Microcar Mondays Pt VIII

The Bruce Weiner Microcar Collection

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

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1958 Burgfalke FB250

1958 Burgfalke FB250

Photo – RM Auctions

The Brütsch Spatz went into production in revised form as the Victoria 250. When production ceased on that car, the head of Burgfalke (an airplane and glider manufacturer in Germany) bought the rights to the car and put it into production as the Burgfalke FB250. They used a 248cc single-cylinder making 14 horsepower. In all, 60 were built and two of those were shipped to the U.S. This car is one of those two and it is completely original. It should sell for between $25,000-$35,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $20,700.

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1949 Voisin Biscooter Prototype

1949 Voisin Biscooter Prototype

Photo – RM Auctions

We’ve talked of Gabriel Voisin and his attempt to manufacture a microcar after World War II. When he designed the Biscooter, he built approximately 15 prototypes that he shopped around. Eventually, two of them were given to Voisin to take home. This is one of those two cars. It is completely original. The Biscuter was made in Spain, but this Biscooter was made by Voisin. It’s a pretty big deal. The engine is a six horsepower 125cc single-cylinder. It should sell for between $60,000-$80,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $66,125.

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1946 Larmar

1946 Larmar

Photo – RM Auctions

Larmar built invalid carriages in Essex, England. When this model hit the scene, they were quick to point out all of its positive, road car-like characteristics in order to drum up as many sales as possible. It was about the smallest road car you could buy and perhaps the narrowest ever built, at just two feet four inches wide. The engine is a 246cc single-cylinder making 7.5 horsepower. This one has not been restored (obviously) and is missing a door, the convertible top and the folding windshield. It honestly resembles an airplane tug more than a car, but it is what it is. It can be yours for the rock-bottom price of $3,000-$5,000. Click here for more.

Update: Sold $4,600.

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1963 Vespa Ape Model C

1963 Vespa Ape

Photo – RM Auctions

The iconic Vespa scooter was introduced by Piaggio in 1946. It was great for transporting people cheaply around the windy streets of Italy. It was not so great for transporting things. So Piaggio sent their designers back to the drawing board and in 1948 the Ape came to market. This Model C has an enclosed metal box at the rear and a bench seat up front. Payload was 770 pounds – about all the 5.8 horsepower 145.5cc single-cylinder can handle. The controls are still scooter-like and the rear box actually tips. It’s a useful little commercial vehicle. It should bring between $5,000-$10,000. Click here for more.

Update: Sold $25,300.

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1948 Mochet Type K

1948 Mochet Type K

Photo – RM Auctions

This Mochet is a little sportier than the commercial Camionette we featured a month or two ago. It uses a single-cylinder engine of 125cc making a paltry 3.5 horsepower. The car is actually a little bigger than it looks, at almost eight feet long. This was the first Mochet cyclecar not to actually be fitted with pedals (what progress!). Everything else was still crude – no front suspension and an external handbrake to slow the rear wheels. And everything comes together at some kind of sharp angle. Only 650 were built. There are two in this sale, this being the nicer. It should sell for between $30,000-$40,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $35,650.

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1957 Messerschmitt KR 201 Roadster

1957 Messerschmitt KR 201 Roadster

Photo – RM Auctions

Another Messerschmitt? Look closely, this isn’t a KR 175 or a KR 200. It’s a very rare KR 201. Closed-top cars had an occupant baking problem, as they were essentially in a glass oven. Solution? Cut the top off. They gave it a heavily-raked windshield and a cloth top that goes back most of the way. It was a special edition model with other bits of nice trim and they were only built for two years (1957 and 1958) but it was available by special order until KR 200 production finally stopped. It uses the same 191cc single-cylinder engine making 9.5 horsepower. Only 300 were made. This one should bring between $60,000-$70,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $103,500.

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1972 Bond Bug 700E

1972 Bond Bug 700E

Photo – RM Auctions

The futuristic Bond Bug was exactly what a futurist would drive in 1972. It’s a three-wheeler with a pop-forward canopy for a door. The interior is now dated but was probably modern then. The engine is a 701cc straight-four making 30 horsepower. Bond had actually been acquired by Reliant in 1969 and you can see some of the Reliant Robin-type architecture in this car. Every one of the 2,276 cars built was painted in this god-awful 1970s orange color, which must have helped Bond reach their young consumer target market, or something. This one should sell for between $15,000-$20,000. Click here for more.

Update: Sold $17,250.

