Wanderer W 52 C

**1937 Wanderer W 52 C Cabriolet – Horch Bodywork | 72 Years in Previous Ownership | Exceptionally Documented History**

Experience this vehicle in motion – a full video walkaround and further details are available on our YouTube channel Exclusive Car Family. Additionally, you can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok: @exclusivecarfamily

Unfortunately, part exchange or trade-in is not possible for this vehicle.

**A Rare Automobile with a History that Extends Far Beyond the Vehicle Itself**

For sale is an exceptional Wanderer W 52 C Cabriolet, first registered on July 8, 1937, in excellently maintained and restored condition. The vehicle has been rated condition grade 2, is ready to drive, and will be provided with a fresh technical inspection (MOT/TÜV) prior to handover.

However, what makes this Wanderer particularly special is not just its rarity or condition. It is its extraordinary provenance, preserved over decades.

The vehicle comes with historical registration documents, including the original 1937 vehicle logbook (Kraftfahrzeugbrief), numerous contemporary entries and official stamps, as well as an extensive collection of invoices, maintenance and restoration records, and personal driving notes.

Furthermore, the subsequent registration document proves that the Wanderer remained with its last owner for around 72 years – a remarkable continuity for an almost 90-year-old automobile.

**Built in an Extraordinary Era**

The Wanderer was built in 1937 at a time when an automobile of this class was out of reach for the vast majority of the population. Within Auto Union, Wanderer represented the upper-middle class segment, while Horch formed the ultimate luxury pinnacle of the group.

Founded in 1932, Auto Union AG united the four brands Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer, whose four rings live on in the Audi badge to this day.

Particularly interesting about this W 52 C is the connection to Horch: in the vehicle documentation, Horch is recorded as the coachbuilder/body manufacturer. As a result, this Cabriolet combines two significant names in Saxon automotive history in a single vehicle.

A W 52 C Cabriolet was by no means an everyday mode of transport in 1937. Such large, prestigious automobiles typically found buyers among a wealthy circle of entrepreneurs, merchants, senior executives, and self-employed professionals. It is all the more fascinating that not only the vehicle itself, but also a essential part of its documentation, survived the following decades.

**The Original 1937 Vehicle Logbook**

A special historic document is the preserved vehicle logbook (Kraftfahrzeugbrief I No. 1376495).

It carries the original official entries and stamps of its respective period. These also include the national emblems and official stamps of the German Reich, which must be viewed in their historical context today.

These documents were not compiled retroactively, but accompanied the vehicle throughout its history. They provide an immediate impression of how an automobile was registered in Germany before World War II and officially documented during changes of ownership and registration.

The preserved pages show various pre-war license plates and owner entries. Equally remarkable are entries from 1945, representing the immediate transition period at the end of and shortly after World War II.

**A Survivor of Its Time**

Less than eight years elapsed between the first registration of this Wanderer in July 1937 and the end of World War II.

Numerous civilian vehicles were decommissioned, requisitioned, used for official service, damaged, or completely lost during the war. After 1945, confiscations, material shortages, and the frequent use of old automobiles as spare parts donors followed.

The specific role this particular Wanderer played throughout the war years can only be evaluated based on verified documents. Therefore, military use is explicitly not claimed.

What can actually be proven is all the more significant: the vehicle survived this era, and along with it, exceptionally early original documents survived. The entries before and after 1945 make it possible to directly reconstruct parts of its biography today.

Here, history is not conveyed via a retroactively constructed legend – it is present in the form of the original papers.

The car was not simply parked and forgotten. It was kept safely protected in a garage or suitable storage space and driven regularly to prevent typical stationary damage common to historical automobiles.

Over the years, numerous documents were accumulated.

Today, the vehicle includes a comprehensive documentation binder containing invoices and receipts for care, maintenance, repairs, and restoration work. Additionally, personal records detailing trips taken with the Wanderer add a particularly charming touch.

**Condition and Preservation**

Today, the Wanderer is in excellent, well-restored, and largely period-correct preserved condition.

It has been evaluated with a condition grade of 2.

The Cabriolet presents itself in a classic two-tone combination featuring a dark red body, black fenders, and a black convertible top. Side-mounted spare wheels, the long bonnet, the upright radiator grille, and the spacious convertible body give the car the prestigious presence of a large German touring car from the late 1930s.

The vehicle is ready to drive immediately.

Even during extended periods of storage, it was regularly exercised and maintained. Prior to handover to the new owner, another thorough inspection will be performed so that the Wanderer can be delivered fully prepared.

**Documentation**

The documentation provided with the vehicle includes, among other items:

* Original 1937 vehicle logbook (Kraftfahrzeugbrief)
* Vehicle logbook I No. 1376495
* Historical registration and ownership entries
* Original pre-war official stamps
* Documents and entries from the immediate post-war era
* Additional registration document documenting decades of single ownership
* Comprehensive documentation binder
* Numerous invoices and maintenance receipts
* Proof of restoration and repair work
* Personal records of trips conducted with the vehicle
* Condition report / appraisal with condition grade 2

**A Wanderer for the Collector Seeking Provenance**

There are restored pre-war vehicles – and there are vehicles whose history is still intact.

In the case of this Wanderer W 52 C Cabriolet, the automobile and its documentation form an extraordinary unit.

Its first registration in July 1937, the connection between Wanderer and Horch, the preserved original logbook with contemporary stamps, the pre-war, wartime, and post-war documents, as well as the final ownership history spanning around seven decades, make it a remarkable witness to German automotive history.

At the same time, it is by no means merely a static museum piece. The Cabriolet is well-maintained, ready to drive, and preserved to be actively used.

We look forward to hearing from you – Your Exclusive Car Family!

For personal and prompt assistance, we recommend contacting us by phone. Viewings are strictly by appointment only. The vehicle location may vary – we are happy to inform you in advance.

Internal Offer Number: 0726-009

Legal Notice:
Exclusive Car Family acts exclusively as an agent/broker and is not the owner of the offered vehicle. The sales contract is concluded exclusively between the seller (owner) and the buyer. The vehicle is sold from private ownership without guarantee or warranty in the legal sense of sales law.
All information in this listing has been compiled with the greatest care, based on the documents available to us as well as our own inspection, and serves the general identification of the vehicle. It does not constitute guaranteed characteristics or warranties in the legal sense of sales law. We kindly request that you verify the actual scope of equipment and vehicle condition on site.
Subject to prior sale, errors, and changes.