Automotive history - First car "Made in Zwickau" is back - as a replica
After twelve years of meticulous work, a classic automobile is celebrating its resurrection: the Horch 14-17 PS Tonneau. It is considered the first car ever built in Zwickau - and the automobile building tradition in the city was founded by it. Since no such car could be found, the Förderverein of the August Horch Museum decided on a replica, said association chief Bernd Czekalla to the German Press Agency. "Our goal was to make the vehicle roadworthy." They could refer back to a catalog and drawings, but also to an original engine, which was disassembled and rebuilt.
The now drivable vehicle should be officially presented on a Wednesday evening. The carriage body is made of wood, only a few parts such as the fenders and motor hood are made of sheet metal. Hidden inside is a motor with four cylinders and magnet ignition. The lamps are lit with carbide. The steering wheel is on the right, next to it is a lever for the throttle. With another lever on the side, the driver can choose between three gears. The car provides seating for five people on its couch-like leather seats. According to a catalog from back then, the car was said to have covered more than 60 hours of driving. About 50 pieces were built, explained Czekalla.
With the replica, a gap in the museum collection will be filled, said the 74-year-old. The project was made possible with the support of numerous sponsors. The exact cost of the meticulously detailed replica is something Czekalla remains silent about. The vehicle has already covered approximately 100 kilometers. It will soon be presented at the Horch- and Sachsen Classic and later at the Horch Museum itself.
Zwickau is the cradle of automobile production in Germany. The automobile production was founded here in 1904 by engineer August Horch (1868-1951). He later founded the brand Audi, which became part of the second largest German automaker, the Auto-Union. After the Second World War, Zwickau was the production site of the Trabant, which shaped the roadscape in the GDR. After reunification, Volkswagen continued the automobile tradition in the city. In 2020, the last gasoline car rolled off the production line in the local automobile factory, since then only electric cars of various brands are built there.
- The Horch 14-17 PS Tonneau, considered the first car built in Zwickau, is a significant piece of automotive history in Saxony, Germany.
- The German Press Agency reported that the Förderverein of the August Horch Museum chose to create a replica of the classic automobile due to the lack of an original vehicle.
- The association's goal was to make the replica roadworthy, using a catalog, drawings, and an original engine for reference.
- After twelve years of meticulous work, the replica Horch 14-17 PS Tonneau, now drivable, will be officially presented at a museum in Zwickau, filling a gap in their collection.
- The automotive history of Zwickau is rich and varied, beginning with the founding of the city's automobile production by August Horch in 1904, leading to the production of iconic cars like the Horch 14-17 PS Tonneau and later the Trabant, and now transitioning to electric vehicles.
