Renault Delivery Van

1909 Renault Camionette Delivery Truck

Offered by Auctions America | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | March 29, 2015

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

This old Renault is a good example of how early automakers were able to transform their road vehicles into commercial vehicles without too much undue effort. If you look at everything from the seats forward, it’s very much an early Renault road car. The fact that it has an extended wheelbase and a big box on the back is what turns it into a work truck.

Or more of a van, really, as camionette is French for “van.” Like many early Renaults, this is powered by a two-cylinder engine. The steering wheel is on the right and there is actually a windshield, although weather protection as a whole leaves something to be desired.

If you own a business, this is the vehicle for you. Have it repainted with your logo on the side and use it as a promotional vehicle. It will draw a crowd wherever it goes. This former museum piece is offered with an estimate between $30,000-$40,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $39,600.

Microcar Mondays Part VI

The Bruce Weiner Microcar Collection

Offered by RM Auctions | Madison, Georgia | February 15-16, 2013

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1957 Biscuter 200-F Pegasin

1957 Biscuter 200-F Pegasin

Gabriel Voisin built some amazing cars in pre-war France. But after the war, the world wasn’t exactly as glitzy as it was prior to it, so he went for something different and designed a tiny microcar called the Biscooter. No one wanted it in France so he licensed it to Spanish manufacturer Autonacional S.A. The body is plastic and the engine is a 197cc single-cylinder making nine horsepower. The Pegasin model seen here was so named because the styling evoked that of the Spanish Pegaso sports car. About 20,000 Spanish Biscuters were built. This one should sell for between $35,000-$45,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $31,625.

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1959 F.G.L.

1959 F.G.L.This tiny Spanish convertible was built by Francisco Gomez Lopez and it was the only one he built. The design is solid and the car is well built – Lopez was a certified engineer who ran a repair shop. It uses a 197cc single-cylinder making 8.5 horsepower. The rest of the car is sourced from other cars of the time. It seems as if he was uninterested in further production, as this was the lone example built. It was restored in 2001 and should sell for between $20,000-$25,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $32,200.

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1961 Isetta 300 Pickup

1961 Isetta 300 Pickup

The Isetta was licensed all over the place in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1957, the license made its way to the U.K.: Isetta of Great Britain Ltd licensed the car from BMW. These cars wear BMW badges, but were sold simply as “Isetta”s. Production lasted through 1962 but the four-wheeled versions were not popular because three-wheelers avoided automobile taxes, as they were classified as motorcycles. This one is the only factory pickup built by Isetta of Great Britain. It has a 13 horsepower 295cc single-cylinder and should bring between $35,000-$45,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $63,250.

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1955 Kroboth Allwetter-Roller

1955 Kroboth Allwetter-Roller

After the Second World War, Gustav Kroboth relocated to Germany to build scooters. But when the rainy season arrived in 1953, it never left. This left a big hole in the scooter industry and Kroboth turned to three-wheelers to fill the void. The Allwetter-Roller (“All Weather Scooter) had a convertible top to provide an, albeit weak, defense against the rain. Production began in 1954 and ended a year later. In total, 55 were built and they used a 175cc single-cylinder engine making nine horsepower. This one should bring between $40,000-$50,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $80,500.

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1935 Velocar Camionette Motoriseé

1935 Velocar Camionette Motorisee

The Mochet name has long been associated with cyclecars and microcars. Georges Mochet built cars under the Mochet name in the 1940s and 1950s. But before him, his father, Charles Mochet, built cyclecars in the 1930s up to the outbreak of war. He only built about 6,000 Velocars and bicycles in total. This Camionette model has such extravagances as a floor. How luxurious! The engine was added (yes, this was a four-wheeled bicycle at some point. Cyclecars weren’t always cars) at some point and is a meager 30cc two-cylinder (!) making 1.8 horsepower. The body is “moleskin” (leather). This is one strange car and you’ll be the only person you know who has one. It should sell for between $25,000-$35,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $14,950.

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1956 NWF 200

1954 NWF 200

Fuldamobil had a brand new design in 1953 called the S-1 and they contracted a company called VGM to build the rounded aluminium bodies. It cost more than Fuldamobil was willing to pay and they ended the deal after only three cars were built. VGM contacted NWF, a coachbuilder also in Germany (they built bus bodies) and NWF decided to put it into production. It was identical to the Fuldamobil, but with a different engine – this one being a 197cc single-cylinder making 9.5 horsepower. Only 701 were built and quite a number of those were sold back to Fuldamobil to cover licensing costs. This one is all original and needs some work, but is still expected to fetch between $15,000-$20,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $16,100.

