And another winter project
10/26/2025
It's actually been with me for a while, the - or that? - Höhm. It looks a little naked, in fact it only has a small hint of bodywork at the front. Its freedom of movement is easily explained, because the Höhm company built driving school models. I discovered it some time ago, the 1/4 scale car chassis was kindly sold to me by Steffi Musfeld, owner and manager of the Pantheon in Muttenz near Basel. I still don't know whether he really took it to sell or rather as decoration for his stand at the Swiss Classic World 2024. In any case, I was just in the mood to afford such an impressive object - and he was obviously in the same mood to sell it to me.
As is so often the case with such things, I had hardly any idea at first, neither about the manufacturer nor about all the functions. And there are a lot of functions that such a model has to offer. In principle, all the essential parts of a real car can be seen in the model. According to the extremely informative website www.fahrschulmodell.net, the Höhm company was founded in 1939.
Although my model, built by Höhm in 1961, was no longer up to date in all areas, it still has a rigid front axle, but this is sprung with real leaf springs and they work. The same applies to the rear axle. The engine is made of plastic and is transparent. Behind it is a clutch, which can be correctly disengaged using the corresponding pedal. The gearbox has three forward gears and one reverse gear. Unfortunately, mine is missing the gearshift, the only defect worth mentioning, but there is said to be a company in Germany that can still supply all parts new. I have made initial contact, but unfortunately I have not received a reply since I sent the requested components. However, I am confident and have followed up.
The whole model is also very dirty, but as I have now discovered, the mechanism works. There is an electric motor hidden in the wooden base that drives the dummy motor. The plugs spark when the pistons move up and down. The valves are opened and closed via pushrods and tiny rocker arms. The wheels are fitted with mechanically operated, real drum brakes. The lighting also works, and there is even a hazard warning blinker. The only thing I haven't discovered yet is a horn.
Now I'm going to freshen this model up a bit over the winter, which primarily means cleaning and completing it - then I just have to convince my wife that it should definitely be somewhere in the apartment instead of the railroad cellar.
