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Detroit, 11:52 PM
Wed Nov 11
31 posts in the last 24 hours

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  • posts about #minicars more →

    1955 Messerschmitt KR200: King Of The Tiny Road

    Seven Classic Mini Cars That Aren't Mini Coopers

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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of Plecostomus [Tyrrell] Plecostomus [Tyrrell]
    07/23/09

    In reply to 1955 Messerschmitt KR200: King Of The Tiny Road
    God, it even looks like a damned airplane.

    I would probably lengthen the nose slightly and redo the bodywork on the nose a touch (make the headlights flush) but other than that, I'd probably leave it alone.
     Reply
    Plecostomus [Tyrrell] was starred Plecostomus [Tyrrell] was unstarred
    Image of HammSammich HammSammich
    07/22/09

    In reply to 1955 Messerschmitt KR200: King Of The Tiny Road
    Thanks for this! I love these Messerschmitts... It would be a blast to tour around in one of these - on temperate fall or spring days. There's not enough ground clearance for much snow, and I think you'd feel like an ant under a magnifying glass in the middle of the summer sun...
     Reply
    Al Navarro promoted this comment HammSammich was starred HammSammich was unstarred
    Image of FЯeeMan FЯeeMan
    07/22/09

    In reply to Seven Classic Mini Cars That Aren't Mini Coopers
    I passed a nicely restored, desert tan with orange wheels, Willys Jeep yesterday evening.

    While not a micro car in the true sense of the word, it may as well have been considering the context of gargantuan SUVs that surrounded it.
     Reply
    FЯeeMan was starred FЯeeMan was unstarred
    Image of Paul Y. don't drive too fast. Paul Y. don't drive too fast.
    07/22/09

    In reply to 1955 Messerschmitt KR200: King Of The Tiny Road
    While not my favorite insane/weird microcar, the Messerschmitts are super cool. They're a particularly creative solution to a big problem in postwar Germany.
     Reply
    Paul Y. don't drive too fast. was starred Paul Y. don't drive too fast. was unstarred
    Image of Novaload Novaload
    07/22/09

    @TV's Paul Y.: But not THAT big. Because a really BIG problem wouldn't fit in a Messer.
     Reply
    Novaload was starred Novaload was unstarred
    Image of dosdelon dosdelon
    07/22/09

    In reply to 1955 Messerschmitt KR200: King Of The Tiny Road
    Looks like a cross between a VW bug and a coffin...
     Reply
    beercheck - Commentin' Dirty promoted this comment dosdelon was starred dosdelon was unstarred
    Image of Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy
    07/22/09

    In reply to 1955 Messerschmitt KR200: King Of The Tiny Road
    I must say that I'm far more interested in that chromed behemoth in the background.
     Reply
    Pete Gaines wuz here promoted this comment Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy was starred Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy was unstarred
    Image of Jo Schmo Jo Schmo
    07/22/09

    @Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy: I think that is Jay Leno's tank-engine powered car.
     Reply
    Jo Schmo was starred Jo Schmo was unstarred
    Image of Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy
    07/22/09


    @Pete Gaines wuz here: I thought it may be as well (called the "Blastolene Special"), but it doesn't seem to quite match up. For example: what appears to be a cylindrical exhaust manifold cover in the background vehicle doesn't exist on the Special in any pictures I can find of it. Sure he may have added it, but you'd think there'd be more pictures of it somewhere.
     Reply
    Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy was starred Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy was unstarred
    Image of TimTim TimTim
    07/22/09

    @Pete Gaines wuz here: It's similar, but not the same car. Alcoa front rims and location of the rear suspension linkage don't match the photos I can find of Leno's tank car. The tank car has had 2 aspiration systems, N/A and Turbo, this torpedo-esque manifold doesn't match either.
     Reply
    TimTim was starred TimTim was unstarred
    Image of engineerd engineerd
    07/22/09

    In reply to 1955 Messerschmitt KR200: King Of The Tiny Road
    Can-Am Spyder + Messerschmitt Bf 109 = Messerschmitt KR200.

