MICROCAR NEWS Online

FRANKENSCHMITT is for sale!  $7000
located in Texas
This was featured in Microcar News #3 2009
The unholy union of a Messerschmitt KR200 and a DKW.

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/cto/1632165372.html

if the link does not work, the listing has expired

Here is a list of Microcars offered at this year’s Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction.

Check if you get Speed Channel or SpeedTV and you can watch these cross the line on the days they are listed:

Tuesday January 19 2010:
(click pics to go to detailed listings for cars)

1972 HONDA Z600 $25,000

Lot# 52 1956 MESSERSCHMITT KR175 $40,000

Lot# 74 1956 BMW ISETTA $43,000

Wednesday January 20 2010:

Lot# 420.1 1957 HEINKEL 200 $25,000

Thursday January 21 2010:

Lot# 630 1962 KING MIDGET III $14,500 for the pair	Lot# 630.1 1958 KING MIDGET MODEL III sold with Lot 630	Lot# 711 1951 CROSLEY HOOK AND LADDER FIRETRUCK $100,000
Lot# 737 1957 BMW ISETTA 300 CONVERTIBLE $29,000	Lot# 741 1962 TROJAN 200 $40,000	Lot# 741.1 1957 BMW ISETTA 300 $22,000

Friday January 22 2010:

Lot# 919 1958 BMW 600 $30,000

The Hilton Head Island Concours once again had a MICROCARS class (thanks to J.C.O’Steen).
Invited participants included:

1938 American Bantam Boulevard Delivery -owner: Mark & Hilary Becker
1940 Bantam Riviera – owner: Buster & Brenda Tankersley
1952 Crosley Super Sport – owner: Ken Cahill
1954 Rovin D4 - owner: Lane Motor Museum
1956 BMW Isetta Bubble Window cabrio – owner: J.C. O’Steen
1957 BMW Isetta – owner: Frank Rabino Collection
1958 Messerschmitt KR201 – owner: Mac Jones
1959 New Map Solyto – owner: Lane Motor Museum
1960 FMR Tg500 – owner: Ralph & Wendy Hough
1960 Messerschmitt KR200 – owner: Buster & Brenda Tankersley

Best of Class went to Ken Cahill’s Crosley Super Sport
Palmetto Awards went to Mac Jones’ KR201 and Frank Rabino Collection’s BMW Isetta

As more Microcars are being restored to a higher standard and they are getting recognized by more automotive enthusiasts and collectors, expect to see more Vintage Microcars at Concours events across the USA in the future.

A few extracts from the 1961 film directed by Billy Wilder and starring James Cagney.
One,Two,Three is a Cold War farce that happens to have a couple of Messerschmitt KR200s
(and other period German vehicles) in the background of a few scenes.
See if you can spot the Goggomobil!

watch for the other microcars at the end.

“A Prize of Gold” starring Richard Widmark was released in October of 1955
He manages to get his Jeep stolen and has to rent a Messerschmitt KR175
to get around post WWII Germany.

This film has never been released on VHS or DVD that I can find, but it does very occasionally pop up on TV, on the TCM (Turner Classic Movies) channel on Cable. Horray for TIVO. It found this and automatically recorded it for me.

Here are ALL the segments that feature the KR175 driving around.
What “Roman Holiday” was for the Vespa, this film was for the Messerschmitt.
Watch how he handles opening and closing the canopy *OUCH*!

Also- listen for his references to the KR175:
“I’ve got a car here …well, its sort of a car”, “We’re really too young to die like this” and “OK, more thrill rides!”

I have no more anecdotes about this, if you spot something worth noting,
please leave a comment below.

Elvis Presley had a habit of buying cars and then giving them away.

A lot of this was documented in the film: 200 Cadillacs (available on DVD) but he apparently bought and gave away more than just Cadillacs.

At some point he had purchased (or was given) a Messerschmitt KR200.

The Film 200 Cadillacs has a short interview with Bernard Lansky who apparently got Elvis to trade him the car in exchange for some shopping at his Memphis Clothing store.

An Australian Elvis Fan site has more images including a small clip from the DVD program, and some audio of Elvis talking about how he swapped the car for some clothes.

So where is this car today? Still in the Lansky family?
And where is the BMW Isetta that he gave to Col Tom Parker?
(it has apparently surfaced, more on that later!)

After squashing a previous rumor that they were closing, the UK-based Bubblecar Museum sent out announcements that there was to be a large Auction of Bubblecars and related parts at the Bubblecar Museum and yes a number of the microcars in the Museum would be sold.

??? So what is it?  They are closing?  They are not closing?

They are selling all the contents?  They are not?

Turns out they ARE CLOSING….but they close EVERY YEAR at this time until the Spring…when they….RE-OPEN.

This time is a little different since they are moving and are “downsizing” the Museum collection and focusing more on British Cars.  While a number of the cars in the recent Auction were from the Museum Collection, the Auction also had Microcars and spares from other people as well mixed in.
There were 186 “Lots”.  About 86 were Microcars.
You can find a list of Auction Results HERE.  

EMMA Peel that is. From the old AVENGERS TV show.
Specifically the episode “The Girl from Auntie” originally broadcast in 1966.
The Avengers was distributed in over 120 countries aside from the UK and was dubbed into several languages. What language are they speaking in this clip?

The 2008 Hilton Head Island Concours D’elegance featured a MICROCARS specific class this year
In attendance were examples of Messerschmitt Tg500, Messerschmitt KR200, Mochet Velocar, IOTA, Peel P50, Zündapp Janus, FIAT Jolly, Vespa 400, BMW Isetta 250, Berkeley and Scootacar MK2.

There were also a pair of Crosleys in another catagory: Outstanding Orphans.
(This was primarily because the “Microcars” class was featuring European Microcars and the Orphans class was featuring American Orphans, otherwise they would have been in the Microcars class)

David Anspach's Crosey HotShot won an award in another catagory.

Palmetto Awards went to Janice & Larry Newberry’s FIAT Jolly and to Kerry and Linda Erendson’s Scootacar MK 2. Best of Class went to Jim Garbo’s Messerschmitt KR200.

Although NORMALLY exhibitors are required to stay until 4pm for the benefit of those who paid to get in to see the cars, the weather turned to light rain in mid-afternoon and anyone who wanted to leave the grounds around 2pm did not get any resistance from officials. Otherwise it was a gorgeous event.
Because the turnout was so good, it is possible that the Microcars Class will become a regular class at this Concours D’elegance.

More info on this and other Concours events around the country in a future issue of MICROCAR NEWS magazine.

[UPDATE] Hilton Head Island Concours has posted a GALLERY of the winners this year.
Click the MICROCARS section to view the 3 winners, also click the ORPHANS section to see the winning Crosley.

Looking for the 2009 Hilton Head Island Concours winners for Microcars Class? Click Here