Vehicle Description
The normally stoic and pragmatic Germans must have had a great need
for a bit of levity after all they had been through during World
War II. The German infrastructure, economy and spirit had been
crushed to bits in the 1940s and as they rebuilt from the ground
up, the 1950s spawned the era of the Microcar. Germans needed an
inexpensive mode of transportation that could be more practical
than a motorcycle yet offer comparable efficiency given the serious
shortages of fuel. The microcar boon brought a vast array of
cheeky, almost comical little cars that offered German motorists
exactly the kind of efficient transportation they needed. Cars such
as the Heinkel, Messerschmitt, and the ubiquitous Isetta earned
such vehicles the nickname "bubble cars" - for their comical,
egg-shaped bodies. Aside from these regular players in the microcar
market, there were scores of other, lesser known examples that
popped up and disappeared during the 1950s. One such car was the
Kleinschnittger F125. Produced by Paul Kleinschnittger of Arnsberg,
Germany, between April 1950 and August 1957, this microcar oddity
weighed in at a featherweight 150 kilos (about 330 pounds) and is
powered by a great, whopping 6hp, 123cc two-stroke single which
drives the front wheels. The cute little roadster body measures
just eight-foot, eight-inch long by three-foot, nine-inches wide
and is constructed of hand-hammered aluminum over a steel tubular
Wachtendord & Schmidt chassis. Employing leftovers from the Second
World War, ex-army cooking pots cut into quarters formed the basis
for the molds of the front fender curves. Each of the four wheels
features fully independent rubber band suspension. The result is an
adorable, whimsical two-seat roadster with almost pedal-car like
proportions. The 123-cc ILO two-stroke, air-cooled single-cylinder
engine sends power through a three-speed gearbox to the front
wheels. A top speed of 70 kph is possible assuming one has a both
the necessary courage and substantial tailwind to attempt such a
feat. Factory figures provide a more conservative 50-55 cruising
speed which to us seems a bit more realistic given the sparse
accommodations. More impressive, and of course more relevant to
buyers at the time, was a fuel consumption rating of 3 liters of
petrol per 100km; about 80mpg for us Yanks. In spite of its
relative obscurity today, the Klienschnittger sold quite well in
its time, with over 3,000 finding homes up through 1957 when
production ceased. This rare and delightful 1954 F125 was the
subject of a high quality restoration in 1996 while part of the
world-renowned Bruce Weiner Microcar Collection. Much of the body
was rebuilt by hand, and it was subsequently treated to a fresh
coat of attention-grabbing red paint and a re-trim in black vinyl.
The seats were correctly restored using the original thatch straw
filling in the seat squab and a new black top was fitted. The most
recent owner acquired the F125 in 1997 where it has been a
prominent part of a private display. In the past year, the
Kleinschnittger was again carefully disassembled and re-painted.
Concurrently, the engine was removed, overhauled and resealed. The
carburetor was rebuilt, a new air filter was sourced and the engine
tuned for proper running. Most importantly, the rubber suspension
and steering link were replaced. Finally, a new bonnet latch and
straps were sourced, as were new, impossibly skinny whitewall tires
for the original silver painted disc wheels. Kleinschnittger expert
Martin Kricke in Germany provided all of the parts and schematics
utilized in this most recent restoration. With a fine base to start
from, the most recent restoration was careful and extremely well
executed. A well-cared-for example for its entire life, this F125
was even once owned by a friend of the Kleinschnittger family,
assuring us that it has indeed had a very good life. This
Kleinschnittger is no doubt a cheeky and cheerful machine, but it
is also a rare survivor from an intriguing manufacturer as well as
an important part of German post-war motoring history. It is
difficult not to smile in its presence and it is ready to be
enjoyed to the fullest.