Audi classic cruises to top prize

The 1937 Horch 853 Voll & Ruhrbeck Sport Cabriolet was named best of show at the Concours d'Elegance in California. Photo / Supplied

An ultra-rare car bearing the name of Audi's "founding father" August Horch has won the top award in a prestigious American car show, appropriately crowning the carmaker's centenary celebrations.

This year sees a host of anniversaries for Audi. Sixty years ago the brand began producing cars at its Ingolstadt plant in Germany. At the Frankfurt motor show 30 years ago this month, Audi presented its first turbocharged petrol engine. Ten years later at the same show in Germany, the 100 became the first Audi model to wear the now ubiquitous TDI badge denoting turbocharged diesel power.

The 1937 Horch 853 Voll & Ruhrbeck Sport Cabriolet, owned by an American private collector, was named "Best of Show" at the 59th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California.

Five years ago, a 1938 Horch 853A Erdmann & Rossi Sport Cabriolet won the same award.

Competitors from almost 20 countries brought their restored cars to the Monterey Peninsula for judging in 28 classes.

The Horch company, which was founded in 1899 and began making cars in 1901, was unified with three other car manufacturers - Audi, DKW and Wanderer - to form Auto Union, or what is today known as Audi. Audi is the Latin translation of Horch.

In 1935, the Horch Company introduced the Horch 850 with a 5-litre, straight-eight engine. The shorter wheelbase 853 model, this year's Pebble Beach winner, was popular among Germany's rich and famous, offering luxury at a very competitive price. The last Horch roadcar was built in 1958.

Owner Robert M. Lee, from Nevada, spent five years restoring the winning vehicle, using specialised parts and information from Germany.

"I had never seen anything like it," said Lee. "I drove it almost 100 miles a day before the competition and it ran beautifully. It's a wonderful car."