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1958 Rollera

1958 Rollera

This is a French-built licensed version of the Brütsch Mopetta. It’s slightly larger than the Mopetta, but it’s still quite tiny. It uses a 98cc single-cylinder making 5.2 horsepower (how accurate these decimals are getting!). It was built by Société Rollera Francaise and it is unknown how many were built but there are at least three survivors. It should sell for between $40,000-$50,000. You can read more about it here.

Update: Sold $63,250.

 

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1958 Lloyd LP 600 Alexander

1958 Lloyd LP 600 Alexander

There is a guy who lives around here who owns a Lloyd LT 600 Minibus and there is a sticker on a back window that reads, in German, “He who is not afraid of death drives a Lloyd.” These cars were small, but they aren’t as micro as something like… well, anything above. You could actually drive a Lloyd and not fear as much about dying as you would in a Rollera. There was even power to be had – 19 horses to be exact, pumping furiously out of the 596cc Borgward twin. The Lloyd 600 was introduced in 1955 but production stopped in 1957 because the cars were too basic. A revamped model appeared in 1958 with the “Alexander” tag attached – it was nice enough to come with a headliner, windows and a trunk lid! This car is a survivor among the 176,516 built. It should sell for between $15,000-$20,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $13,800.

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1965 King Midget Series III

1965 King Midget Series III

The Series II King Midget was the final series of King Midgets. It was introduced in 1957 and lasted until production stopped in 1970. King Midgets were offered fully assembled or as a kit (there’s actually a green one just like this on Craigslist on the other side of town for less than half of the estimate on this car. I really should go buy it). The estimate is $10,000-$15,000. The engine is a 9.5 horsepower 380cc single-cylinder. Of the Series III, 3,400 were built in (or sold as kits from) the Athens, Ohio, factory. I had to describe what one of these looked like the other day and the best I could come up with was “mini Willys Jeepster.” Read more here.

Update: Sold $9,200.

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1957 Bond Minicar Mk D

1957 Bond Minicar Mk D

The Mark D Bond Minicar was produced from 1956 through 1958. In total, 3,761 were made. They used a 197cc single-cylinder from Villiers making nine horsepower. A number of different models within the Mark D range were available featuring a small range of seating configurations and trim. This one should sell for between $10,000-$15,000. Read more here. And check out more little cars here.

Update: Sold $11,500.

Microcars for Christmas

The Bruce Weiner Microcar Collection

Offered by RM Auctions | Madison, Georgia | February 15-16, 2013

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1955 Fuji Cabin

1955 Fuji Cabin

As tomorrow is Christmas, any these little cars would make the perfect stocking stuffer. What a cheesy sales pitch that is. This fiberglass little bubble was produced by Fuji Motors Corporation of Tokyo from 1955 through 1957. It has a rear-mounted single-cylinder of 125cc making 5.5 horsepower. One of my favorite things about this car is that it has a boat-like name (“Cabin”) and that it says “Fuji Cabin” on the fender where a boat’s registration would normally be and it is in, what I will call, “boat script.” Other than that, there is nothing boat like about it because it is tiny. Only 85 were ever made and very few survive. This one should sell for between $75,000-$100,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $126,500.

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1962 Trojan 200

1962 Trojan 200

The Trojan 200 was a British-built licensed copy of the Heinkel Kabine. The Kabine went out of production in Germany in 1958 and Trojan production didn’t start until 1960 (and lasted through 1966). It uses a 198cc single-cylinder engine making 10 horsepower (if you round up) and it can do 56 mph. People might mistake it for an Isetta, which it isn’t, it just happens to have a front-opening door. It should sell for between $30,000-$40,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $54,625

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1964 Peel P50

1964 Peel P50

The Peel P50 is the smallest closed-roof microcar you’re likely to find. It was advertised as having enough room for one adult and one shopping bag. Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear drove one of these through the hallways of the BBC offices. He didn’t so much ride in it as he did wear it. Parked next to an Isetta, the Isetta looks giant. Clarkson also called it “almost cheaper than walking.” It’s powered by a 49cc single-cylinder engine making 4.2 horsepower. It could do 38 mph and only 50 were built, 27 of which still survive. The car re-entered production in 2011, for whatever unnecessary reason. This original example should sell for between $35,000-$45,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $120,750.

