Wehrmacht commander´s cars

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Frankfurter
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Posts: 408
Joined: 12 Jan 2009, 01:51

Wehrmacht commander´s cars

#1

Post by Frankfurter » 04 Jun 2009, 22:22

GFM_List_ca1942_Horch_.png
GFM_List_ca1942_Horch_.png (239.8 KiB) Viewed 1236 times
GFM_Rommel_Erwin_1891-1944_d.jpg
GFM_Rommel_Erwin_1891-1944_d.jpg (31.16 KiB) Viewed 1237 times
I have a question about the cars of the Wehrmacht generalcy.
In pictures you can often see Generals, not only Field Marshals, sitting in big civilian, often military grey Mercedes, Maybach or Horch, cars which were, compared to today, level with a large S-Class or even Bentley, absolute luxury. And that even during the war, where Rommel is sometimes seen driving in a Mercedes 770K (not in the attached picture), a gigantic car built in microscopic numbers only for the absolute leadership of the 3rd Reich at a price that could buy you a large house (about a million Euros in todays money that would be).
Where did these cars come from? Were these cars bought as new cars by the Army (hardly thinkable, maybe just a handful for the absolute high command), were they bought secondhand from its civilian owners which could not use them anymore anyway in the war (imho very likely), donated (also possible), or some even "aquired" by taking them from Jewish owners?

(photo source on picture, the other is from ahf)

Frankfurter
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Posts: 408
Joined: 12 Jan 2009, 01:51

Re: Wehrmacht commander´s cars

#2

Post by Frankfurter » 05 Jun 2009, 17:04

GFM_vBrauchitsch_Anschluss_sudetendeutscher_Gebiete1938.jpg
GFM_vBrauchitsch_Anschluss_sudetendeutscher_Gebiete1938.jpg (71.02 KiB) Viewed 1173 times
Glt_Cranz_Carl_18.ID_1986-1941.jpg
Glt_Cranz_Carl_18.ID_1986-1941.jpg (141.2 KiB) Viewed 1173 times
Von Brauchitsch in a Mercedes 6-wheeler military command car, and again a civilian luxury car behind, probably a Mercedes 540K.

And another General, identified as GL Cranz, in a luxury civilian Horch (picture from ahf).


Frankfurter
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Posts: 408
Joined: 12 Jan 2009, 01:51

Re: Wehrmacht commander´s cars

#3

Post by Frankfurter » 06 Jun 2009, 14:28

MB770K_xRommel.jpg
MB770K_xRommel.jpg (30.45 KiB) Viewed 1129 times
Here is the Mercedes 770K "Grosser Mercedes", that reportedly was used by Rommel before it was employed by the US Army. I wonder where this car has ended up. Maybe it still exists.

Source of this picture: unknown website


To the moderators: Maybe its best to move this thread to the axis equipment forum?

Frankfurter
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Posts: 408
Joined: 12 Jan 2009, 01:51

Re: Wehrmacht commander´s cars

#4

Post by Frankfurter » 10 Jun 2009, 14:30

Here is a drawing I made showing the Mercedes 770K (W150) Tourenwagen, the most common version of this "Grosser Mercedes". Despite of being a large convertible, some of these cars were armoured. 46 Tourenwagen were delivered in 1938-43 to the government including Hitler and Göring as well as governor´s of occupied territories, but some found the way to become staff cars of the high generalship, like the example of Rommel in my last post. In Remy´s book "Mythos Rommel" there is a picture of that car (seems to be black in colour) in front of Rommel´s home. Finnland´s Mannerheim seems to be the only one outside Germany who drove this car. Most 770Ks differed from each other in minor details, even if of the same variant. Rommel´s car was slightly different to my drawing, which I hope you like.
Mercedes770KTWs.jpg
Mercedes770KTWs.jpg (55.51 KiB) Viewed 970 times

tommy303
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Location: arizona

Re: Wehrmacht commander´s cars

#5

Post by tommy303 » 11 Jun 2009, 01:24

Very large luxury cars of the era were frequently provided with custom coachwork from one of a number of renowned domestic or foreign coach makers--ie the factory built the car chassis, engine, drive train and the like, but the coach maker built the body to custom order or to his own design or taste. Rommel's car for instance was a Horch, as seen in one of the photos in this thread. However, the body could have been made by a coach works that also supplied other auto companies like Mercedes or Maybach, and it is possible to mistake one for the other unless one sees the radiator and emblem. Of course, Rommel may have received a mercedes after his Horch was destroyed by strafing during the Normandy campaign. As a field marshal, he was entitled to a car and driver at state expense.

Anyways your drawing looks very good--like it came out of an advertisement of that era.

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