A 1939 Horch 853 Cabriolet more than doubled its estimate to sell for €685,892 at Artcurial’s 10 June sale in Paris.
Used as a ‘business card’ for the late French restorer André Lecoq, the straight-eight powered classic was subject to a fastidious restoration that included the bodywork, mechanicals and interior.
The engine’s rebuild was carried out in 2008, included a new cylinder head and the car has covered fewer than 1000 miles since.
The sale, proved a big draw for American and Russian collectors and a 1938 Bugatti Type 57 pulled off a similar feat to the Horch, selling for €523,400 against a lower estimate of €250,000.
The last of its kind to be delivered before the outbreak of WW2, the Type 57 had a series of distinguished owners, before joining Lecoq’s collection.
