Joswin Limousine, extremely rare and very impressive

A recent addition to the collection of the Louwman Museum is the 1922 Joswin, an extremely rare vehicle made by a small scale German car manufacturer.

The car, and especially its interior, exudes pure luxury.

The body panels are lavishly decorated, the door handles are beautifully finished, and through the large oval side windows ('opera windows') you can see the interior adorned with brocade, rosewood, and ivory.

The car was built at the Joswin Motorwagen-Fabrik, located in Berlin-Halensee. The name was derived from the name of the founder: Jos ef Win sch. It is a vehicle built in the finest tradition of German automobile manufacturing, imposing in appearance. The brand was only in production for a short time, from 1921 to 1924. The bodywork was produced by the Berlin-based company Szawe.

The size of the car required a powerful engine. Winsch installed a surplus Mercedes D III six cylinder aircraft engine in this car, which was highly unusual. This type of engine was used in many aircraft of the German Air Force, including the Fokker D VII, a fighter feared by the Allies.

This highly reliable engine is equipped with a then advanced single overhead camshaft and, thanks to its high torque, is very well suited to power the Joswin. The original displacement of 14 liters was reduced to more or less normal proportions. In the end one could choose between an engine with 75 hp (6462cc) or 95 hp (7269cc). The car shown here has the large engine.

Around 1924 the Joswin ends up in the US, where it even appears in a few films, and in 1929 it arrives at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. For many years the ownership of the car is attributed to the German emperor Wilhelm II and to the king of Bulgaria. The Louwman Museum acquires the remarkable Joswin in 2015.

Given the difficult economic situation in Germany, the number of cars built must have been small. This fascinating and somewhat mysterious car is probably the only surviving Joswin in the world.