Makes › Horch › 855 Spezial-Roadster · Coachbuilt · 1938–1939
Horch
855 Spezial-Roadster
Gläser-bodied special roadster on shortened 853 chassis
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- Not yet verified
- Years
- 1938–1939
- Engine
- Not yet verified
- Power
- Not yet verified
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 5–7 (estimated)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The 855 Special Roadster was Horch's most exclusive pre-war sports car, a two-seater on a shortened 853 chassis bodied by Germany's best coachbuilders. Only five to seven were made, and just two originals survive.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Horch 855 Spezial-Roadster (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0
Horch 855 Spezial-Roadster (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Charles from Port Chester, New York · CC BY 2.0
Horch 855 Spezial-Roadster (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Charles from Port Chester, New York · CC BY 2.0
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02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model production"only between five and seven examples were made"; two originals survive | 5–71 | Surviving examples | Estimated |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Horch shortened its 853 chassis to 3,300 mm, retaining independent front suspension and a de Dion rear axle, and had it bodied by Erdmann & Rossi, Gläser and its own shops. The surviving production car, chassis 855007 by Gläser, went to a US Army officer in post-war Germany, appeared in Road & Track in 1954 and a 1959 film, and was later restored and shown at the Audi Forum in Ingolstadt. It sold for $3,305,000.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 855 Spezial-Roadster.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | Not yet verified |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | Not yet verified |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | De Dion axle2 Independently researched |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | 3,300 mmFactory: 3,300 mm2 Independently researched |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Genuine cars carry 855-prefix chassis numbers on a shortened 3,300 mm 853-type chassis with de Dion rear axle. The Gläser car has a long louvred bonnet, pontoon wings and a short rear deck carrying the spare wheel. Only two originals are known: a prototype on an 853 chassis and production car 855007.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
1939 Horch 855 Special Roadster by Gläser | RM Sotheby's Level B
- 5–7 "only between five and seven examples were made"; two originals survive
-
2
1939 Horch 855 Special Roadster by Gläser – The Rudi Klein Collection Level B RM Sotheby's
- de Dion rear axle
- shortened 3,300 mm version of the 853 chassis
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