1956 Messerschmitt Kabinenroller KR200

When I first saw this eBay listing last week, a friend of mine walked by and commented that it looked like a slug. Apparently three-wheeled bubble-slugs are appealing enough in the US to entice 18 unique bidders to place 54 bids up to $13,130 with over one day still to go.

The 2nd generation kabinenrollers feature such improvements over the KR175 as: reverse, a full set of pedals, and a top speed of over 60 mph. It was also available with the standard bubble canopy or in various open-top configurations. It may sound hilariously impractical, but the cars were a hit when released. There were well over 50,000 kabinenrollers built from 1953 through 1964, including nearly 12,000 in 1955, the first year of the KR200. In 1956 Messerschmitt again was allowed to produce aircraft and lost interest in the bubble car, so the rights were sold to its designer, Fritz Fend, who carried on producing the car for the duration of its run. He also produced a very limited 4-wheeled, two cylinder variant with twice the horsepower called the Tg500 “Tiger,” which could reach 78 mph.

This car is in very good condition and was restored in Germany in 1984 (hence the paint color). The seller says he found it parked in a barn in Florida and it’s totally rust-free, shifts good, and starts right up. He writes that he has no idea what it should sell for, so has listed it in a no-reserve format. I’m sure he’ll be pleased with the result.

Find the listing here on eBay in Kissimmee, FL.

UPDATE: This car sold for $16,299 after 57 bids from 20 bidders.

Side story: One day I was riding my bike in Amsterdam and looked down to see a red blue Messerschmitt roadster passing by, pulling a tiny trailer. Predictably, the driver was alone in the car, and it was the only time I have casually encountered one on the road. I always carried a camera (you never know what you're gonna run into in Amsterdam) and was able to snap these photos. I like the second one because of the biker size reference, but keep in mind the Dutch are the tallest people on the planet. Click the photos to enlarge.