Kruck

In 1838, Heinrich Kruck founded a carriage-building business, which was taken over by his son and eventually his grandson Georg. They were allowed to call themselves purveyors to the court of the Grand Duke of Hesse and the Prince of Montenegro. In 1899, Georg Kruck acquired the J. Beisswenger carriage factory. Kruck opened a branch factory in Wiesbaden in 1905 and a branch in Berlin in 1906. Kruck had its own patent (D.R.P.) for the construction of Landaulet bodies. Around 1920, coachbuilding was completely abandoned and the company switched to bodywork and vehicle production, primarily on the basis of Opel automobiles. Bodies for Benz, Selve, Audi and NAG were exhibited at the Berlin Motor Show in 1921. The advertising slogan was 'Kruck auf Opel'. In addition, a motor vehicle and spare parts trade was operated. In the course of the global economic crisis, the main Kruck plant in Frankfurt had to close in 1929. However, production continued in Wiesbaden. The licence holders for Weymann bodies in Germany in 1927 were Deutsche Industrie-Werke AG, Drauz, Gläser, Otto Kühn, Kruck, Papler, Reutter, Eugen Rupflin, Seeger & Sohn, and Voll & Ruhrbeck. Georg Kruck retired in 1931. In 1937, Anton Finster, who had joined the company as managing director in 1924, took over Kruck Karosseriebau. The company still exists today under the name 'Karosseriebau Finster'. Probably the best-known Kruck body is the 1928 Opel Regent Baden Baden. A Benz 21/50 Kruck saloon with a first registration date of 7/1914 still exists today, but it is not known whether other vehicles with a Kruck body exist.