Veteran micro car restorer's workshop and cars on auction

Five micro cars going on auction in Hilton on July 10, 2021.

Cannon and Cannon will auction the entire contents of the workshop of KwaZulu-Natal’s “Mr Micro” — the late Gerald Meisegeier from Ladysmith —  on July 10, including five running  micro cars, specialist tools, many spares and workshop equipment.

The Micro Car Club of SA states that the term micro car “roughly refers to cars with an engine capacity of 700cc or less”. Meisegeier was an honourary club member of the Micro Car Club of South Africa and was known throughout SA for his excellent restorations. He died on March 2, 2019, aged 78, after suffering a stroke while in hospital in Ladysmith, KZN. He had been in a vehicle accident a few months before this, from which he never fully recovered.

The late 'Mr Micro', Gerald Meisegeier in his workshop in Ladysmith. 

With his wife Riekie, the Meisegeiers were stalwarts of the micro car club and always ready to assist with any project. At one stage he owned more than 15 different micro cars, the most valuable of which was a Messerschmitt Tiger, which he sold to a collector in England. 

Bonhams Auctioneers currently lists a similar Tiger for well over R2,3 million. The five micro cars that will go under the hammer at Cannon and Cannon in Hilton are not quite in this price range. 

JOhn Cannon with a Messerschmitt KR200 that is going under the hammer in Maritzburg.

One of SA’s Messerschmitt experts, Anton van Zyl in Limpopo, told Witness Wheels that 1956-1959 KR200 models like the one on auction sell for between R200 000 and R400 000, depending on their condition, although one in what was described as a “good condition” sold for some R600 000 in Johannesburg a few years ago.

Cannon said the five micro cars — a Messerschmitt KR200, two BMW Isetta models, a Goggomobil and a Bond Mini car, are just the ears of the hippo. 

“We are selling the entire contents of Mr Meisegeier’s workshop, including the shelving and heavy equipment, many boxes of spare parts and even rare items like a vintage field microscope cast in copper.” 

Dave Cannon with a field microscope, cast in copper, that forms part of the late Gerald Weisegeier workshop. 

All the items will be listed on Cannons Auctioneers’ website, but he encouraged potential bidders to inspect the items in Hilton if at all possible. 

Pedro Diederichs of the Micro Car Club told Witness Wheels a few members will travel from Johannesburg to Maritzburg to look at Meisegeier’s parts’ collection, with the aim to bid on select pieces for the club.  

Third-generation auctioneer John Cannon said three of the micro cars are licenced — the Messerschmitt, the Goggomobil and the green Isetta (inset), which makes potential export to markets with higher prices easier. He said the auctioneer is willing to assist people with the export process, which can be daunting. 

The Cannon family have been trading in Pietermaritzburg since 1943, and Cannon & Cannon CC was found in 1990. These days, the auction house is regarded nationally as a specialist in the fields of antiques, collectables and  international and South African works of art.

Dave Cannon with one of the cupboards containig meticulously sorted nuts and bolts.

John said he expects a lot of interest in the later Meisegeier’s workshop, most of that digital. He said since he introduced live stream online auctions, the number of bidders has trebled and is still growing. Register here to bid.