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1942 Peugeot VLV

1942 Peugeot VLV

Photo – RM Auctions

You might be thinking “Just what in the hell did Peugeot think they were doing trying to build a production car in 1942, under German occupation.” While the first part of that sentence – right up to the qualifier of “trying to build a production car…” is fair game at any point in their history, Peugeot actually had an interesting idea with this car. Gasoline was forbidden once Germany took over unless you had a special permission slip to drive. Literal cyclecars (without engines) were popular. Peugeot went with electricity. They were the only one of France’s large automakers to take a shot with building electric cars. The VLV was interesting – there was a single brake drum for the two rear wheels and the batteries up front made up half the weight of the car. It had a top speed of 22 mph and a range of 50 miles. It got around the fuel-restrictions but was banned by the occupying government after 377 were built. It’s cool, it’s rare. It should sell for $30,000-$40,000. Click here for more.

Update: Sold $20,125.

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1949 Crosley Farm-O-Road Prototype

1949 Crosley Farm-O-Road Prototype

Photo – RM Auctions

Powell Crosley’s cars are all really tiny and all really cool. The Farm-O-Road is one of the stranger cars the he built. It looks like a miniature version of the Jeep that helped America win the war that had just ended. But its purpose was that of a utility tractor, as Crosley “had an interest in farming.” There were all sorts of attachments for this thing: plows, mowers, skis. It was also intended for road use. They were available for three model years: 1950-1952. About 600 were made. This is one of two factory prototypes and the one that was used in factory sales literature. It uses the 724cc COBRA straight-four making 26.5 horsepower. It should sell for between $20,000-$30,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $32,775.

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1957 Iso Isettacarro 500

1957 Iso Isettacarro

Photo – RM Auctions

The Isetta was originally built by Iso. They licensed the design out all over the place and used the proceeds to build some wicked sports cars. To make the tiny bubble-car even more appealing, Iso built the Autocarro, a commercial variant available in a variety of bodystyles. This one has a wooden pickup box. It uses a 236cc single-cylinder making 9.5 horsepower. It was built in Madrid by the Spanish arm of Iso (but it’s still an Iso). The only difference is that the Autocarro was renamed Isettacarro 500 in Spain. It is one of 4,900 built and is mostly original. It should sell for between $45,000-$55,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of the lineup, as this is the final Microcar Monday.

Update: Sold $97,750.

Messerschmitt Roadster

1957 Messerschmitt KR 201 Roadster

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

1957 Messerschmitt KR 201 Roadster

Photo – RM Auctions

Another Messerschmitt? Look closely, this isn’t a KR 175 or a KR 200. It’s a very rare KR 201. Closed-top cars had an occupant baking problem, as they were essentially in a glass oven. Solution? Cut the top off. They gave it a heavily-raked windshield and a cloth top that goes back most of the way. It was a special edition model with other bits of nice trim and they were only built for two years (1957 and 1958) but it was available by special order until KR 200 production finally stopped. It uses the same 191cc single-cylinder engine making 9.5 horsepower. Only 300 were made. This one should bring between $60,000-$70,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $103,500.

Microcar Mondays Pt V

The Bruce Weiner Microcar Collection

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

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1953 Ardex

1953 Ardex

Ardex was originally founded in France in 1934 but by the time war broke out in 1939, production stopped. But in 1952, it sprang back up out of nowhere, producing two (as seen here) or four seat microcars using single-cylinder engines of 100cc or 125cc. Production lasted until 1955 and only a few were built. This one should sell for between $15,000-$25,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $13,800.

 

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1953 Messerschmitt KR 175

Messerschmitt KR 175

We already featured a Messerschmitt KR 200, which was the successor to this car, the original Kabinenroller, the KR 175. Introduced for 1953, the Fend Flitzer offshoot used a rear-mounted 174cc single-cylinder making nine horsepower. Top speed was 50 mph and the bubble canopy was used instead of a door. As production only lasted through 1955, total output was much smaller than the KR 200, with about 15,000 KR 175s built. They cost 2,100 DM back in 1953 but today should sell for $35,000-$45,000 USD. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $23,000.

 

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1956 Paul Vallée Chantecler

1956 Paul Vallée Chantecler

SICRAF (Société Industrielle de Construction et de Racherches Automobiles de France) – yeah, that’s one hell of an acronym – produced scooters in Aubervillers, France, from 1947 through 1953. In 1955, Paul Vallée, the head of SICRAF, introduced a three-wheeled micro-bubble of a car using a frame from one of his scooters as a base. Engines were either 125cc or 175cc. Not many were made. This one should sell for between $45,000-$55,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $98,900.

