This little red roadster makes a Smart Car look like a Humvee. The 1957 Messerschmitt KR 201 Roadster was a post-war Euro bubble car built by a German aircraft manufacturer when small was chic and virtuous. It was quite a remarkable little vehicle for its time, boasting an 87mpg fuel efficiency while breaking speed records in its class on endurance race circuits. It seated a driver and a passenger in tandem configuration, and was powered by a rear-engine, single-rear-wheel configuration. Throughout the 40,000 produced in the late 50s and early 60s, this one might be the most pristine example the remains, and it’s available for auction this week at the Bruce Weiner Microcar Auction in Madison, Georgia.
Unlike most Messerschmitts that came before it, this KR 201 Roadster shed its plexiglass cockpit bubble for something a bit sportier– a convertible top. It and the other Roadster-class details made a car so cartoonish in nature appear surprisingly elegant. The polished chrome, the candy red paint and the snakeskin interior make this little leopard a luxurious ride.
The KR 201 version of the popular KR 200 class is possibly the most rare Messerschmitt bubble car one could find. This model has been faithfully restored to an outstanding level of quality, poised to fetch between $60,000 and $70,000 at auction this weekend. It may be one of the tiniest convertible cars ever produced, but it’ll be one of the big stories at the Bruce Weiner Microcar Auction.
[stay tuned for event coverage from TheCoolist, we’ll be in person at the Microcar Auction to see this and other classy micros go under the gavel]
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1957 Messerschmitt KR 201 Roadster – Gallery
