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Car and Driver

Spohn DV-13 Convertible on Bring a Trailer: You're Not Likely To See Another

This coachbuilt custom car hails from Germany and is fitted with a Cadillac V-8. Would you believe, only a handful were built? It's the concours winner nobody was expecting. The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance features awards in several categories, including engineering excellence, historical significance, and special mentions. It also has an award for "most audacious exterior." The car pictured here is the 2013 award winner, and audacious doesn't even begin to cover it. This is a 1957 Spohn DV-13, and the customized roadster is up for auction on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos). Bring a Trailer The Spohn is the offspring of a German coachbuilder with a long tradition of clothing the finest cars in the world in gorgeous design. Before WWII, Spohn bodywork was worn by Maybachs and Mercedes-Benzes. In the postwar period, it, uh, got a little more creative. Okay, let's stop beating around the bush: This car looks like what Powell Motors would have built as the sporty followup version of The Homer car from The Simpsons. It is an acquired taste, like sea urchin or accordion solos, and on first glance looks supremely goofy. Remember the part in The Fly when Jeff Goldblum gets his DNA crossed with a housefly while experimenting with teleportation? This is like that, except it's a 1949 Cadillac and a Daimler SP250 having a transporter malfunction. Bring a Trailer Bring a Trailer Bring a Trailer Brendan McAleer Contributing Editor Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. Read full bio