{"id":2583,"date":"1937-10-18T19:04:00","date_gmt":"1937-10-18T19:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ooooiykyk.com\/audiarchives\/?p=2583"},"modified":"2025-10-18T19:12:54","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T19:12:54","slug":"horch-853-coupe-manuela-stromlinien-coupe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ooooiykyk.com\/audiarchives\/1937\/10\/18\/horch-853-coupe-manuela-stromlinien-coupe\/","title":{"rendered":"Horch 853 Coup\u00e9 “Manuela” Stromlinien Coup\u00e9"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What:\u00a0<\/strong>Horch 853 Stroemlinien Coup\u00e9<\/a>
Designer:<\/strong>\u00a0Johannes Beeskow<\/a>
Owner:<\/strong>\u00a0Bernd Rosemeyer<\/a>
Era:<\/strong> Horch<\/a>,\u00a0Pre-War<\/a>
Model Family:<\/strong>\u00a0853<\/a>
Market \/ Zone(s):<\/strong>\u00a0EU<\/a>
Model Years:<\/strong>\u00a01937<\/a>
Production Span:<\/strong> 1937 (1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940 for Horch 853)
Number Produced:<\/strong>\u00a01
Model \/ Generation Code(s):<\/strong>
Chassis \/ Matrix:<\/strong> Horch Steel Frame<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TECHNICAL DETAILS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Body Style(s):<\/strong>\u00a0Coup\u00e9
Drivetrain Configuration:<\/strong>\u00a0longitudinal front engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine(s):<\/strong>\u00a04.5-liter, 4,494 cc Type T850 Straight-8
Power:<\/strong>\u00a089.5 kw \/ 120 bhp @ 1,200 rpm
Torque:<\/strong>
Transmission(s):<\/strong>\u00a04-speed manual Aphon
Steering:\u00a0<\/strong>Worm and Nut
Steering Ratio:\u00a0<\/strong>
Front Brake:<\/strong> Drums w\/Hydraulic Assist
Rear Brake: <\/strong>Drums w\/Hydraulic Assist
Wheelbase:\u00a0<\/strong>3,449\u00a0mm (135.8)
Length:<\/strong>\u00a03,302\u00a0mm (130\u00a0in)
Width:<\/strong>\u00a01,829\u00a0mm (72.0\u00a0in)
Height:<\/strong>\u00a01,580\u00a0mm (62.2\u00a0in)
Curb Weight:<\/strong>\u00a02,619.95\u00a0kg (5,776\u00a0lbs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PERFORMANCE<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acceleration (0-100 km\/h , 0-62 mph):<\/strong>
Top Speed:<\/strong>\u00a0129 km\/h, 80.174 mph<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OTHER DETAILS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Predecessor:<\/strong>\u00a0N\/A
Successor:<\/strong>\u00a0N\/A
Platform Mates:<\/strong>\u00a0Horch 853 Derivatives
Concept Cars:<\/strong>\u00a0
Assembly Location(s):\u00a0<\/strong>Zwickau, Germany
Designer(s):<\/strong>\u00a0Erdmann & Rossi<\/a>
Motorsport Homologations:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WHEEL \/ TIRE DETAILS<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wheel Size(s):<\/strong>\u00a0
Tire Size(s):\u00a0<\/strong>7.00-17
Bolt Pattern:<\/strong>
Offset:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SUMMARY<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0Horch 853 Coup\u00e9 \u201cManuela\u201d\u00a0was a bespoke, one-off grand touring automobile commissioned in 1937 by\u00a0Bernd Rosemeyer, one of Germany\u2019s most celebrated pre-war racing drivers and Auto Union’s 1936 Grand Prix Champion. Built on a shortened Horch 853 chassis with coachwork by\u00a0Erdmann & Rossi\u00a0of Berlin, the streamlined coupe became one of the most famous personal cars associated with a Grand Prix driver of the 1930s. Though the original vehicle was lost during the Second World War, its legend endures through period photographs, written accounts, and modern recreations displayed by Audi Tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BACKGROUND & COMMISSION<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By 1937,\u00a0Bernd Rosemeyer\u00a0was at the height of his fame. Driving for\u00a0Auto Union, he dominated European Grand Prix racing with the brand\u2019s mid-engined \u201cSilver Arrows,\u201d winning the German, Swiss, and Italian Grands Prix, and securing the\u00a0European Drivers\u2019 Championship. His success made him a national hero and the public face of Auto Union\u2019s racing program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To honor its star driver, Auto Union commissioned a special road car from\u00a0Horch, one of the four brands under the Auto Union umbrella. The chassis selected was a\u00a0Horch 853, the marque\u2019s flagship luxury model, featuring a 5.0-liter inline eight-cylinder engine rated at approximately\u00a0120 horsepower. The chassis was\u00a0shortened to 130 inches (3,302 mm)\u00a0to provide sportier proportions, while body design and construction were entrusted to\u00a0Erdmann & Rossi, the distinguished Berlin coachbuilder known for its opulent, aerodynamic designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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DESIGN & SPECIFICATION<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The car\u2019s bodywork was designed by\u00a0Johannes Beeskow, a young Erdmann & Rossi stylist who would later gain renown for his post-war designs at Rometsch and Auto Union. Beeskow\u2019s design for Rosemeyer\u2019s car combined streamlined aerodynamics with pre-war elegance, characterized by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n