Karl Deutsch (Karosseriebau)
Encyclopedia
Karl Deutsch GmbH was a coach building firm known, in its later years, for converting mainstream motor cars into cabriolets. The business was located in Köln-Braunsfeld, a district on the north side of what today would be defined as central Cologne
.
business of J. W. Utermöhle GmbH. In 1916 Deutsch changed the name of the firm to Karl Deutsch GmbH, now concentrating on the production of trailers
for the army.
After the war ended the company started building car bodies to spezial order on chassis manufactured by auto-makers. From 1930 bodies were provided for several batches of Horch
cars and the company also provided car bodies to the Cologne based subsidiary of Citroën
. In 1929 Mayor Adenuaer
made available a 170,000 square meter site in the Cologne district of Köln-Niehl to Ford
in order that they might massively expand and relocate their German assembly operations from Berlin
: in 1931 the Ford Cologne plant started producing cars. Ford very soon became the most important customer for Karl Deutsch. By 1934 they were delivering to Ford 8 – 10 car bodies per day, and four years later this had increased to 30 daily. Customers also included Ford’s business in The Netherlands.
After the Second World War the founder’s son, Werner Deutsch, took over the business. Ford Germany remained the largest customer. However, in the mid-1960s Ford withdrew cabriolets from their model range. The company for a time continued to perform cabriolet conversions on Ford models in response to end-customer requests, and also produced cabriolet conversions for other automakers including Borgward
and, following the closure of the Autenrieth coachbuilding firm, Opel
.
Nevertheless, the economics of auto-production were changing, as increases in wage levels and employment taxes encouraged greater standardisation of components and sub-assemblies and the beginnings of the accelerating automation revolution that transformed manufacturing in the final decades of the twentieth century. These developments involved capital investment on a scale that the volumes available to a firm like Deutsch could never justify, and the continuing labour intensive nature of the cabriolet conversion business created an ever widening cost gap between the standard cars and the cabriolet versions with which, apart from the roof and some body strengthening inserts, they shared virtually all their components. The prices necessary to accommodate those cost differences became too high to be passed on to car buyers. Growing public debate about the perceived lack of secondary safety available from open topped cars further reduced demand for Deutsch cabriolet conversions. Operations came to an end in 1971.
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
.
History
In 1913 Karl Deutsch acquired the wheel-makingWheelwright
A wheelwright is a person who builds or repairs wheels. The word is the combination of "wheel" and the archaic word "wright", which comes from the Old English word "wryhta", meaning a worker or maker...
business of J. W. Utermöhle GmbH. In 1916 Deutsch changed the name of the firm to Karl Deutsch GmbH, now concentrating on the production of trailers
Trailer (vehicle)
A trailer is generally an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle. Commonly, the term trailer refers to such vehicles used for transport of goods and materials....
for the army.
After the war ended the company started building car bodies to spezial order on chassis manufactured by auto-makers. From 1930 bodies were provided for several batches of Horch
Horch
Horch was a car brand manufactured in Germany by August Horch & Cie, at the beginning of the 20th century.-History at a Glance:The company was established first by August Horch and his first business partner Salli Herz on November 14, 1899 at Ehrenfeld, Cologne. August Horch was a former production...
cars and the company also provided car bodies to the Cologne based subsidiary of Citroën
Citroën
Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
. In 1929 Mayor Adenuaer
Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was a German statesman. He was the chancellor of the West Germany from 1949 to 1963. He is widely recognised as a person who led his country from the ruins of World War II to a powerful and prosperous nation that had forged close relations with old enemies France,...
made available a 170,000 square meter site in the Cologne district of Köln-Niehl to Ford
Ford Germany
-Ford Motor Co. AG:Until 27 January 1950 all Ford's European operations other than in the USSR were run from Dagenham and owned by Ford Motor Company Limited, Dearborn's 55% owned subsidiary...
in order that they might massively expand and relocate their German assembly operations from Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
: in 1931 the Ford Cologne plant started producing cars. Ford very soon became the most important customer for Karl Deutsch. By 1934 they were delivering to Ford 8 – 10 car bodies per day, and four years later this had increased to 30 daily. Customers also included Ford’s business in The Netherlands.
After the Second World War the founder’s son, Werner Deutsch, took over the business. Ford Germany remained the largest customer. However, in the mid-1960s Ford withdrew cabriolets from their model range. The company for a time continued to perform cabriolet conversions on Ford models in response to end-customer requests, and also produced cabriolet conversions for other automakers including Borgward
Borgward
Borgward was a German automobile manufacturer founded by Carl F. W. Borgward . The company was based in Bremen...
and, following the closure of the Autenrieth coachbuilding firm, Opel
Opel
Adam Opel AG, generally shortened to Opel, is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Opel has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an Aktiengesellschaft in 1929...
.
Nevertheless, the economics of auto-production were changing, as increases in wage levels and employment taxes encouraged greater standardisation of components and sub-assemblies and the beginnings of the accelerating automation revolution that transformed manufacturing in the final decades of the twentieth century. These developments involved capital investment on a scale that the volumes available to a firm like Deutsch could never justify, and the continuing labour intensive nature of the cabriolet conversion business created an ever widening cost gap between the standard cars and the cabriolet versions with which, apart from the roof and some body strengthening inserts, they shared virtually all their components. The prices necessary to accommodate those cost differences became too high to be passed on to car buyers. Growing public debate about the perceived lack of secondary safety available from open topped cars further reduced demand for Deutsch cabriolet conversions. Operations came to an end in 1971.