Messerschmitt Kabinenroller
The Messerschmitt cabin scooter is a scooter mobile of the German designer Fritz Fend M.. The first mobile call themselves Fend racer and were manufactured in Rosenheim, before in January 1953, the series began production of the KR 175 Messerschmitt factory in Regensburg ( Regensburg steel and metal ).
History
Fend had its " speedy " first as a single-seater with three wheels for handicapped developed. The first vehicles of 1948 were still like a Dutchman driven by forward and backward movement of the steering lever before trials with a 38 cc bicycle auxiliary engine started with 1 hp of Victoria. This was soon followed by a drive by Fichtel & Sachs 98 cc and 2.5 horsepower from this now runabout 100 type mentioned were built in 1950 98 pieces from March 1949 to March. After the installation of a Riedel- motor has been carried out of the Imme - bike with 98 cm ³ and 4.5 hp, which helped to the December 1951 built in 154 piece car to a top speed of 75 km / h. The initial bicycle wheels were replaced with the front of the engine by more tyred wheelbarrow wheels. First buyer of a Fend streaker was a paraplegic from Offenbach. Manufacturer of the first vehicles was the Fend automotive GmbH, based in Munich.
From independence to Messerschmitt
Good demand placed it near to expand the production of first ten speedsters a month, but what the money was missing. The company was dissolved, and Fend followed in January 1952 the Council, to turn to the previous Flugzeugwerke Messerschmitt, whose production halls were empty, because at that time no planes were allowed to be built. However, Willy Messerschmitt was only willing to produce a two-seater in his work, whereupon middle prototypes of 1952 ( Fend Kabinenroller ) emerged under the name FK 150 with 150 - cc Fichtel & Sachs engine. In the spring of 1953, the KR 175 was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show ..
The resulting now Messerschmitt bubble car had three wheels and two seats arranged one behind the other, so that an unusually narrow, more aerodynamic vehicle body could be designed. The two front wheels were steerable. The engine was installed in the rear of the vehicle and drove to the rear wheel. The passenger compartment was covered by a hinged plexiglass hood to the side and recalled a flight deck. ( The elongated shape of the automobile and the plexiglass hood led to the jocular terms " Snow White's Coffin " or " man in aspic ". ) The bubble car had no steering wheel, but a kind of motorcycle handlebars with twist grip accelerator, who worked without steering gear via two tie rods directly to the steering knuckle. The clutch was initially integrated into the shifter. Later he got pedals for gas, brake, clutch. For reverse driving, there was an intermediate gear, which is actuated by a lever on the handlebars.
Messerschmitt KR 175 and KR 200
The KR 175 (KR stands for Kabinenroller ) had a single-cylinder engine with 173 cc displacement and 9 hp Fichtel & Sachs 's enough for a maximum speed of 80 km / h The daily output was up to 80 vehicles at a retail price of first 2100 DM
Early 1955 appeared the successor model KR 200 with 10.2 hp engine (191 cc ) and a top speed of about 90 km / h As an automobile has the KR 200 over three pedals (clutch, brake, gas) and on the right passenger side is the gear lever with " sequential " ratchet circuit: Pull back = shift down, push forward = bring up. The first course is behind. To go backward, the two-stroke engine in the reverse direction is started. When the ignition key is inserted and turned, the motor rotates clockwise and all four inputs can be used for forward running. Plugging in and press and turn the ignition key, the engine runs in reverse. One can thus take in all gears and reverse, so theoretically forward as quickly as backward. A mechanical reverse gear was available at extra cost.
There was the version with a Rhenalonhaube, a transparent plastic cover that was rolled. In fine weather, the hood should be stowed in the trunk above the engine and mounted in case of need with little effort. However, it turned out very quickly that the UV irradiation and heat generation in the trunk could lose their elasticity the hood. When trying to roll the hood, tore the material. In a recall, the hoods were replaced by a variant of Plexiglas. The brochures already printed the first version of the KR 200 but have not been scrapped, but blackened the corresponding areas on the back. In September of 1956 the Me 201 appeared as " economy version " of the KR 200, a Roadster variant without side windows and surcharge with a scissors deck.
Contemporary interior design with the faux-snakeskin was available, different parts were chromed. This type of vehicle is but today the original quite rare. In 1958 appeared a convertible variant of the KR 200 The hood was attached tensioned with three bows and with snap fasteners on the canopy frame. You could now go in winter the vehicle with plexiglass hood and use in the summer with little effort, a convertible.
In the same year, the entry-level model, the KR 200 Sports came on the market. We did not pursue on the vehicle on a folding entrance and a windscreen made of glass, so that the vehicle could be offered for a price of 2200 DM. How many of these saving versions were actually sold, is unclear, but it may be the rarest variant. Car dealership came in 1958 additionally the variant collection vehicle on the market. The mechanic drove to the customers, mounted a tow bar to the bumper of the vehicle and customers at the trailing beam of the cabin scooter and even the route could be taken to the dealership.
Nearly 12000 KR 200 were sold in 1955.
The instructions
The Messerschmitt was probably the only car with a manual for boarding:
" Getting On: The entry and exit is the Kabinenroller something is different than you are used to from other vehicles. Before opening the hood you ascertain whether the right of the vehicle is also enough space. Lift the hood and slowly tip over to the right until leather strap is taut.
