The Messerschmitt KR200, or Kabinenroller (Cabin Scooter), is a three-wheeled bubble car designed by the aircraft engineer Fritz Fend and produced in the factory of the West German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt from 1955 until 1964.
Messerschmitt, temporarily not allowed to manufacture aircraft, had turned its resources to making other products. In 1952, Fend approached Messerschmitt with the idea of manufacturing small motor vehicles.[2] These were based on his Fend Flitzerinvalid carriage.[3]
The first of Fend's vehicles to enter production at Messerschmitt's Regensburg factory was the KR175.[4] The title Kabinenroller means "scooter with cabin".[5] While the Messerschmitt name and insignia were used on the car, a separate company, incorporated as Regensburger Stahl- und Metallbau GmbH, was created to manufacture and market the vehicle.[4]
The KR200 replaced the KR175 in 1955.[4] While using the same basic frame as the KR175,[6] the KR200 was otherwise an almost total redesign, with changes to the bodywork (notably including wheel cutouts in the front fenders), and an improved canopy design,[7] while the rear suspension and engine mounting were reworked, and hydraulic shock absorbers were installed at all three wheels. Tire sizes were enlarged to 4.00×8.[6]
Retailing for around DM 2,500, the KR200 was considered an instant success with almost 12,000 built during its first year,[6][8] which was the highest annual production for Kabinenroller models.[6] A maximum speed in excess of 90km/h (56mph)[8] despite a claimed power output of only 10PS (7.4kW; 9.9hp),[8] 1 more PS than the 175 cc engine from the KR175,[9] reflected the vehicle's light weight and low aerodynamic drag.[10] The KR200, however, was 23kg heavier than the KR175 it replaced but had a 10km/h (6mph) higher top speed.[9] An "Export" package included a two-tone paint scheme, painted hubcaps, a fully trimmed interior, a heater, a clock, and a sunshade for the canopy.[6]
In 1956, around a year after West Germany joined NATO, Messerschmitt was allowed to manufacture aircraft again and lost interest in Fend's microcars. Messerschmitt sold the Regensburg works to Fend who, with brake and hub supplier Valentin Knott[de], formed Fahrzeug- und Maschinenbau GmbH Regensburg (FMR) to continue production of the KR200 and his other vehicles.[11][12] In 1957 the KR201 Roadster was launched and remained in production until 1964 with very limited numbers produced. It had a frameless windscreen with no window frames, an optional folding cloth roof and removable side curtains made from transparent plastic. In February 1958,[13] the KR200 Kabrio Limousine model was released, featuring a cloth convertible top and fixed side window frames. A Sport model was later offered with a cut down plexiglas windscreen with no roof and with fixed side panels so that the driver would have to climb in and out at the top of the car.[11] Production of the Sport was extremely limited and, apart from the KR200 'Super' (see below) it is the rarest type of KR200.
Production of the KR200 was heavily reduced in 1962 and ceased in 1964.[12] Sales had been dropping for a few years, as demand for basic economical transport in Germany diminished while the German economy boomed.[14] A similar situation developed in other parts of Europe, such as in the manufacturer's biggest export destination, the United Kingdom, where sales were particularly affected and the Mini was becoming increasingly popular. A total of 30,286 units of the KR200 were built.[9]
24-hour record run
Messerschmitt record car
In 1955, in order to prove the KR200's durability, Messerschmitt prepared a KR200 to break the 24-hour speed record for three-wheeled vehicles under 250cc (15.3cuin). The record car had a special single-seat low-drag body and a highly modified engine, but the suspension, steering, and braking components were stock. Throttle, brake, and clutch cables were duplicated. The record car was run on 29–30 August 1955 at the Hockenheimring for 24 hours and broke 22 international speed records in its class, including the 24-hour speed record, which it set at 103km/h (64mph)[6][15][16]
Messerschmitt Service Car
Messerschmitt, and subsequently FMR, made factory-converted Service Cars to order for the automobile service industry. Similar in concept to the Harley-Davidson Servi-Car and the Indian Dispatch Tow, the Service Car had a detachable tow bar and clamp, a revised front suspension to accommodate the tow bar when in use, and a storage system inside the car to accommodate the tow bar when not in use. The service technician would drive the Service Car to the customer's car and, if the customer's car was drivable, attach the tow bar to the front of the Service Car, clamp the other end of the tow bar to the bumper of the customer's car, and drive the customer's car to the garage. When the service was complete, he would drive the car back to the customer while towing the Service Car, detach the Service Car from the customer's car, and drive back to the garage. Approximately 12 were built; only one is known to exist at present.[17]
Features
The KR200 incorporated several features unique to the KR line and its four-wheeled derivative, the FMR Tg500. Externally, the narrow body, the transparent acrylic bubble canopy and low stance were among the more obvious features.
