Spatz Kabinenroller
Encyclopedia
The Spatz later renamed the Victoria 250 is a four-wheeled microcar
that was built between 1956 and 1958
The car was originally conceived by Egon Brütsch
as the Brütsch 200 "Spatz" a Fiberglass
three-wheeler with the suspension of the front wheels and the rear wheel attached directly to the body shell. As such the car proved engineeringly unsound and trial runs on rough roads led to severe cracks in the bodywork.
Harald Friedrich, managing partner of Alzmetall P. Meier & Friedrich GmbH in Altenmarkt an der Alz
, acquired the license from Brütsch to build the "Spatz" (German for sparrow) and in July 1956 with the Victoria
works as a partner, founded the Bayerische Autowerke GmbH (BAG).
Because of the deficiencies in the original design, Frederick asked the then 77-year-old Hans Ledwinka
, the former Tatra engineer, to design a robust chassis for the car. The result was a central tube frame and four wheels – in contrast to the original three-wheeled Brütsch. Frederick then saw himself no longer obligated to pay royalties to Brütsch, which led to a court case, which Frederick won. The judges recognising that the original Brütsch construction was both useless and dangerous.
The fiberglass bodywork resembled a sports car, but with only 10 hp was too underpowered to qualify as such, no matter how light it was. The cloth top was erected from inside the car. Reverse was, like for the Messerschmitt KR200
, by running the engine backward (or by physically picking it up). The car was mechanically similar to the KR200 but with a single bench seat for two of three people sitting beside each other.
The engine size was increased from 200 to 250 cc.
They were known for burning up. 1,588 were built between 1956 and 1958, 859 as "Spatz", 729 as "Victoria 250".
Microcar
A microcar is the smallest automobile classification usually applied to standard small car . Such small cars were generally referred to as cyclecars until the 1940s. More recent models are also called bubblecars due to their egg-shaped appearance.-Definition:The definition of a microcar has varied...
that was built between 1956 and 1958
The car was originally conceived by Egon Brütsch
Brütsch
Egon Brütsch Fahrzeugbau, usually shortened to Brütsch, was a German automotive design and automaker based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg....
as the Brütsch 200 "Spatz" a Fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
three-wheeler with the suspension of the front wheels and the rear wheel attached directly to the body shell. As such the car proved engineeringly unsound and trial runs on rough roads led to severe cracks in the bodywork.
Harald Friedrich, managing partner of Alzmetall P. Meier & Friedrich GmbH in Altenmarkt an der Alz
Altenmarkt an der Alz
Altenmarkt an der Alz is a municipality in the district of Traunstein in Bavaria, Germany....
, acquired the license from Brütsch to build the "Spatz" (German for sparrow) and in July 1956 with the Victoria
Victoria (motorcycle)
Victoria was a bicycle manufacturer in Nürnberg, Germany that made motorcycles from about 1901 until 1966. It should not be confused with a lesser-known, unrelated Victoria Motorcycle Company in Glasgow, Scotland that made motorcycles between 1902 and 1928....
works as a partner, founded the Bayerische Autowerke GmbH (BAG).
Because of the deficiencies in the original design, Frederick asked the then 77-year-old Hans Ledwinka
Hans Ledwinka
Hans Ledwinka was an Austrian automobile designer.- Youth :Ledwinka was born was born in Klosterneuburg , near Vienna, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire....
, the former Tatra engineer, to design a robust chassis for the car. The result was a central tube frame and four wheels – in contrast to the original three-wheeled Brütsch. Frederick then saw himself no longer obligated to pay royalties to Brütsch, which led to a court case, which Frederick won. The judges recognising that the original Brütsch construction was both useless and dangerous.
The fiberglass bodywork resembled a sports car, but with only 10 hp was too underpowered to qualify as such, no matter how light it was. The cloth top was erected from inside the car. Reverse was, like for the Messerschmitt KR200
Messerschmitt KR200
The Messerschmitt KR200, or Kabinenroller , was a three-wheeled bubble car designed by the aircraft engineer Fritz Fend and produced in the factory of the German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt from 1955 to 1964.-History:...
, by running the engine backward (or by physically picking it up). The car was mechanically similar to the KR200 but with a single bench seat for two of three people sitting beside each other.
The engine size was increased from 200 to 250 cc.
They were known for burning up. 1,588 were built between 1956 and 1958, 859 as "Spatz", 729 as "Victoria 250".