*Produced by Paul Kleinschnittger of Arnsberg, Germany, between April 1950 and August 1957, this microcar oddity weighed in at 150kg (330lb) and was powered by a tiny 125cc two-stroke single which generated 5.4bhp. The little roadster body was just 8′ 8″ (264cm) long and 3′ 9″ (114cm) wide, and it was made of hand-beaten 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 moulds of the front wing curves. Each of the four wheels featured fully independent rubber band suspension and the result was an adorable, whimsical two-seat roadster with almost pedal-car like proportions.*
*The ILO air-cooled single-cylinder engine sent its power through a three-speed gearbox to the front wheels and although the F125’s official top speed was 70kph (44mph), you’d need a lot of courage and a substantial tailwind (or downhill slope) to attempt such a feat. Of more importance to buyers was fuel consumption of 3L per 100km (94mpg for Brits or about 80mpg for the US). In spite of its relative obscurity today, the Kleinschnittger sold quite well, with almost 3000 finding homes up until 1957 when production ceased.*
Kleinschnittger F125
