To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Villa Erba event, 25 May
2019.
Estimate:
€300.000 - €400.000
- Rare and desirable large 8-cylinder 4.5-litre Horch
- Believed to be the only Horch 750 Offener Tourenwagen to have
survived
- Meticulous 20-year restoration finished only two years ago
- Highly original and authentic in smallest details
- Best in Class at the Schloss Dyck Masterpieces & Style Concours
in 2017
In June 1932, Horch, Audi, DKW and Wanderer merged to form Auto
Union A.G., which led to the creation of the four-ringed logo now
seen on modern Audi automobiles. Since Horch 750 chassis no. 75450
was manufactured in 1933, it is therefore a very early car to wear
this famous badge. Prior to the war, Auto Union became an important
supplier of vehicles for the Wehrmacht, constructing a number of
model 750 touring cars, pullman sedans and cabriolets. Production
numbers were small for the large Horch chassis, and a total of only
173 were made of the 4.5-litre type 750.
The Offener Tourenwagen was primarily used by the highest-ranking
officers. Due to their quality and reliability, these cars were
used through the Second World War and many did not survive the
conflict. Not so for chassis no. 75450. After the surrender of the
German army, the car remained in the former Czechoslovakia. In
1945, local authorities assigned the car to the fire department in
the town of Senice and later in Litovel.
Sometime around 1965, a certain Mr. V�chodsk� purchased the Horch
from the fire department. The purchase price was CZK 3,000 with an
alleged CZK 1,500 remaining unpaid. He brought the car to his
hometown of Luhacovice and placed it under a tarp in his garden
where it became part of his legendary collection of partially
disassembled barn finds. In 1993, V�chodsk� landed in financial
difficulties, and after more than two-and-a-half years of
protracted negotiations, the current owner succeeded in purchasing
chassis no. 750450, who commissioned a lengthy restoration.
The chassis, suspension and drivetrain were meticulously restored,
while the engine was done by the famous Mercedes restorer Reifen
Wagner in Landshut, Germany. The wooden structure and the sheet
metal of the body were restored with a focus on retaining as much
of the original as possible. The interior was renovated according
to original patterns, as was the top and window frames, and a new
original specification wiring loom was fabricated.
After 20 years, the restoration was completed in 2017, and has seen
little use since. It is believed that chassis no. 75450 is the only
surviving Horch 750 Offener Tourenwagen. As such, it is an
unrepeatable opportunity to acquire a superb piece of German
engineering.To view this car and others currently consigned to this
auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/ve19.