Well, take the following course:
- Swing up seat
- Slightly turn steering to the right
- Step right foot in the vehicle center
- Take place
- Put in left foot
- Put both feet forward
Only now with both hands supported and can swivel seat forward on the oblique side frame tubes. "
World Records with the Messerschmitt KR 200 "Super"
To prove the reliability of the cabin scooter launched a Messerschmitt KR 200 on August 29, 1955 on the Hockenheim ring to a record journey of 24 hours. The slightly modified open vehicle with the label "Super" had instead of the standard Plexiglas dome only a narrow cockpit opening with a small windshield and behind the driver's head called a rib to reduce air turbulence. Higher compression and higher speed the performance of the 200 cc engine was raised to about 13 hp and the three upper gears were closer classified as in the series, so in second gear about 80, the third 100 and fourth over 120 km / h was achieved. The top speed is said to have located at 130-140 km / h. To try not to interrupt due to the failure and repair of controls, the cables for the accelerator, clutch and brakes were installed twice. In addition, the vehicle had a 30 - liter petrol tank behind the driver and under the seat two lead plates than 60 kg ballast which was prescribed for the record. Otherwise, the KR 200 corresponded to "Super" largely of the series.
Five drivers took turns during the 24 -hour trip, including the engineer Fritz Fend and the journalist H. W. Bönsch. They placed 21 records on different routes and times to and broke the hitherto existing world records in the 350 cc class over 1000 miles, 2000 km and with an average speed of 103 km / h over 24 hours. The record over two hours was set up with 108 km / h.
End of vehicle construction of Messerschmitt
In conjunction with state aircraft orders had Willy Messerschmitt in mid 1956 to abandon the vehicle, even though he had just said: " It has always been my firm determination to develop alongside the aircraft, vehicles. Thus, the Regensburg plant has been set up exclusively for the automotive industry and is this are reserved for the future. " ( Special supplement " Messerschmitt " for 8- Clock - Journal) As of 15 January 1957, the Kabinenroller were of the newly established vehicle and mechanical Regensburg GmbH producing. Shareholders of the company were the designer Fritz Fend M. and producer Valentin Knott.
The KR 200 KR 200 with its four variants with plexiglass hood, convertible sedan, sports roadster and was further built up to 1964 in smaller and smaller quantities. Offered he was also known as pick-up vehicle that was equipped with a special tow bar. The idea was that a workshop employee travels by KR for customers to pick up a car to customer service, and couples on the way back to the workshop the bubble car like a trailer to the customer's vehicle.
The designer Fritz Fend M. left in January of FMR and operational in Regensburg a design office after his partner Valentin Knott took over gradually all his shares.
In the movie The Willi Busch Report of the scriptwriter and director Niklaus Schilling 1979 plays a KR 200 an essential role; with him racing a reporter to his experiences at the German - German border. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the German continued fever, in which also the reactivated Messerschmitt is back on the road, especially for expeditions to East Germany was formed.
The English manufacturer Tri-Tech, original supplier of spare parts, drove a Messerschmitt replica under the name " Smith", available as a kit ( 2650 pounds ) or fully assembled (from £ 8,800 ). 2010 no longer existed Tri-Tech due to insolvency.
The Swedish company Smite is planning a revival with electric or gasoline engine. The body is made of plastic and the car looks very " retro". Series production is planned.
Tg 500
In 1957, out of the KR of the four-wheeled " FMR Tg 500 ", which was presented as " Tiger". However, this name could not be used because different animal names like " Tiger ", " Mustang", etc., were protected for the truck series of Krupp. ( Even the name " Messerschmitt " was not allowed to appear in the type designation. ) Therefore, the vehicle was sold as FMR Tg 500. Nevertheless, the Tg was 500 commonly called "Tiger".
As a sports variant of the cabin scooter disposal of Tg over 500 appealing driving performance. Powered with 494 cc big twin-cylinder two -stroke engine of Fichtel & Sachs with 19.9 hp, it reached up to 130 km / h ( A Porsche 356 with 1300 cc engine from 1957 was with 145 km / h only slightly faster. ) The selling price of 3650 DM ( 1958-1960 ) or 3725 DM (1961 ), however, was quite high, so that only a few copies were built; the estimates range 320-950 pieces (as is correct to assume the lower number ). The Supreme National Sports Commission has granted the vehicle no homologation for motor sport that requires a figure of 400 vehicles. The Tg -500 driver drove only against each other. Top speed was not the most important, but the extraordinary abilities in the curves.
The end of 1961 the production of 500 Tg ran out.
Specifications
Available performance and weight vary slightly depending on the source.
Successor to the 500 Tg
In 1994, the company Tiger Automobile GmbH in Bretten the TIGER T1 Kabinenroller. In this new Kabinenroller the Messerschmitt bubble car godfather was ( the Tg of the vehicle museum Marx cell was used to decrease the mold). It was designed and built according to the latest techniques. This exclusive vehicle to be built in a limited edition. It was offered for DM 78,000. He had a 1300 cm3 4- cylinder in-line engine of Rover with 64 hp. The vehicle was almost twice as heavy as the original ( Convertible Review 4/95 ) with about 700 kg. It remained a one-off.
Fend attacked the idea of the cabin scooter in his last years in a modernized form again. He introduced yet in the 80 years before the 2000 Fend. It remained, however, in a prototype. After his death, the project was completed. Today, the F2000 has a street legal as unique.