    I think there's some time travel involved.

    (Apparently we can no longer post more than one picture, so these equations no longer have a dramatic affect.)
     Reply
    engineerd was starred engineerd was unstarred
    Image of Deartháir II Deartháir II
    07/22/09

    In reply to 1955 Messerschmitt KR200: King Of The Tiny Road
    Messerschmitt is, of course, most famous for their Bf109 fighter, which was the most recognized German warplane of the second world war. It was, essentially, what the Fokker Dreidecker triplane, mount of the Red Baron, was to the first world war -- the symbol of the German Luftwaffe, and the face of the enemy.

    Fast forward, and of course Messerschmitt is now a part of DaimlerAG, while Fokker became a part of General Motors' military division, currently responsible for vehicles like the Silverado military edition, or Milverado. Daimler, meanwhile, continues to produce vehicles similar to this in spirit, namely the Smart ForTwo.

    That's a long way of saying that small, economical cars like this are Smart in today's world, but some Fokkers still prefer their big trucks.
     Reply
    Deartháir II was starred Deartháir II was unstarred
    Image of Jo Schmo Jo Schmo
    07/22/09

    @Deartháir wonders why Gawker won't believe...: Whoa...
     Reply
    Jo Schmo was starred Jo Schmo was unstarred
    Image of SlowMo (actually, there's no E on my R) SlowMo (actually, there's no E on my R)
    07/22/09

    @Deartháir wonders why Gawker won't believe...: I prefer the Milferado.
     Reply
    acarr260 promoted this comment SlowMo (actually, there's no E on my R) was starred SlowMo (actually, there's no E on my R) was unstarred
    Image of engineerd engineerd
    07/22/09

    @Deartháir wonders why Gawker won't believe...: Nicely done, my friend from the north.
     Reply
    engineerd was starred engineerd was unstarred
    Image of acarr260 acarr260
    07/22/09

    @SlowMo -fading into the background: damn, you beat me to it!
     Reply
    acarr260 was starred acarr260 was unstarred
    Image of cchannel BLT cchannel BLT
    07/22/09

    @Deartháir wonders why Gawker won't believe...: You've just cleared up the mystery of there is no Messerschmitt M2010 V10 tearing up the Nurburgring under 7:20 min.
     Reply
    Deartháir wonders why Gawker won't believe that Nibbles 2.0 doesn't work? promoted this comment cchannel BLT was starred cchannel BLT was unstarred
    Image of Deartháir II Deartháir II
    07/22/09

    @Pete Gaines wuz here: It was a bit of a long ways to go for a bad pun, wasn't it?
     Reply
    Deartháir II was starred Deartháir II was unstarred
    Image of Plecostomus [Tyrrell] Plecostomus [Tyrrell]
    07/23/09

    @DEAЯTHÁIЯ: ME-109 FTW


    wait a minute


    I see what you freakin did thar.
     Reply
    Edited by Plecostomus [Tyrrell] at 07/23/09 12:49 AM Plecostomus [Tyrrell] was starred Plecostomus [Tyrrell] was unstarred
    Image of Timtoolman, going ASH Timtoolman, going ASH
    07/22/09

    In reply to 1955 Messerschmitt KR200: King Of The Tiny Road
    Having been T-boned once, I cringe at the thought of being hit broadside in one of these. It has all the structural rigidity of an old red wagon.
     Reply
    engineerd misses Uncle Pete promoted this comment Timtoolman, going ASH was starred Timtoolman, going ASH was unstarred
    Image of engineerd engineerd
    07/22/09

    @Timtoolman, now with power tools!: When I read that as a dragon, it doesn't sound the same,

    "Having boned one once, I cringe at the thought of hitting it broadside. It has all the structural rigidity of an old red wagon."
     Reply
    engineerd was starred engineerd was unstarred
    Image of Plecostomus [Tyrrell] Plecostomus [Tyrrell]
    07/23/09

