1956 Other Makes Messerschmitt

KR200 -

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Manual

61088

Gasoline

1956 Messerschmitt KR200 Restored Beautiful Running & Driving Car This 1956 Messerschmitt KR200 was owned by my father who passed away last year. He was in the United States Air Force and stationed in Germany during the mid-to-late 1950’s and early 1960’s. He was enthralled with the little “Kabinrollers” that he saw running around. His job in the Air Force was to keep the jet aircraft running so he knew his way around a tool box. I remember him telling me that even though there were quite a few Messerschmitts running around Germany, there were not many people who knew how to keep them running. Although money was tight for him as an airman in the military, he was able to purchase a Messerschmitt that needed a little work for the grand sum of $50. He fixed it up and resold it for $100. He would buy and sell the little cars and became known for his work on them. A local German Doctor owned a KR200 and asked Dad if he could possibly help with the repair of his car. Apparently it had been on the losing end of an “incident” involving the KR200 and a Mercedes-Benz. The Doctor was very appreciative of the work my Dad did for him and they became fast friends. The Doctor and his wife would invite my Mom and Dad out to the Doctor’s home and they would tour the countryside in the two Messerschmitts. The friendship grew so strong that the Doctor and his wife even wanted to will their home to my parents. Here is a photo of the Doctor and his wife with their car in the early1960’s: Here is a photo of me back in the early 1960’s, standing next to one of Dad’s Messerschmitt’s: Dad was transferred by the Air Force to the United States in 1966 and retired 1971. He sold his Messerschmitt in Germany before he was transferred but never forgot those wonderful days touring around the German countryside. In fact, he kept a small black & white photo of one of his Messerschmitt’s in his wallet until the day he died. Starting in the 1980’s, my parents would travel back to Germany to visit relatives and my Dad would invariably start looking for a KR200 to buy. The only problem was that the cars he used to buy for $50 were now over $10,000 and most were very rusty. He had a hard time justifying the price increase! About every six years or so they would travel back to Germany for visits and Messerschmitt shopping, but nothing ever seemed to pan out. Then about 2000, a Kruse auction catalog arrived in Dad’s mailbox. In the catalog was a photo of a black Messerschmitt KR200 and the gleam in his eye told me we were going to that auction! We found information as to the size of the KR200 and found out that it would fit perfectly between the wheel wells of a full size Ford Econoline van. So we headed for a local car rental, picked up the van and drove it to Colorado. We now had an enclosed car hauler! The auction was incredible. Many very nice cars were present but not that many were going home with new owners. Wouldn’t you know it but the KR200 was the LAST car in the auction and when it started up and pulled up to the podium the crowd went crazy. It was the ONLY car in the auction to have phone bidders (as I recall there were at least six phone bidders) and the bidding was very strong. Dad was too nervous to bid so he made me do it. I had asked him beforehand if we were leaving the auction without the KR200 and he said “no”. Needless to say, we didn’t leave the auction without it. Dad was on cloud nine. We pushed the car into our enclosed car hauler and headed back to New Mexico with Dad’s prize. You could not have removed the smile from his face with a crowbar. Over the next few weeks, Dad got reacquainted with the Messerschmitt or should I say his “time travel machine”. Every time he drove it, he wasn’t in New Mexico and it wasn’t 2001. For him, it was Germany and the early 1960’s wherever he went. He would take it to car shows but the car hardly sat still. His whole reason for taking the KR200 to a car show was so that he could give rides to anyone who wanted one! I have to admit that if you parked a Messerschmitt next to a supermodel handing out $100 bills, there would be a line to see the Messerschmitt and at the end of the show the supermodel would still have her cash. It is amazing the response that people have toward these little cars! Dad ended up joining the Messerschmitt owners club which is based in the UK. They have nearly every part you can think of for these cars…or someone else in the club has what you need. It was a good thing Dad joined the club because about 6 months after he brought it home, the connecting rod broke in half. Dad rebuilt the engine entirely and had it running like a top in short order with parts from the club. After he rebuilt the engine, he probably put 500 to 1000 miles on it, enjoying every minute. It was around then that we began to notice that Dad’s memory wasn’t what it should be. We didn’t know it at the time but it was the onset of Dementia. As Dad’s memory began to fade, he would still have the biggest grin on his face as he looked at his little car. After a few years, he could no longer drive and then I would take him for rides around town in it. His speech was broken most of the time but he could still find the words to say “This is fun!” and patting me on the back as he was being driven around in his car. I ended up labeling the switches and lights on the dash with a paint marker since I was the one driving Dad around. I had a hard time remembering what everything did! I ended up labeling the switches and lights on the dash with a paint marker since I was the one driving Dad around. I had a hard time remembering what everything did! The paint labels can be buffed out. His health