1936 Horch 853 Sport Cabriolet, Ex Louis Vuitton

Horch was the most prestigious name of the four rings of the Auto Union, formed in 1932 with Audi, Wanderer and DKW. The Horch marque had been established in 1899 by August Horch, who gave the company his name before leaving to found Audi. At the start of the 1920s, the manufacturer employed Paul Daimler, son of Gottlieb Daimler, to modernise the engines in the range. A straight eight-cylinder double overhead cam engine was introduced in 1926. The new Horch range updated by Daimler attracted a wealthy clientèle, who the company courted with ever more luxurious models. In 1930, a new single cam eight-cylinder engine was developed, available in two versions : 450 (4.5 litres) and 850 (5 litres), which produced 100 and 120 bhp. Fitted with elaborate bodies ranging from a cabriolet to a closed limousine, these chassis were destined for well-off clients who were looking for a high level of comfort. In 1932, in a new twist brought on by the financial crisis, Horch became part of the new Auto Union, along with DKW, Wanderer and Audi. At around this time, Horch launched a new V12 chassis, the marque's most prestigious. This went with the production of the 850, 851 and 853 models that were fitted with the same engine on different size chassis. A direct competitor of Mercedes, they were valued by top industrialists and politicians, and were often modified to improve their performance. The Horch 853 and 853A models are considered to be among the most luxurious and refined cars of the 1930s, and have few equals.

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