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Posted by: JRust Jul 23 2011, 10:33 PM

I stopped at a market to pick up a pop. Saw this parked out front. Talked to the guy for a few minutes. It's a 1 cylinder messerschmitt & has a top speed of 62 mph. It is one of 21 known left! Talk about a cool little car. Which he had to classify as a motorcycle in Oregon. Funny as they made him classify it as a motorcycle. They required him to get a motorcycle endorsement. Yet they wouldn't let him take the motorcycle test in the messerschmitt

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Posted by: Dr Evil Jul 23 2011, 11:45 PM

There is one around PA. I have seen it in pics for the Deutchafest. Cool car, I would like one

Posted by: rnellums Jul 23 2011, 11:47 PM

Do ya think he is required to wear a seatbelt?

Posted by: nsr-jamie Jul 23 2011, 11:59 PM

Cool!! Never seen that before

Posted by: bam914 Jul 24 2011, 04:44 AM

Here are two racing.
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Posted by: BKLA Jul 24 2011, 01:42 PM

When I was just a seedling, a friend of the family had one as his college car ( 1965ish) and I got a ride. One of the coolest memories I have and inspired years of motorcycling later.

Posted by: scotty b Jul 24 2011, 02:11 PM

QUOTE(bam914 @ Jul 24 2011, 02:44 AM)

Here are two racing.
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I think some photoshopping is needed. Anyone with the skills

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Posted by: racerbvd Jul 24 2011, 02:28 PM

Very cool, but I'm sure there are way more than 21 left, as 40K were built & over the years;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_KR200
I have seen close to 20 at different show.. There are 2 currently for sale on Hemmings;
http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/messerschmitt/1053641.html

Even Elvis had one..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02h4M2U52MA&feature=player_embedded
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE6x6WufbHo&feature=player_embedded

A replica anyone, picture this with Bussa power!!!
http://northmiami-florida.olx.com/1999-messerschmitt-replica-for-19995-iid-163487185

Posted by: monkeyboy Jul 24 2011, 04:17 PM

QUOTE(rnellums @ Jul 23 2011, 10:47 PM)

Do ya think he is required to wear a seatbelt?

Not if it's a motorcycle. My 63 Bus was too early to be required to have seatbelts in Ca. I think it was pre 67, you didn't have to retrofit, but if you had them, you had to wear them.

Posted by: zymurgist Jul 25 2011, 08:07 AM

QUOTE(Dr Evil @ Jul 24 2011, 01:45 AM)

There is one around PA. I have seen it in pics for the Deutchafest. Cool car, I would like one

I don't think a Corvair engine will fit.

Posted by: skaufmann Jul 25 2011, 11:15 AM

3 wheels or less and it's a motorcycle as far as the gov is concerned. As soon as it's a *car* there are loads of safety requirements when the car can exceed 35mph.

This wouldn't apply to this car being it's so old but is why you see funny 3-wheeled EV cars. If it has 4 wheels and go above 35 it has to be crash tested and pass which is very cost prohibitive for experimental EV cars.

Here's a pic of my dad's driveway and his 3-wheeled EV lineup:

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Posted by: Cap'n Krusty Jul 25 2011, 12:02 PM

I had a Messerschmidt for a few years. It's still in So Cal, AFIK. There was a Tiger in Nipomo, right up the road from me. That's the 4 wheeled version. Interesting to note that it had a rear suspension setup that had all the characteristics of the one "invented" by Porsche for the 928. I agree there are a LOT more than 21 left. There's a Messerschmidt club in the UK that gets more than that number on their outings.

The Cap'n

Posted by: Drums66 Jul 25 2011, 12:17 PM

......They are very rare....My friend just sold 1 to someone in
mexico!.....all the 1's I've seen are red? (3 wheel's)

Posted by: Eric_Shea Jul 25 2011, 02:21 PM

You mean a soda...

Posted by: Dave_Darling Jul 25 2011, 03:14 PM

QUOTE(Cap'n Krusty @ Jul 25 2011, 11:02 AM)

I had a Messerschmidt for a few years. It's still in So Cal, AFIK. There was a Tiger in Nipomo, right up the road from me. That's the 4 wheeled version. Interesting to note that it had a rear suspension setup that had all the characteristics of the one "invented" by Porsche for the 928.

Which one, the Sunbeam Tiger with the live rear axle, or the three-wheeled Messerschmitt? It'd be interesting to see how either of those had a rear suspension similar to the 928's.

--DD

Posted by: ewdysar Jul 25 2011, 09:33 PM

My dad had a red/black Messerschmitt back in the early 1960s. Ours had the full clear canopy, it looked a lot like the photo at the upper right of the wikipedia page. It stayed with my mom and me after the divorce and before I was old enough to drive, I ended up selling it as a parts car to some local guy with one that was in better shape. So I'm on the side that there are way more than 21 left...

Posted by: johannes Jul 26 2011, 07:18 AM

On my blog there is one I draw a few years ago.

http://trajectoires-seiter-roussel.blogspot.com/search/label/Dessins

Posted by: johannes Jul 26 2011, 07:21 AM

Here is a race

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo7L5CYDOO0

Posted by: johannes Jul 26 2011, 07:29 AM

The car was also featured in the 1985 Terry Gilliam movie "Brazil"

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Posted by: johannes Jul 26 2011, 07:31 AM

The messerschmitt was available as three wheeler, but there were a few four wheel cars built with a 500cc engine ( tiger 500 ) that was able to go 80 mph.

But you can alsio drive it on two wheels

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InlFaERcPeA

Posted by: johannes Jul 26 2011, 07:39 AM

Video in English

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8f6Bo57WsQ

Posted by: Cap'n Krusty Jul 26 2011, 08:03 AM

QUOTE(Dave_Darling @ Jul 25 2011, 02:14 PM)