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Coachbuilding company Erdmann & Rossi - purveyor to the court

Name: Mercedes-Benz 290 Roadster Erdmann & Rossi 1935
Brand: Mercedes-Benz

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Created on October 1, 1984

Text:

Ulrich Kurbisch

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

Darin Schnabel - Courtesy RM Auctions

Kollektion Saulius Karosas

MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH / Daimler AG

Erdmann & Rossi

Kimball Studios / Courtesy of Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

Petra Sagnak / classiccar-photo.de

Mercedes-Benz AG

Edinger & Rossi

Bruno von Rotz

Darin Schnabel - Courtesy RM Auctions

Kollektion Saulius Karosas

MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH / Daimler AG

Erdmann & Rossi

Kimball Studios / Courtesy of Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

Petra Sagnak / classiccar-photo.de

Mercedes-Benz AG

Edinger & Rossi

Mercedes Benz 380 K Erdmann & Rossi (1933) - at the Concours d'Elégance Jewels in the Park on the occasion of the Classic Days Schloss Dyck 2014

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Mercedes Benz Erdmann & Rossi (1921) - at the special show "Erdmann & Rossi" at the Classic Days Schloss Dyck

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Audi Erdmann & Rossi (1918) - at the special show "Erdmann & Rossi" at the Classic Days Schloss Dyck

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Horch 853 Erdmann & Rossi Bernd Rosemeyer in front of a Horch 853

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Mercedes-Benz 290 long Roadster (1935) - with Erdmann & Rossi bodywork, as a show car for the International Motor Show in Berlin in November 1935

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Horch 951 Sedancabriolet Erdmann & Rossi design

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Maybach DSH (1936) - four-door convertible, probably fitted by Erdmann & Rossi

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Maybach DSH (1936) - rear view of the cabriolet version, which was probably fitted by Erdmann & Rossi Berlin

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Bugatti Type 43 Erdmann & Rossi (1936) - at the special show "Erdmann & Rossi" at the Classic Days Schloss Dyck

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Horch 853A Special Roadster by Erdmann & Rossi (1938) - offered as lot 133 at the Monterey RM Auction on August 17 and 18, 2012

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Horch 853 Special Roadster (1937) - one-off with bodywork by Erdmann & Rossi, Berlin - at Retro Classics Stuttgart 2013

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Horch 853 Streamlined Coupé (1937) - one-off from Erdmann & Rossi, Berlin - at Retro Classics Stuttgart 2013

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Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith (1939) - with Erdmann & Rossi bodywork in the special exhibition - Retro Classics Stuttgart 2014

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Rolls-Royce Wraith Erdmann & Rossi (1939) - at the Concours d'Elégance Schloss Bensberg Classics 2016

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Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Erdmann & Rossi (1938) - participant in Class A - Kings of the Road - at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2013

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Horch streamlined coupé 853 "Manuela" from 1937 - one of the 15 showpieces of the special exhibition "Erdmann & Rossi" at the Classic Days Schloss Dyck 2013

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Maybach SW 38 Sport Cabriolet Erdmann & Rossi (1937) - at the special show "Erdmann & Rossi" at the Classic Days Schloss Dyck

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Bentley 4 1/2 Litre Coupé Erdmann & Rossi (1937) - at the special show "Erdmann & Rossi" at the Classic Days Schloss Dyck

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Horch 853 A Sportroadster Erdmann & Rossi (1940) - at the special show "Erdmann & Rossi" at the Classic Days Schloss Dyck

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Audi 920 Cabriolet Erdmann & Rossi (1939) - at the special show "Erdmann & Rossi" at the Classic Days Schloss Dyck

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Mercedes Benz 500 K CC Erdmann & Rossi (1935) - at the special show "Erdmann & Rossi" at the Classic Days Schloss Dyck

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Mercedes Benz S Rennsport Erdmann & Rossi (1932) - at the special show "Erdmann & Rossi" at the Classic Days Schloss Dyck

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Mercedes Benz 540 K Erdmann & Rossi (1934) - at the special show "Erdmann & Rossi" at the Classic Days Schloss Dyck

