Messerchmitt KR200

The Messerschmitt KR200, or Kabinenroller (Cabin

Scooter), was a three-wheeled bubble car designed by

the aircraft engineer Fritz Fend and produced in the

factory of the German aircraft manufacturer

Messerschmitt from 1955 to 1964.

History

Messerschmitt, temporarily not allowed to manufacture aircraft, had turned its resources to  producing other commodities. In 1952, Fend approached Messerschmitt with the idea of  manufacturing small motor vehicles. These were based on his Fend Flitzer invalid carriage.  The first of Fend's vehicles to enter production at Messerschmitt's Regensburg factory was the KR175. The title Kabinenroller means "scooter with cabin". 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.  The KR200 replaced the KR175 in 1955. While using the same basic frame as the KR175 with  changes to the bodywork (notably including wheel cutouts in the front fenders) and an  improved canopy design, the KR200 was otherwise an almost total redesign. 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.  Retailing for around DM 2,500, the KR200 was considered an instant success with almost  12,000 built during its first year. A maximum speed in excess of 90 km/h (56 mph) despite a  claimed power output of only 10 PS (7.4 kW; 9.9 hp) reflected the vehicle's light weight.  In 1956, Messerschmitt was allowed to manufacture aircraft again and lost interest in Fend's  microcars. Messerschmitt sold the Regenburg works to Fend who, with brake and hub supplier Valentin Knott, formed Fahrzeug- und Maschinenbau GmbH Regensburg (FMR) to continue  production of the KR200 and his other vehicles. In 1957, the KR200 Kabrio model was released, featuring a cloth convertible top and fixed  side window frames. This was followed by the KR201 Roadster without window frames, using  a folding cloth top, a windscreen, and removable side curtains. A Sport Roadster was later  offered with no top and with the canopy fixed into place so that the driver would have to  climb in and out at the top of the car. Production of the KR200 was heavily reduced in 1962 and ceased in 1964 as sales had been  dropping for a few years. The demand for basic economy transport in Germany had  diminished as the German economy boomed. 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 by the increasing popularity of the Mini.

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. 10  PS (7.4 kW; 9.9 hp) propelled the KR200 to around 105 km/h (65 mph). The consumption of  the car was 87 mpg-imp (3.2 L/100 km).  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 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.  Bubble canopy 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. 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. Engine and transmission  The KR200 ran on a 191 cc (11.7 cu in) Fichtel & Sachs air-cooled single cylinder two-stroke  engine positioned in front of the rear wheel, just behind the passenger's seat. 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.  Controls Apart from the dual-mode ignition, the KR200 had a steering bar reminiscent of that of an  aircraft. Operated by pushing rather than by turning,[clarification needed] the steering bar  was connected directly to the track rods of the front wheels, providing an extremely direct  response best suited to small, measured inputs. 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. 

1963

Engine 191 cc 1 cylinder Power 10 HP Top speed ~90 km/h Lenght/width 3,05 m/1,29 m