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1956 Mochet CM-125Y Camionette

1956 Mochet CM-125Y Camionette

This Mochet CM-125Y commercial vehicle is about the right size for transporting cigarettes – so I think the Lucky Strike scheme works well. You aren’t going to fit a Lay-Z-Boy in the back of this thing. It is powered by a 125cc single-cylinder making five horsepower, so it probably would struggle to haul said Lay-Z-Boy. Mochet built a number of different models, but total production was only around 3,000. There are three of these CM-125Y commercial vans in the U.S. and this one should bring between $35,000-$45,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $35,650

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1959 Goggomobil TL-400 Transporter Pickup

1959 Goggomobil TL-400 Transporter Pickup

Goggomobil was the rare microcar manufacturer that actually hit big time production, with total output in the hundreds of thousands. This had a lot to do with the fact that Goggomobil was owned by Glas, an established automotive company. But not every model was lucky to sell multitudes. The TL Transporter model, which was produced at the request of the German postal service, was made from 1958 through 1965. Only 3,667 were built – including both van and pickup bodystyles. There were various engines available but this one uses a 398cc making about 18 horsepower. It’s painted in Coca-Cola colors, ensuring a wide market appeal for potential buyers. Coca-Cola memorabilia sells – and cute sells too. Both help explain the pre-sale estimate of $100,000-$125,000. For more information, click here.

Update: Sold $138,000.

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1956 Avolette Record Deluxe

1956 Avolette Record Deluxe

The Avolette Record Deluxe was a French license-built version of the Brütsch Zwerg. Zwerg? Zwerg. Most Avolettes were three-wheelers, but you can see this one has four. It has a single-cylinder engine of 250cc making 14 horsepower. In production for only two years, the Record Deluxe didn’t rack up record sales numbers – only about 30 were produced. This one should sell for between $45,000-$55,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $74,750.

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1953 Fuldamobil N-2

1953 Fuldamobil N-2

Fuldamobil started producing cars in 1950 and lasted through 1969. They didn’t build a lot of cars, but their designs were licensed to other manufacturers throughout Europe. The N2 is an unusual, very rare and not very well known model from the company. Produced from 1952 through 1955, it used a 359cc single-cylinder making nine horsepower. The body is bare aluminium over a wood frame and looks very strange and simple. Only 380 were built. This one should sell for between $40,000-$50,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $75,900.

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1955 Iso Isetta

1955 Iso Isetta

Renzo Rivolta, whose company Iso was producing refrigerators and scooters in the 1950s, wanted to make a small car that could sell across a wide market. Two of his engineers designed this, and called it the Isetta. It used a front-hinged door and a 9.5 horsepower 236cc split-single two-stroke engine. Top speed was 47 mph but the design caught on and when Rivolta wanted to focus on sports cars, he licensed the design out to multiple companies all over the world. Produced from 1953 until 1955, only about 1,000 were built. But it was the first. This one should sell for between $30,000-$40,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $37,950.

 

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1956 Messerschmitt KR 200

1956 Messerschmitt KR 200

The Fend Flitzer was an invalid carriage designed by Fritz Fend (tongue twister!). After World War II, German aircraft companies were banned from producing aircraft, and Messerschmitt had nothing else going on – so when Fend approached them to put his Flitzer-based bubble car into production, they went for it and the Messerschmitt Kabinenroller was born. The KR 200 was in production from 1956 through 1964 and approximately 40,000 were built – about half of which appear to be in this auction. Seating is tandem – the passenger behind the driver. The engine is a 10 horsepower single-cylinder of 191cc. It could do 65 mph. This one should sell for between $40,000-$50,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $57,500.

 

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1959 Opperman Unicar

1959 Opperman Unicar

The Opperman Unicar was inspired by the series of Bond Minicars. When the owner of the Opperman tractor company saw a Bond, he decided to build his own automobile. The Unicar was actually designed by Lawrie Bond and was in production from 1956 through 1959. It was the cheapest car you could buy in the U.K. in 1956 and was even available as a kit. The only opening parts are the doors and it is powered by an 18 horsepower 328cc two-cylinder engine. It’ll do 45 mph and only about 200 were built. This one should sell for between $15,000-$20,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $9,200.

Mochet Camionette

1956 Mochet CM-125Y Camionette

Offered by RM Auctions | Madison, Georgia | February 15-16, 2013

1956 Mochet CM-125Y Camionette

Photo – RM Auctions

This Mochet CM-125Y commercial vehicle is about the right size for transporting cigarettes – so I think the Lucky Strike scheme works well. You aren’t going to fit a Lay-Z-Boy in the back of this thing. It is powered by a 125cc single-cylinder making five horsepower, so it probably would struggle to haul said Lay-Z-Boy. Mochet built a number of different models, but total production was only around 3,000. There are three of these CM-125Y commercial vans in the U.S. and this one should bring between $35,000-$45,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $35,650

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Ft. Lauderdale 2019, $7,590.