Beschreibung
Unregistered
Chassis n° 853493
Engine n° 851071
- Volante collection
- Exceptionally original condition
- Highly prestigious model
- Unique record
- Extraordinary, documented history
The car on offer is presented in exceptionally original condition, reflecting its extraordinary history.
On 19 April 1937, this Horch 853 Sport Cabriolet arrived in Norway with the Mercedes importer, Bertel Otto Steen, to be delivered on 13 May to Aksel Holm, the German consul based in the coastal town of Ålesund, to the north of Oslo. The sum of 18 000 Norwegian kroner changed hands for this transaction, which was a very high price for that period. We have been able to refer to Bertel Otto Steen's sales register and the Horch was by far the most expensive car listed amongst various American luxury cars (Packard, Franklin, Lasalle and Buick), all recorded as selling for between 8 and 13 000 kroner. Aksel Holm was undoubtedly a wealthy man, who had made his fortune producing barrels, and later cod liver oil, for export. Aksel's son, Oluf, even developed his own fleet of fishing boats. At that time, Norway had a good relationship with Germany, and so the purchase of a car like this was not of political nature. Aksel Holm used his Horch in the Ålesund region and occasionally drove to Oslo, and at the start of 1940 the car had covered just 10 000 km. It was at this point that Norway became embroiled in the war, invaded by the German army, and surrendering on 10 June 1940. The Norwegian King Haakon II fled to England, forming a government there while in exile.
Through his position as consul, Aksel Holm enjoyed a special relationship with the occupiers, and was allowed to keep his two cars, the Horch and a Lincoln. This lasted until 1943, when the situation deteriorated with the arrival of a new command. The cars were then requisitioned and the Horch was sent to the air base at Trondheim, to the north of Ålseund. This was used as the headquarters for the German air force in Norway and as a base for the Focke Wulf 200 bombers. It was also a surveillance point for US submarine convoys trying to reach the north coast of Russia. The Horch would probably have been used by the highest ranking officers, such as General Ernst-August Roth, the last German in charge at Trondheim before he surrendered to the Norwegian forces on 9 June 1945. The following day, paying a visit at the time of the liberation, Crown Prince Olaf of Norway used the Horch as a parade car in the victory celebrations. He can be seen in the car, in the company of Colonel Holtermann, in some extraordinary photographs dated 10 June 1945.
At this time, we estimate the mileage of the car was around 15 000 km. It would have only been used locally on the base at Trondheim, as flying was a more logical choice for longer distances. The car benefitted from maintenance carried out by military mechanics.
The Horch was then used by Norwegian officials in Trondheim for a period of time. At the end of the 1940s, a crankshaft bearing was replaced in the workshop of Peder Mo, who worked in the town. During the 1950s the car was owned by a man named Invald Roning from Trondheim and then Mr Meihard. The latter sold it to Knut Holmstad, who was acquainted with a Swedish Horch specialist. It is therefore possible that chassis 853493 spent some time in Sweden, perhaps at the start of the 1960s, when Ola Borge made contact with the owner and bought the car for his collection. From Loneway in Norway, Ola Borge was one of the first collectors, who, due to his leather tanning business, had the financial means to acquire some very interesting cars. There is a photo from around 1970 showing his three children with three eight-cylinder Horchs, including the 853 Sport Cabriolet.
At that time, the car was in good running order and Ola Borge used it occasionally for vintage car outings, having the good sense to keep it in original condition. After he died in 2011, the heirs decided to part with the cars and the Horch 853 found itself in the hands of a German collector based in Gütersloh. He kept it for two years and the car remained in original condition when it was presented at the Retro Classic Show in Stuttgart in March 2015.
This was where the current owner discovered it. Enthralled by its condition he decided to buy the car in April 2015, to join other beautiful classics in original condition in his Volante collection in Germany. At that point, the odometer displayed 19 212 km, which is likely to be the original mileage, given its history. Indeed, since leaving Trondheim, the car has only been used occasionally by its consecutive collector owners.
This helps to explain why the Horch is presented today in such an extraordinary, original condition. It was probably repainted in the 1950s and the hood appears to have been replaced a long time ago. The mechanical elements are all original, including the Solex carburettor, Bosch ignitor and coil, the radiator, central lubricating system and ZF steering box. There are signs of slight surface corrosion on the underbody and some other parts, but this doesn't compromise their structural integrity and all the necessary precautions have been taken to ensure that the car doesn't deteriorate.
Inside, the upholstery is completely original and this may well be the only Horch still with a totally original interior. The seats understandably show some signs of wear, but the patina adds charm and authenticity. The wooden doors and dashboard have never been restored and only display light cracking and a tarnished veneer, reflecting the car's 80-year life. The door linings are impeccable, and have no pieces missing. Since being acquired by the present owner, the car has won several prizes at Ludwigsburg and Schloss Dyck concours events.
It is worth remembering that the Horch 853 was one of the most luxurious and sophisticated cars of its day. Horch was the most prestigious marque in the Auto Union group (one of the four rings with Audi, Wanderer and DKW), and had been attracting a wealthy clientele since the 1920s. The cars were powered by an eight-cylinder engine designed by Paul Daimler, the son of Gottlieb Daimler. In 1930, under the leadership of the chief designer Fritz Fiedler, a new range was developed with a more modern engine. The sleek and sporty 853 versions were presented in 1935 and met with immediate success. Fiedler later joined BMW where he was responsible for developing the famous 328. Around one thousand examples of the Horch 850 and 853 were built between 1935 and 1939, a significant number for such an expensive and prestigious model.
The Horch 853 presented is being sold with an 80-page study by the Horch historian and specialist Karl Schack. This is without doubt one of the most outstanding examples to survive, having reached the grand age of 80 without having deteriorated or been restored. It represents a rare and moving historical record of how it would have been when it left the factory. This is something that no restoration can ever reproduce, whatever the cost.
Photos © Fotozumbrunn / Unger
For sale in our upcoming auction on February 9th in Paris.
600 000 - 800 000 €
More photos of the car can be viewed at the following link: - details above
