• 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. Východský 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 Luhačovice and placed it under a tarp in his garden where it became part of his legendary collection of partially disassembled barn finds. In 1993, Východský 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.