continued to decline and mom could no longer take care of him so Dad came to live with us. We brought his Messerschmitt down to our home and kept it in the garage so he could see it. By this time, Dad was wheelchair bound and I wheeled him over to the garage door and opened it. I had hoped o see that big smile on his face as he once again saw his little “Kabinroller”. It didn’t come. He didn’t recognize it. What an awful thing to have happen to your mind. Dad passed away a few months later. It’s been almost a year since his passing and it is time to let someone else enjoy this little jewel. It is not perfect, it has imperfections in the paint and a ding here and there but it is in very good condition. Mechanically, it is very good. In fact, it hadn’t been started in nearly a year and it fired up on the first try. The New Mexico title is clear and has been in my name for many years so there are no issues there. The car has ZERO rust. Information we had on it stated that the Dads Messerschmitt had been restored about 1997. Paste the following link into your browzer to see more photos showing the KR200 after we got it home in 2001and a few extras: https://picasaweb.google.com/Demick61/DadsMesserschmittInformationAndPhotos?authuser=0&feat=directlink#slideshow/5697241832311310354 In a nutshell: This Messerschmitt is in very nice condition but not show condition. It has areas where the paint is cracked and areas where the paint has been touched up. It would make a wonderful little cruiser which is what my dad used it for. Mechanically, it is in very good condition. Since it has been sitting for about a year, I would assume that there would be some fuses that need a bit of cleaning. Most people looking at it think it is in excellent condition. The tires are in very good condition but the whitewalls on the sides are a bit dry rotted (they simply slip over the outside of the tire to make it appear to have whitewalls). The chrome emblem on the front of the car is dented (I think it could be repaired fairly easily). It is registered as a motorcycle in New Mexico since it only has three wheels. Shipping will be the buyer’s responsibility but I can assist in any way needed. Deposit of $1000 through Paypal required within 24 hours of purchase. Full payment due within 7 days. Wire transfer preferred for final payment or bank cashier’s check that clears my bank account before the vehicle leaves the premises. I have an excellent reputation on Ebay and have maintained it since 1997. If the vehicle is not in the condition I have described or shown in the photos, you need not be concerned. I would happily refund your deposit. I do not wish to waste anyone’s time so PLEASE ask questions. I highly recommend seeing the car in person but realize that it may not be feasible. You are more than welcome to have someone you trust and know the cars give it a thorough inspection. I would rather you take someone else’s word that you trust for the condition of the car rather than mine….for your piece of mind. On Feb-03-12 at 14:34:30 PST, seller added the following information: Messerschmitt Update February 3, 2012 First of all, I want to personally thank (once again) those of you out there for all the emails I have received in just a few short days regarding the story of my dad’s Messerschmitt. The number of people whose lives have been touched by Alzheimer’s/dementia and the common bond of the love of cars is amazing. The outpouring of support and encouragement has been something I have never experienced before in my 14 years on Ebay. This truly is an awesome place to meet wonderful folks as yourself who are reading this now. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I know dad would be very happy with how his car has been received here. Second, as you probably know by now, the reserve has been met and the car is going to sell. The issue of the car sitting unused for such a long time had been nagging me and I had time today to check out the electrics (which I mentioned in my description) that I thought might need attention. Besides, it was a beautiful sunny day here in New Mexico (high of 54 degrees) so I rolled the car out into the sunshine. Anyway, come to find out, there was an issue but it wasn’t anything I suspected. On a whim, I decided to first test the battery and found it nearly flat with very little acid in it. I had never really liked the type of battery we always bought which is a vented type that you purchase without acid in it. They never seem to last long. Is that why they only have a 30 day warranty on those batteries? I went down to the local auto parts store and purchased a new sealed battery (they never had those before!) installed it and turned the key. WOW! That little engine cranks over like crazy with the new battery! Within a moment, the KR was running and I began to test the lighting….fender lights? Check. Headlights, high and low? Check. Tail lights? Check. Turn signals, left and right? Check. Everything was working fantastic! Next was the windshield wiper…works great! I can honestly say that I have no idea if the windshield wiper motor ever functioned simply because we had never had the car in the rain and had no use for it here in New Mexico (rain? What’s that?). Next was the horn. Pushed the button and nothing….now I KNOW it used to work because dad would constantly use it as we were driving around to acknowledge all the pedestrians and people in other cars giving him a big “thumbs up!” Ha ha…Maybe the car is just low on Horn fluid :o) I didn’t have a chance to check a fuse for the horn but that is the ONLY thing that I could not get to function immediately. So, there you are…the issue wasn’t with the electrics per se, it was with a nearly non-functioning battery. This little puppy is ready to rumble! :o)