, founded A. Horch & Cie. His namesake vehicles were known for quality, even in their earliest days, and utilized the latest innovations, such as the new spray-jet carburetor, a transmission design with constant-mesh gears, and a two-cylinder engine of his own design.

Horch 853A Special Roadster 1939

Horch cars participated in a number of reliability runs and races, acquiring quite a good reputation early on. By 1910, the company, however, was suffering from lagging sales and issues with malfunctions on cars entered in touring events. Horch found himself scapegoated and was forced out of his namesake company. Like Ransom Olds in the United States, Horch no longer had the right to use his name for another business concern and settled on the Latin translation of his name, Audi, which means “to listen,” for his new firm.

Horch 853 Special Roadster 1938

The motor cars constructed by Audi Automobilwerk, m.g.H. had a good reputation and even outperformed the Horch in competition. However, a focus on only expensive, high-quality automobiles left the company in financial trouble, and Horch exited by 1920. The postwar financial crisis left most of the country’s manufacturing concern in disarray, and in 1932, four struggling auto companies from Saxony, Horch, DKW, Wanderer, and Audi, joined forces to become Auto Union, with four interlocking rings used as the logo. Shortly thereafter, in 1933, August Horch was reinstated as the head of the Horchwerke.

Horch 853 Cabriolet A 1937

Horch continued as a luxury car manufacturer; it had produced its first eight in 1927 and a twelve by 1930. In 1933, Horch launched the Type 830, followed by the 850 in 1934. The top Horch models were based on the fully-developed straight eight-cylinder engines and reached the absolute pinnacle between 1937 and 1940, with the type 853 and 951. The engine was now of five-liter capacity, and the 853 employed double-jointed rear axle shafts pioneered on the Porsche-designed Auto Union racing cars, providing fully independent De Dion rear type suspension. Front suspension consisted of an upper A-arm with the lower hub carried by a pair of transverse leaf springs. Vacuum-assisted hydraulic brakes were standard, as was a four-speed transmission with a lever-actuated overdrive that was usable in all four gears. The result was a highly advanced chassis for the time, and one that would not be matched by most other car manufacturers until well into the postwar years.

Horch 853A Sportcabriolet 1940

Just as they were competitors on the track, with their team cars collectively known as the “Silver Arrows,” Horch and Mercedes-Benz also competed in the luxury market, and Horch decided to respond directly to the 540K. A design concept began, and a wooden model was built to assess the Horch Special Roadster. The decision was made to go ahead, and the construction of the car was undertaken by the factory works in Malan, Germany. The car was shown briefly but not initially sold, as plans to supercharge the car were contemplated. Ultimately, the straight eight engine was deemed sufficient for the car, and plans to supercharge it were abandoned. Although not supercharged like its rivals, the 853 models do have overdrive, which closes the performance gap.

Horch 853A Special Roadster 1939

A second car was then produced. Built to the same model, it was similar in appearance to the first car, but the body of this car was built by prominent Berlin coachbuilders Erdmann and Rossi, established in 1898. These first two cars are considered the “First Series” cars. They are both based closely on the design concept and are virtually identical to each other, with both surviving in long-term ownership.

The “Second Series” of cars built had more modern coachwork, with elegant flowing lines and pontoon-shaped wings. Five of these cars were built, three of which are known to survive today.
The first example was built for Herman Göring and was fitted with a bulletproof windscreen, but at the same time, Mercedes-Benz built a 540K Special Roadster for Göring, fitted with bulletproof doors and glass, as well as the windscreen. The self-preservationist Göring chose the Mercedes and his semi-bulletproof Horch was ordered to be dismantled. Another example, probably the last built of the Second Series, remains unaccounted for, leaving just three cars surviving.

Horch 853 Special Roadster 1938

Detail is important to consider when comparing the Horch Special Roadsters to their competition from Sindelfingen. Although the 540K Special Roadsters were considered one-off examples, the variance in detail between the approximately 25 examples built is minimal, and the coachwork was supplied by the factory. Conversely, only eight Horch Special Roadsters of all types were built. The prototype was factory bodied, but subsequent examples were clothed by independent coachbuilders Erdmann & Rossi and, in the case of the last example, Glaser.

Although three examples of the Second Series Special Roadsters survive, each one is truly unique. Some have the “sweep panel” in the body sides; at least two were built with the beautiful louvered rear fender skirts, while others had no skirts at all. At least two cars had the blade style bumpers seen on this car, while others had traditional Horch 853 style bumpers. Similarly, at least three different interior patterns exist; all of this is documented in original photographs, many of which are found in Rupert Stuhlemmer’s book The Coachwork of Erdmann & Rossi.

Horch 853 Cabriolet A 1937

Due to the bespoke nature of these cars, the purchase price of a Horch Special Roadster was significantly higher than the cost of a production 540K Special Roadster. Additionally, Horch was extremely selective in allowing clients to buy its products; having payment in full did not guarantee a prospective one of these automobiles. The background and place in society of the prospective purchaser was considered, and it was required that the purchaser demonstrate that they had a minimum of 100,000 Deutschmarks in the bank, making these cars not only extremely rare in period, but probably the most difficult of any car to acquire new.