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Audi 920 Cabriolet (1939) - with Erdmann & Rossi body in the special exhibition - Retro Classics Stuttgart 2014

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Horch 853 Special Roadster (1937) - with bodywork by Erdmann & Rossi - Retro Classics Stuttgart 2014

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Horch 853 Sport Coupé (1937) - with Erdmann & Rossi bodywork in the special exhibition of the same name - Retro Classics Stuttgart 2014

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Horch 853 streamlined coupé (1937) - once built by Erdmann & Rossi for Bernd Rosemeier as "Manuela" - Retro Classics Stuttgart 2014

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Mercedes Benz 830 K (1929) - with bodywork by Erdmann & Rossi - Retro Classics Stuttgart 2014

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Mercedes Benz 380 K Special Roadster Erdmann & Rossi (1933) - at the Concours d'Elégance of the Schloss Bensberg Classics 2014

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Horch 853 Sport Coupé (1937) - with bodywork by Erdmann & Rossi - Auto e Moto d'Epoca 2014

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Mercedes Benz 380 Special Roadster (1933) - with body by Erdmann & Rossi, Berlin - Auto e Moto d'Epoca 2014

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Mercedes-Benz 380 Special Roadster Erdmann & Rossi (1933) - at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2015 in class B "antidrepressants"

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Audi 920 Cabriolet Erdmann & Rossi (1939) - alongside other special bodies by the same coachbuilder - 40th Oldtimer Meeting Baden-Baden 2016

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Mercedes-Benz 630 Erdmann & Rossi (1929) - impressive creation - 40th Oldtimer Meeting Baden-Baden 2016

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Mercedes-Benz 380 Roadster Erdmann & Rossi (1933) - Class "G2 - Sportives - Avant 1940" - Concours d'Elégance Suisse Coppet 2017

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Horch 853 Special Roadster Erdmann & Rossi (1936) - extremely elegant bodywork with sweeping shapes - Classic-Gala Schwetzingen 2017

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Mercedes-Benz 500 Nürburg Erdmann & Rossi (1934) - special bodywork, 125 km/h fast - SK Collection (Retro Classics Stuttgart 2018)

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Mercedes-Benz 540K Erdmann & Rossi Special Cabriolet (1936) - Pebble Beach Concours d'Elégance 2019

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Audi 920 Cabriolet Erdmann & Rossi (1939) - will be on display at the MAC Museum Art & Cars from September 27, 2020

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Bentley 4.25 Liter Erdmann & Rossi (1938) - will be on display at the MAC Museum Art & Cars from September 27, 2020

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Summary

Anyone who was self-respecting in the 1920s and 1930s and had the necessary financial strength did not buy a car off the peg, but had a special body made by one of the numerous coachbuilders. One of the most famous German coachbuilders was the Berlin company Erdmann & Rossi. Princes, prominent actors, sportsmen and aviators were among its customers. But also the inevitable Nazi celebrities - and after 1945, officers of the Red Army. This article looks back at the history of the Berlin coachbuilder Erdmann & Rossi and shows many of the cars built there.

This article contains the following chapters

From the horse-drawn carriage to the automobile
For the richest and most important
Caesura
From car sales to marriage
Mainly German chassis and new competitors
Survival
Streamline
Prominent customers
Military gray instead of glossy paint

Estimated reading time: 7min

Preview (beginning of the article)

An eventful year 1898: the Reichstag adopts the first naval law - the German Naval Association is founded. The USA seizes the majority of all colonies in the war against Spain. Kiautschou becomes a German colony in China. The Social Democratic Party is founded in Russia. The Second International excludes the anarchists, and Marie and Pierre Curie discover radium. In the same year, the first Berlin-Potsdam car race takes place, and a certain Willi Erdmann opens a coachbuilding business on the Spree, which is soon to become one of the most respected in the entire German Reich. Demand is high and business flourishes: The aristocracy and the nouveau riche crème de la crème of the bourgeoisie had plenty of money and ordered coaches - initially for oat operations. But the horse was gradually replaced by the motor. In addition to its speed, it is its consistent power that gives it the edge over the four-legged creature. The motor can run at top speed for hours on end and overcomes all gradients with ease. The horse must be defeated by such an opponent.

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