    @Timtoolman, now with power tools!: You mean it has all the structural rigidity of a "Radio Flyer".
     Reply
    Plecostomus [Tyrrell] was starred Plecostomus [Tyrrell] was unstarred
    Image of Neener Neener
    07/22/09

    In reply to 1955 Messerschmitt KR200: King Of The Tiny Road
    My cousin has one of these but I tell you, his ankle long hair and squeaky voice make him a pain to sit behind. And don't even get me started on the top down trips.
     Reply
    beercheck - Commentin' Dirty promoted this comment Neener was starred Neener was unstarred
    Image of SeanKHotay SeanKHotay
    07/22/09

    In reply to 1955 Messerschmitt KR200: King Of The Tiny Road
    What's the CCC*?

    *Compacted Clown Capacity

    (I think these mini cars are cool, BTW)
     Reply
    SeanKHotay was starred SeanKHotay was unstarred
    Image of Flathead Smith Flathead Smith
    07/22/09

    In reply to 1955 Messerschmitt KR200: King Of The Tiny Road
    Man, life really sucked in post WWII Germany for a few years. We were over here wallowing around in big iron and the Krauts had to tool around in stuff like that. Well I for one am glad it worked out that way.
     Reply
    Ash78 promoted this comment Flathead Smith was starred Flathead Smith was unstarred
    Image of Ash Clutchem, Pokey Master Ash Clutchem, Pokey Master
    07/22/09

    @Flathead Smith: And we got all kinds of advancements in alternative fuels, turbocharging, and jet engines from their hardships. A good portion of all modern mechanical propulsion was borne out of the necessity forced on them by the Allies.

    Silver lining FTW :D
     Reply
    Ash Clutchem, Pokey Master was starred Ash Clutchem, Pokey Master was unstarred
    Image of Elhigh Elhigh
    07/22/09

    In reply to 1955 Messerschmitt KR200: King Of The Tiny Road
    There was a company - maybe still at it, for all I know - that made really nice, faithful repros of these things using Mini mechanicals up front, and Honda Helix drivetrains. Mileage is supposed to be pretty good. They also did an Isetta clone.

    This is one of the original Mobility Pods that Toyota and smart and whoever else are all cranking out now. And they aren't much more popular now than they were then. People still like 'em big.

    Size does matter.
     Reply
    Elhigh was starred Elhigh was unstarred
    Image of Jo Schmo Jo Schmo
    07/22/09

    In reply to 1955 Messerschmitt KR200: King Of The Tiny Road
    Ok, now picture John Goodman in it...

    you're welcome
     Reply
    Jo Schmo was starred Jo Schmo was unstarred
    Image of scroggzilla raids again scroggzilla raids again
    07/22/09


    @Pete Gaines wuz here: You're going to enter a world of pain, son.
     Reply
    scroggzilla raids again was starred scroggzilla raids again was unstarred
    Image of bmoreDLJ bmoreDLJ
    07/22/09

    @SCROGGS!!!: There's actually a high probability of a gunshot victim going into shock, which would preclude the "world of pain" threat. "World of rapid blood loss" would be more accurate.
     Reply
    SCROGGS!!! promoted this comment bmoreDLJ was starred bmoreDLJ was unstarred
    Image of scroggzilla raids again scroggzilla raids again
    07/22/09

    @bmoreDLJ: Are we unfamiliar with Mr. Goodman's portrayal of Walter Sobchak in the The Big Lebowski, or are we being facetious?

    Just wondering?
     Reply
    scroggzilla raids again was starred scroggzilla raids again was unstarred
    Image of Ash Clutchem, Pokey Master Ash Clutchem, Pokey Master
    07/22/09

    In reply to 1955 Messerschmitt KR200: King Of The Tiny Road
    My dad mentioned this to me the other day while we were discussing that 100mpg VW concept (tandem seating with 1-litre diesel, IIRC).
     Reply
    Ash Clutchem, Pokey Master was starred Ash Clutchem, Pokey Master was unstarred
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