Horex Imperator: the Horex that became a Zündapp – Auto Motor Klassiek

Isn't that an exciting development? But the official Horex importer in North America was not happy.

The Horex Imperator (1954-1958)

The Horex motorcycles are originally from Bad Homburg in Germany. The founder of this brand was Fritz Kleemann.

Horex as it existed from 1928 to 1956 was a company that built motorcycles of absolute top quality. The brand then made some jumps to be put back into the market as a marketing highlight in 2010. That story has now actually been closed.

Horex was one of the few German motorcycle manufacturers that came from World War II almost without bombing damage. Thanks to the good relations with the Americans, Horex was the first German company to produce motorcycles again after the war. The rapid boom continued until it became a crisis in the motorcycle industry. The Resident saw the light of day in 1955. This was a totally newly developed one-cylinder four-stroke machine, which was made in an 250 and 350 cc version.

A year later, in 1956, the Horex Imperator came out, an 400 cc two-cylinder four-stroke with 30 hp.

The 400 cc twin, the Horex Imperator, was the absolute top of the bill. The machines are made from 1954 to 1956, some sources report to early 58. First with swing arm fork, later with telescopic fork. The Horex Imperators were absolute technical toppers in their time. And they were late.

The 400 cc Horex Imperators were already preceded by a small series of 500 cc Horex Imperators from 1950-1951. But those machines did not come into production for many different reasons. "The old Horex Imperator was too heavy," said Ob. Ing. Rudolf Gunkel. He was instructed to make an Imperator 2.0. The newcomer was done with 1954's Christmas. The new Imperator had front telescopic fork and swingarm suspension behind. And furthermore, for cost reasons, heavy reliance was placed on the construction set concept: the interchangeability of parts between the various models (the Regina's).

Such a Horex Imperator was in its time a machine that sanded at the bottom of the heavy market segment. It was an expensive, fast, dynamic touring motorcycle.

In the end days

After the production of the Grüne Elefanten, Zündapp was no longer able to supply heavy engines to the States. The Zündapp importer Berliner quickly needed an '100 mile machine' in its range. The Horex Imperators enlarged to 450 cc were given a mild make-over and were shipped to the USA as Zündapp Citation with a higher handlebar. However, the Americans quickly discovered that the new Zündapps were just Horexes. And the company that had the official Horex representation in the States was also not happy with the development.

The Horex Imperator in the photos is a shed find

You can say the Imperator has a unique patina and cherish it, you can say that the Horex Imperator is an easy restoration project. It is largely original and complete. But there is plenty of work on it. However endearing the sixties roaring pipes hang underneath. The bike has factory mounting options for a sidecar, but that won't matter too much. Only uninhibited enthusiasts will be shocked by the cost of having the parts re-chromed and repainted. The completeness of such an Imp is the most important in the technical field. For example, if a barn find or 'box project' lacks the attractive intake manifold, the owner of such a project faces a serious challenge. Because the two-cylinder was a very special thing. The great thing is that Horex '' Advantage in quality and technology 'has not remained without consequences. Because Horex inspired the Japanese brand Hosk. And that engine was again - via Showa - a source of inspiration for the guys at Yamaha who - in addition to their experience in building the six-cylinder engine for 'James Bond's Datsun 2000 GT - also benefited from Horex's genius. And so Yamaha's 'Daurerrenner', the XS650 series, is a relative of the Horex Imperator.