 

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1950 Rolux Baby

1950 Rolux Baby

The Rolux Baby was identical to the New-Map Baby. New-Map reintroduced their pre-war “Baby” design in 1946 but the following year the company relocated and was renamed Société Rolux. The model remained unchanged from the pre-war design. It uses a rear-mounted 125cc single-cylinder engine. Rolux lasted until 1952 and about 300 cars were made. Three of them are offered in this sale. This is the nicest one and it should bring between $35,000-$45,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $48,875.

 

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1959 Nobel 200

1959 Nobel 200

The Nobel 200 was a licensed copy of the Fuldamobil. While the Fuldamobil was built in Germany, the Nobel was built in the U.K. – Northern Ireland to be exact. They were available from 1958 to 1962 and it uses a 191cc single-cylinder making 10 horsepower (the same one used the Messerschmitt KR 200). It could do 55 mph. This one is obviously in need of a restoration – but it is in better condition than the other Nobel 200 offered in this sale. This one is estimated to bring somewhere between $10,000-$15,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $10,350.

 

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1955 Inter 175A Berline

1955 Inter 175A Berline

The Inter was built by S.N.C.A.N. of Lyons, France from 1953 to 1956. As its name suggests, it uses a 175cc engine. Only about 300 were built. What I like about it is the boat-ness of it. It has that one headlight poking out the front and that lone windshield wiper that comes down from the roof of the car. That and how the body is narrow with a chrome belt line (or water line) and the wheels are located outboard – it kind of looks like the Reyonnah we featured a few weeks ago. It should sell for between $40,000-$50,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $161,000.

 

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1953 Champion 400H

1953 Champion 400H

If this looks like the Maico MC 400 we featured a month or two ago, that’s because it is pretty much the same car. Champion Automobil presented the 400 in 1951. It was a two-door saloon with a folding canvas roof – not a complete convertible, but more like a giant cloth sunroof. In 1953, the 400 became the 400H. The engine was a two-cylinder of about 400cc making 16 horsepower, an increase of two horses over the 400. Only 1,941 were built in 1953 before the company collapsed and was purchased by Maico. This one should sell for between $40,000-$50,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $57,500.

 

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1958 Brütsch Mopetta

1958 Brütsch Mopetta

Egon Brütsch founded the company that bore his name in 1950. By 1958, he had designed and produced 11 different models of microcars, perhaps none more “micro” than this Mopetta. It rocks a single seat and a 50cc engine but it’s actually (a little) bigger than it looks. While I don’t think I’d fit comfortably in this thing, I might be able to actually squeeze into it. Its only about five feet long, so maybe I couldn’t. Maybe Germans in 1958 were just tiny. Only 14 were built. This one should bring $25,000-$35,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $66,125.

 

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1950 Bond Minicar Mk A

1950 Bond Minicar Mk A

The Bond Minicar (retroactively given the “Mk A” identifier) was introduced in 1949 and was sold through 1951. The body, as you can see in this unpainted example, is aluminium and the whole car weighed in at 308 pounds. This non-Deluxe model uses a 122cc single-cylinder making five horsepower. In total, 1,973 were made and it was deemed successful enough to spawn six successors with a total combined production of over 20,000 cars. This was the one that started it all for Bond. It should sell for between $10,000-$15,000, much more than the about £260 it originally cost. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $10,350.

 

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1953 BMA Hazelcar

1953 BMA Hazelcar

The BMA Hazelcar was constructed by the Battery Manufacturing Association, a company located in Hove, England. They introduced the Hazelcar in 1952 and made them into 1954. It’s an electric car, powered by a 1.5 horsepower electric engine. It has a range of 60 miles and a top speed of 20 mph. The price was rather steep for 1953, at £535 and only about 25 were built. This one should go for between $5,000-$10,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $9,200.

Messerschmitt KR 175

1953 Messerschmitt KR 175

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

Messerschmitt KR 175

Photo – RM Auctions

We already featured a Messerschmitt KR 200, which was the successor to this car, the original Kabinenroller, the KR 175. Introduced for 1953, the Fend Flitzer offshoot used a rear-mounted 174cc single-cylinder making nine horsepower. Top speed was 50 mph and the bubble canopy was used instead of a door. As production only lasted through 1955, total output was much smaller than the KR 200, with about 15,000 KR 175s built. They cost 2,100 DM back in 1953 but today should sell for $35,000-$45,000 USD. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $23,000.

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.

Messerschmitt KR 200

1956 Messerschmitt KR 200

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

1956 Messerschmitt KR 200

Photo – RM Auctions

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.