Horch

Established 1904: Zwickau, Germany

Lost in Translation: Founder August Horch, after his ouster in 1909, established a new firm using the Latin derivation of his German surname, which is the infinitive of the verb 'to hear.' August translated 'horchen' to 'audire' and then used the Latin verb's imperative form: Audi. Of course in the face of economic turmoil, in 1932 these two namesake marques plus two others, DKW and Wanderer, merged to form Auto Union. The four rings symbolic of the Auto Union merger are the Audi emblem of today. In any case, Horch production trended up-market in the classic era, and tinder for the company's 8-cylinder came from (of all sources) purchasing the all-American Rickenbacker firm. But the top cars are a short-lived bunch, as Horch production ended in 1940 with the advent of war. Today, Horch are rare automobiles in the states, never having been exported to the extent of their Mercedes-Benz rivals. But they tend to impress. Sometimes of dubious history, a Horch is nonetheless beautiful. At 12cylinders, our list is short, but noteworthy.