The Spohn DV-13 Looks Like A Cartoon 1950s Car Come To Life

The last century or so of automobiles has produced some truly outlandish designs. The Edsel, the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet, the current BMW, um, range. Lots of cars with unusual looks, but most of them have nothing on this. A rare Spohn DV-13 convertible recently sold on Bring A Trailer and whether you’re appalled or aroused by its appearance, it’s undeniably one of the vehicles of all time.

The story of Hermann Spohn Karosseriebau is an interesting one, because it started pretty much at the peak of the automotive period, coachbuilding for brands like Maybach and Hispano Suiza. The Maybach SW38 Cabriolet that was part of the Rudi Klein auction was bodied by Spohn, and the coachbuilder’s take on the Hispano Suiza H6B was really stunning. Then the war happened, after which things really got strange.

Spohn’s post-1945 history is quite eclectic, including coachbuilding the prototypes of the Gaylord Gladiator, a Brook Stevens-designed Cadillac-powered grand tourer that looked like it came straight out of a sci-fi flick, before Spohn folded in 1957. However, beyond projects like that, it also coachbuilt cars based on models left behind by American service members stationed in Germany, and the DV-13 is one of them.

To create the DV-13, Spohn started with a 1939 Ford and set about turning it into what almost seems like a cartoon interpretation of a 1950s car. It has all the right elements from the tail fins to the bumperettes to the chrome, but due in part to the limitations of the 1939 Ford chassis, the proportions are a bit weird.

See, back then, the floor of most cars sat more or less level with the frame, a tradition that mostly continued until Hudson popularized the step-down layout of widening the frame, dropping it around the axles, and lowering the floor of the car below the level of the frame rails. This allowed for a lower, meaner look, so it’s no surprise this strategy caught on in the jet age. However, because the frame of a 1939 Ford is comparably high relative to the axles, the Spohn DV-13 convertible sits relatively high, contributing to an unusual appearance. The short wheelbase also likely hinders the concept of “lower, longer, wider,” but that’s also a limitation of the platform.

Then there’s the way all of the individual coachbuilt elements come together, which is pretty weird. Cover up the fins, and the DV-13 has a very European boat-tail profile, so the fins being grafted on is rather unusual. The fender vents are also quite odd, and then there’s the snoot. This thing definitely has a snoot, thanks to the odd layering of the front end and the slope necessary to blend in the big light pods on the lower edges of the front fenders. The result feels cartoonish in an endearing way, almost like The Homer from The Simpsons, or a childhood notebook drawing.

Of course, the looks aren’t the only thing not stock about this Spohn DV-13. There’s a Cadillac 331-cube V8 under the hood, fed by a four-barrel carburetor and hooked up to the standard Ford three-speed manual transmission. It’s a combination that ought to keep up with modern traffic without completely outrunning the capabilities of the four-wheel drum brakes.

Evidently, this Spohn DV-13 struck a chord, because not only did it attract 42 bids, it also hammered for $66,000 when all was said and done. In just about any world, $66,000 is a lot of money, but it also doesn’t feel outlandish for something this rare and extroverted. It’s a concours trophy-winning car, picking up the Camille Jenatzy Award for the “most audacious exterior” at the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, and it’s previously been owned by automotive royalty Wayne Carini. For something this distinctive and with this much pedigree, whoever purchased this is getting one serious conversation piece.

Top graphic images: Bring A Trailer; depositphotos.com

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