Horch 853: which 4.9 MT to choose (100 hp vs 120 hp)
Between 1935 and 1939 the Horch 853 existed as one generation and two versions, both catalogued as 4.9 MT. The names match, so the split is power: 100 hp (74 kW) versus 120 hp (88 kW). Both are Cabrio, Gasoline, 4944 cm³, 8 Inline, 2 valves per cylinder, No boost, Carburetor, Front, longitudinal, 4-speed Manual, RWD. Kerb weight is 2600 kg and gross weight is 2950 kg on both.
Between 1935 and 1939 the Horch 853 existed as one generation and two versions, both catalogued as 4.9 MT. The names match, so the split is power: 100 hp (74 kW) versus 120 hp (88 kW). Both are Cabrio, Gasoline, 4944 cm³, 8 Inline, 2 valves per cylinder, No boost, Carburetor, Front, longitudinal, 4-speed Manual, RWD. Kerb weight is 2600 kg and gross weight is 2950 kg on both. The choice is not “which generation” and not “which body.” It is which of the two 4.9 MT outputs you want, and what the extra 20 hp actually changes in the measured sheet.
If you only remember one arithmetic result: the 4.9 MT 120 hp is 20 hp / 20% stronger than the 4.9 MT 100 hp, at the same 2600 kg kerb mass, so specific mass falls from 26.0 kg/hp to 21.7 kg/hp. Top speed is measured only on the 120 hp car (135). Everything else that people usually use to pick a used car — 0–100, torque, mpg, clearance, wheels — is not measured on either version.
Specs: the two 4.9 MT versions side by side
| Version | hp | kW | Nm | Displacement | Fuel | Cylinders | Layout | Boost | Gearbox | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.9 MT (100 hp) | 100 | 74 | not measured | 4944 | Gasoline | 8 | Inline | No | Manual, 4 | RWD |
| 4.9 MT (120 hp) | 120 | 88 | not measured | 4944 | Gasoline | 8 | Inline | No | Manual, 4 | RWD |
Both versions: Front, longitudinal; Carburetor; 2 valves per cylinder; bore × stroke 87 × 104; production 1935-01-01 to 1939-12-31. Compression ratio is not measured on either 4.9 MT.
Which generation changed what
There is 1 generation (1935–1939), Cabrio, 2 versions. No later generation, no restyle generation, no second body type in this data. Generation-to-generation change is zero because there is nothing after generation 1. All difference sits inside that generation, between the two 4.9 MT outputs.
Shared chassis numbers that did not change with power:
- Kerb 2600 kg, gross 2950 kg (payload 350 kg on both).
- Tank 95 litres on both.
- Front suspension Dependent, leaf spring; rear Dependent, leaf spring.
- Front brakes Drum; rear brakes Drum.
- Drive RWD; gearbox Manual with 4 gears.
If a buyer is hoping a “later 853” is lighter, taller, or differently braked, this sheet does not show that. Weight, tank, suspension labels, and brakes are identical.
Engine: same 4944, different output
Both 4.9 MT cars use 4944 cm³ Gasoline, 8 Inline, No boost, Carburetor, Front, longitudinal, 2 valves per cylinder, 87 × 104. Displacement is the same litre figure (4.944 L if you divide 4944 by 1000).
Specific output from those numbers:
- 4.9 MT 100 hp: 100 ÷ 4.944 ≈ 20.2 hp per litre (74 kW ÷ 4.944 ≈ 15.0 kW/L).
- 4.9 MT 120 hp: 120 ÷ 4.944 ≈ 24.3 hp per litre (88 kW ÷ 4.944 ≈ 17.8 kW/L).
The 120 hp 4.9 MT therefore makes about 4.1 hp more per litre (+20% on 20.2). Absolute gaps: +20 hp and +14 kW. Torque (Nm) and rpm for power or torque are not measured on either, so you cannot rank them on pull from rest using this catalogue.