Tandem seating
The narrow body, and corresponding low frontal area, was achieved with tandem seating, which also allowed the body to taper like an aircraft fuselage, within a practical length. 10PS (7.4kW; 9.9hp) propelled the KR200 to around 105km/h (65mph). The claimed fuel consumption of the car was 3.2L/100km (87mpg‑imp).[10]
The tandem seating also centralized the mass of the car along the longitudinal axis which, combined with the low center of gravity, low weight, and wheel placement at the vehicle's extremes, gave the KR200 good handling characteristics[18] A more minor advantage of tandem seating was that it made an export version to countries that drive on the left unnecessary. An "Export" model was built, but this denoted a more luxurious trim level.[6]
Bubble canopy
Messerschmitt Kabinenroller with Yılmaz Onay and Erol Keskin in Turkey, 1968
Entry to most KR models except the KR201 Sport Roadster and a corresponding Tg500 version was through a canopy door hinged on the right side of the vehicle. The door included all the windows (windshield, window frames on all but the Roadster models, folding top on Roadster and Kabrio models, and acrylic bubble on other versions) and the frame in which it was set, extending from the right side of the monocoque tub to the left. On Sport Roadster models, the canopy was fixed and there was neither a top nor any windows at all, only a tonneau cover.[11]
KR200 Kabrio; the folding top replaces the bubble in this version.
The bubble top on the KR200 was simplified over that of the KR175 by the use of a larger curved glass windshield that formed A-pillars with the side window frames. This allowed the bubble to be simpler and more compact than the KR175 bubble, and it was consequently easier and less expensive to produce. The windshield wiper, manual on the KR175, was electric on the KR200.[6]
Engine and transmission
The KR200 ran on a 191cc (11.7cuin)Fichtel & Sachs forced-air (fan) cooled[19]single cylindertwo-stroke engine positioned in front of the rear wheel,[6] just behind the passenger's seat.[3] The engine had two sets of contact breaker points and, to reverse, the engine was stopped and then restarted, going backwards. This was effected by pushing the key further in the ignition switch than normal, whether intentionally or not. One result of this was that the KR200's sequential, positive-stop transmission provided the car with the same four gear ratios available in reverse as in forward movement.[6]
Controls
Instruments and controls of a KR201 Roadster
Apart from the dual-mode ignition, the KR200 had a steering bar reminiscent of that of an aircraft.[4][18] To steer the KR200, the driver would swivel the steering bar about its axis from the horizontal (straight-ahead) position instead of rotating it as with a conventional steering wheel.[citation needed] The mechanism was connected directly to the track rods of the front wheels, providing an extremely direct response best suited to small amounts of movement,[4][18] unlike other common steering mechanisms which involved reduction gearing. The gearshift lever had a secondary lever on it which, when actuated, would put the car in neutral regardless of what gear it had been in before, although the transmission would have to be shifted back to first before the car would be able to move from a standstill.
Unlike the KR175, the KR200 had a full set of pedals: clutch, brake, and accelerator. The brake pedal still operated mechanical brakes using cables.[6]
Messerschmitt AG was a German share-ownership limited, aircraft manufacturing corporation named after its chief designer Willy Messerschmitt from mid-July 1938 onwards, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, in particular the Bf 109 and Me 262. The company survived in the post-war era, undergoing a number of mergers and changing its name from Messerschmitt to Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm before being bought by Deutsche Aerospace in 1989.
Microcar is a term often used for the smallest size of cars, with three or four wheels and often an engine smaller than 700 cc (43 cu in). Specific types of microcars include bubble cars, cycle cars, invacar, quadricycles and voiturettes. Microcars are often covered by separate regulations to normal cars, having relaxed requirements for registration and licensing.
Zeta is a marque of automobile which was produced in Australia from 1963 to 1965 by South Australian manufacturing company Lightburn & Co.
The Isetta is an Italian-designed microcar built under license in a number of different countries, including Argentina, Spain, Belgium, France, Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Because of its egg shape and bubble-like windows, it became known as a bubble car, a name also given to other similar vehicles.
The Fend Flitzer was a three-wheeled invalid carriage designed and built by Fritz Fend. The Flitzer established many of the basic concepts on which Fend's later Messerschmitt Kabinenroller microcars were developed.
The Honda S600 is an automobile manufactured by Honda. It was launched in March 1964. Available as a roadster, bearing strong resemblance to the Honda S500, and as a fastback coupé, introduced in March 1965, the S600 was the first Honda available in two trim levels. During its production run up to 1966, the model styling would remain pretty much the same, with the most notable changes coming to the front grille, bumper, and headlights.
The Messerschmitt Kabinenroller was a series of microcars made by RSM Messerschmitt from 1953 to 1956 and by Fahrzeug- und Maschinenbau GmbH, Regensburg (FMR) from 1956 to 1964. All the Messerschmitt and FMR production cars used the Kabinenroller's monocoque structure, featuring tandem seating and usually a bubble canopy.
