After twelve years of painstaking work, a classic car is celebrating its resurrection: the Horch 14-17 PS Tonneau. It is considered to be the first car ever built in Zwickau - and founded the city's automobile manufacturing tradition, which continues to this day. As no such car could be found, the Friends of the August Horch Museum decided to build a replica, said Bernd Czekalla, head of the association, to the German Press Agency. "Our aim was to get the vehicle driving." He and his colleagues were able to draw on a catalog and drawings, as well as an original engine, which was dismantled and rebuilt.
On Wednesday evening, the now roadworthy vehicle was to be officially presented. The carriage body is made of wood, with only a few parts such as the mudguards and hood made of sheet metal. Hidden inside is an engine with four cylinder blocks and magneto ignition. The lamps are lit with carbide. The steering wheel is on the right, with a lever for the hand throttle. Another lever on the side allows the driver to choose between three gears. The car could seat a total of five people on its leather seats, which resembled a couch. According to a catalog from the past, the car was capable of more than 60 kilometers per hour, explained Czekalla. A good 50 of them are said to have been built.