What the extra output does not buy, because it is not in the data: a larger engine, a different cylinder count, a different layout, boost, a different feed system, a different gearbox, or a different drive. Those fields match. The extra 20 hp is extra output on the same 4944 / 8 Inline / No / Carburetor / Manual 4 / RWD package.
Performance and economy (mpg): what is measured
0–100: not measured on 4.9 MT 100 hp; not measured on 4.9 MT 120 hp. Do not treat one as quicker in seconds; the seconds are not here.
Top speed: not measured on 4.9 MT 100 hp; 135 on 4.9 MT 120 hp. That is the only speed figure in the set. If a measured maximum matters, only the 120 hp 4.9 MT has one.
Fuel consumption (city / highway / mixed) and mpg: not measured on either 4.9 MT. CO2 not measured. Eco class not measured. Tank is 95 litres on both, so range cannot be ranked without a consumption figure.
Weight-to-power (allowed arithmetic on given mass and hp):
- 4.9 MT 100 hp: 2600 ÷ 100 = 26.0 kg per hp.
- 4.9 MT 120 hp: 2600 ÷ 120 ≈ 21.7 kg per hp.
The 120 hp car is 4.3 kg/hp less laden per horsepower (~17% lower kg/hp) at the same 2600 kg. Gross mass is also the same 2950 kg, so 2950 ÷ 100 = 29.5 kg/hp versus 2950 ÷ 120 ≈ 24.6 kg/hp. That is the performance comparison this sheet actually supports: same mass, more hp, one measured top speed of 135 on the stronger 4.9 MT.
Dimensions and weight: nothing to split the versions
Ground clearance: not measured (both). Wheel sizes: not measured (both). Kerb 2600, gross 2950, tank 95 — identical. There is no “lighter 4.9 MT” and no “larger tank 4.9 MT.” Dimensions do not decide the purchase between these two.
Payload is 2950 − 2600 = 350 kg on both. If load is the reason you are looking at a 2600 kg Cabrio, both versions take the same gross limit.
Reliability and problems
This catalogue does not list fault rates, parts, or reliability scores. Do not read silence as “no problems.” What you can say from the hardware labels: both 4.9 MT versions are Carburetor Gasoline 8 Inline with No boost, Dependent, leaf spring at both ends, Drum / Drum, Manual 4, RWD, 1935–1939. Shared layout means shared type of hardware, not a measured reliability ranking.
Which version to choose
Choose the 4.9 MT 120 hp (88 kW) if you want the only version with a measured top speed (135), 20% more power (120 vs 100 hp; 88 vs 74 kW), 24.3 vs 20.2 hp/L, and 21.7 vs 26.0 kg/hp, without paying in extra kerb mass (still 2600 kg) or a smaller tank (still 95). The “extra” in this data is output and the 135 figure, not extra displacement, extra gears, or a different drive.
Choose the 4.9 MT 100 hp (74 kW) if you specifically want the lower-output 4.9 MT of the same generation. It is the same Cabrio years (1935–1939), same 4944, same 8 Inline, same Manual 4 and RWD, same 2600 / 2950 kg, same 95 L tank. You give up 20 hp and you have no measured top speed (not measured, not “slower than 135” as a recorded number). 0–100 and mpg remain not measured here too.
Do not choose by generation, body, gearbox, or drive: there is 1 generation, Cabrio only, both 4.9 MT, both Manual 4, both RWD. Do not choose by mpg, 0–100, clearance, or wheels: those are not measured. Do not choose by torque: Nm is not measured. Do not choose by a price delta: prices are not in this data, so “what the extra money buys” can only mean what +20 hp / +14 kW buys on an otherwise matching sheet — not a currency amount.
Short rule: if the two 4.9 MT names look identical in a listing, read the horsepower. 100 hp and 120 hp are the two cars. Same 4944, same 2600 kg, same 1935–1939 Cabrio. The 120 hp 4.9 MT is the one with more power per litre, less kg per hp, and the only measured 135 top speed.