The Heinkel Kabine was a microcar designed by Heinkel Flugzeugwerke and built by them from 1956 to 1958. Production was transferred under licence to Dundalk Engineering Company in Ireland in 1958. However, the licence was withdrawn shortly afterwards due to poor quality control. Production restarted in 1960, again under licence, under the Trojan 200 name by Trojan Cars Ltd. in the UK, and continued until 1966.
The FMR Tg500 was a sports car built by Fahrzeug- und Maschinenbau GmbH, Regensburg (FMR) from 1958 to 1961. Based on the Messerschmitt Kabinenroller monocoque, which otherwise was a platform for three-wheelers, the Tg500 was a four-wheeled car with a two-stroke straight-two engine. FMR had taken over production of the KR200 from Messerschmitt in 1956. While the KR200 still used the Messerschmitt name and logo, the Tg500 was badged as an FMR.
The Messerschmitt KR175 microcar (1953–1955) was the first vehicle built by Messerschmitt under its 1952 agreement with Fritz Fend. In concept, although not in actual design, it was, in principle, a development of the Fend Flitzer invalid carriage. Approximately 15,000 were built before it was replaced by the Messerschmitt KR200 in 1955.
Fritz Fend was an aeronautical engineer. He was noted for designing Messerschmitt's Kabinenroller (cabinscooter) KR175 and KR200 microcars, for co-founding FMR, the company that took over production of the Kabinenrollers in 1956, and for designing the FMR Tg500, a sports microcar based on the Kabinenroller. Fend continued his career as an inventor and designer after the KR200 ended production. Fend was working on another lightweight vehicle project shortly before his death.
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Fuldamobil is the name of a series of small cars produced by Elektromaschinenbau Fulda GmbH of Fulda, Germany, and Nordwestdeutscher Fahrzeugbau (NWF) of Wilhelmshaven between 1950 and 1969. Various designated versions of the car were produced, although the vehicles produced under each designation were not always identical and the designations were sometimes misapplied. Though overall numbers produced were relatively small, the cars attracted sufficient attention to see licensed construction on four continents including Europe. In its ultimate configuration it is said to have inspired the term "bubble car". It is acknowledged as the first car in the world to feature a negative scrub radius, now recognised as a major advance in driving safety.
Jetcar is a brand of small car manufactured by Jetcar Zukunftsfahrzeug GmbH in Neuruppin, Germany. The company was established in 2000. The car has two seats, with the passenger sitting behind the driver. It is built using carbon fibre and costs between 48,000 and 58,000 euros including taxes in Germany The manufacturer has a limited production of the vehicle to 100 cars. The car consumed 2.8l of diesel per 100 kilometers during an official TÜV test. Top speed for the car is 160 km/h (100mp/hr). The driver's seat looks similar to a cockpit, which may be the reason for the car's name. The engine is the diesel engine from a Smart (car).
The Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum was a museum in Madison, Georgia, United States, that held a large collection of microcars. The museum was created by Bruce Weiner, an executive of Dubble Bubble, who collected microcars as a hobby.
A retro-style automobile is a vehicle that is styled to appear like cars from previous decades. Often these cars use modern technology and production techniques. This design trend developed in the early 1990s and led to almost all automobile brands introducing models that referenced previous cars of the 1950s and 1960s.
Invalid carriages were usually single seater road vehicles, buggies, or self-propelled vehicles for disabled people. They pre-dated modern electric mobility scooters and, from the 1920s, were generally powered by small gasoline/petrol engines, although some were battery powered. They were usually designed without foot-operated controls.
1 2 Motorcycle Mechanics, May 1962, p.19, Messerschmitt advert - Cabin Scooters (Assemblies) Ltd., South Wharf Road, London, W.2 Sole concessionaires for United Kingdom. "The Messerschmitt is a real hustler—top speed of 67 m.p.h. [sic], tremendous acceleration. The aerodynamic design gives excellent roadholding and also lowers costs. The robust 200cc engine does 87m.p.g.!". Accessed and added 2014-09-20
Wagner, Carl (1 Jan 1973). ""Ist das nicht ein Kabinenroller?" "Ja! das ist ein Kabinenroller!" Carl Wagner takes off on Messerschmitt". Automobile Quarterly. 11 (2). New York: 162–171. LCCN62004005.
Wagner, Carl (1 Jan 1973). "Under the Bubble: A Short Flight in a Messerschmitt KR200". Automobile Quarterly. 11 (2). New York: 172–177. LCCN62004005.
"Erinnern Sie sich? Messerschmitt KR 200: Menschen in Aspik". Auto Motor u. Sport. Heft 7 1976: Seite 74–76. 27 March 1976.
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