COMPANY

Messerschmitt is best known for producing many successful aircraft and in its merged form is still ultimately involved in the aeronautical industry. However, following the Second World War, the company was temporarily prevented from building any more planes and thus turned its hands to the motorcar.

The first vehicle that Messerschmitt built was the KR175. It is not so much a car as a three-wheeled scooter, designed to take two passengers. It was designed by Fritz Fend and was originally built in 1953, going on to sell around 15,000 units. Its low-riding body had a separate bubble-style canopy that could be pulled over to shield the driver and passenger from the elements. A tiny 173cc engine powered the KR175 and was located at the rear behind the passenger. Given its scooter-style design, it was no surprise to see that this vehicle was controlled not by a steering wheel but by handlebars. A rebranded Italian version of the KR175 was made by Metalmeccanica Italiana Valtrompio under the name of Mi-Val Mivalino. This was built in Italy but used components entirely sourced from Messerschmitt.

By 1955 it was time to replace the KR175 and so Messerschmitt and Fend created the KR200. Most of the elements had been overhauled and improved, from the rear suspension to the bubble dome. It sold almost as many units in the first year as the KR175 had done in its whole period on the market and the fact that it could reach 56 miles per hour on an engine credited with offering under 10 horsepower made it quite an experience to drive and very popular.

Just a year after the KR200 was launched, the ban on Messerschmitt's ability to manufacture aircraft was lifted and so the company turned its focus away from cars for good. By 1964, the KR200 was no longer in production and the previously weak German economy had returned to growth, allowing people to invest in larger cars and not the cheap and cheerful bubble vehicles made by Messerschmitt.

In 1958, a sporty four wheeled version of the KR200 was built, taking the name of the Messerschmitt TG500. The TG prefix was informally recognised to signify 'Tiger' and it retained the bubble car looks of the KR200 while increasing the engine power significantly, allowing it to hit 78 miles per hour, just shy of the 82mph reached by British rival the Austin Healey Sprite.

There is little doubt that the Messerschmitt cars were quite odd and perhaps in keeping with the unusual circumstances in which it came to produce them. An aircraft company suddenly denied the chance to fulfil its regular function came up with some inventive takes on traditional land-bound motor vehicles. It seems like an experiment that might bear repeating.