1959 Messerschmitt KR 200 Sport
SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer: Fahrzeug und Maschinenbau Regensburg
Origin: Regensburg, Germany
Motor: Fichtel & Sachs 1-cyl, 2-stroke
Displacement: 191 cc
Power: 9.5 hp
Length: 9 ft. 25 in.
The rarest of all Messerschmitts; the only genuine factory “Sport” model known to exist. The sporting wind-in-the-face driver was catered to by the roadster body style first introduced on the brief run of the special model KR 201, but it was available on request as a regular body style until the end of production.
By 1959, it was clear that the writing was on the wall for the microcar, and Fritz Fend decided to once again offer an economical, stripped-down version of his somewhat pricey Kabinenroller under the name of the by now discontinued economy model, the Sport. In the factory newsletter, Ka-Ro Extrapost, the list of available models included the roadster until the summer of 1959. In the fall issue, the roadster was replaced by the new Sport. It made its debut at the IAA exhibition in 1959.
Taking as its inspiration the already-existing racing Tiger R-AX 350 so famously deployed by Fritz Fend, the windshield, top frame, top, and hinged lifting door were eliminated. Entry was now “over the side,” and the fixed side panels were lowered by four inches to facilitate this. A small Plexiglas windscreen and tonneau cover provided token weather protection, mostly when parked. A tonneau bar was used to hold the cover open for just the driver. Interior trim panels looked standard, but they were unique to the car, with slight alterations to suit the new body. The car was equipped from new with the very rare, factory, extra-low Tiger seat without the usual parallelogram lifting arms, giving an ultra-sporting driving position. It was called the “special seat for tall drivers.”
Manufacturer: Fahrzeug und Maschinenbau Regensburg
Origin: Regensburg, Germany
Motor: Fichtel & Sachs 1-cyl, 2-stroke
Displacement: 191 cc
Power: 9.5 hp
Length: 9 ft. 25 in.
The rarest of all Messerschmitts; the only genuine factory “Sport” model known to exist. The sporting wind-in-the-face driver was catered to by the roadster body style first introduced on the brief run of the special model KR 201, but it was available on request as a regular body style until the end of production.
By 1959, it was clear that the writing was on the wall for the microcar, and Fritz Fend decided to once again offer an economical, stripped-down version of his somewhat pricey Kabinenroller under the name of the by now discontinued economy model, the Sport. In the factory newsletter, Ka-Ro Extrapost, the list of available models included the roadster until the summer of 1959. In the fall issue, the roadster was replaced by the new Sport. It made its debut at the IAA exhibition in 1959.
Taking as its inspiration the already-existing racing Tiger R-AX 350 so famously deployed by Fritz Fend, the windshield, top frame, top, and hinged lifting door were eliminated. Entry was now “over the side,” and the fixed side panels were lowered by four inches to facilitate this. A small Plexiglas windscreen and tonneau cover provided token weather protection, mostly when parked. A tonneau bar was used to hold the cover open for just the driver. Interior trim panels looked standard, but they were unique to the car, with slight alterations to suit the new body. The car was equipped from new with the very rare, factory, extra-low Tiger seat without the usual parallelogram lifting arms, giving an ultra-sporting driving position. It was called the “special seat for tall drivers.”
