We have a soft spot for any trike, and this month’s focus is on a
recreation of the 1964 Messerschmitt microcar by two German designers, Achim
Adlfinger and Fred Zimmermann.
They celebrated the microcar’s 50th birthday with a two-seat moped
trike that features LED lights and electric batteries to drive the motor a 250
Watt motor.
Dubbed the Veloschmitt KR E-250, the trike has eight gears and
rides on bicycle wheels, like the original Messerschmitt. It promises to be
slightly more comfortable though, carrying its 60 kg on four air springs. The
motor can push the trike up to 25 km/h and the pedals make any questions about
the lithium battery’s range akin to asking about pieces of string.
While it is not intended to be more than a collectors’ car, the
Veloschmitt does come with a small glove box up front and “a very large” storage
compartment at the rear and the double seater’s frame can carry 200 kg.
On their website, Adlfinger and Zimmermann say they plan to build
200 models at a factory in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Prices are aimed
only at fanatic collectors, starting at €5 200 (about R74 100) for single-seater
and €6 250 (about R89 000) for the two-seater.
The prices for the optional extras will make even a hardened
mountainbiker’s eyes water.
A “versatile roof” is some R4k, a “coupé entrance” with a fixed
roof and sliding perspex window costs R12 322 and the carbon wheel hub over the
front wheel cost about R1 300.
