Description

1953 Messerschmitt KR-175

In 1952, Prof. Willy Messerschmitt needed a project to keep his RSM division busy, and a timely visit by his former employee Fritz Fend with a concept for a tandem two-seat vehicle resulted in a deal being struck. By the summer of 1952 a prototype was ready. Called Fend Kabinenroller FK-150, it included all the elements of the first production Messerschmitts except for the plexi dome made up of several pieces, and the 150cc motor.

Production began in February 1953, but early feedback indicated that the car was far from perfect: the suspension was very hard, it was noisy and rattled, and the hand clutch didn't come off well in practice. By June of 1953 some 70 modifications had been made.

These early examples are very rare, and this is one, with its complicated rear suspension, hand clutch, open chain and narrow rear seat

Manufacturer: Regensburger Stahl- und Maschinenbau, Regensburg, Germany

Click here for more info

This was one of the vehicles sold at the Bruce Weiner Microcar Auction in February 2013. Website owner Harry Kraemer has all of the sale data from that auction in his Market Watch section of his Wheels & Wings site Flymall.org. See link below for the data.

Click here for auction sale report