RM Auctions Weiner Microcar Museum – Auction Preview
The RM Auctions Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum sale will be staged February 15-16, 2013 in Madison, Georgia. The two-day sale will see the entire collection offered without reserve, including approximately 200 microcars, and an assortment of more than 300 lots of collectibles.
The “world’s largest collection of the world’s smallest cars”, the Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum is highlighted by a roster of microcar examples from the late-1940s through the early-1960s. Some of the more amazing little cars that will be crossing the auction block include the only Messerschmitt KR 200 “Sport” known to exist, an Australian Lightburn Zeta Sports, and a Hot Wheels-inspired BMW Isetta that has been modified with a 700 horsepower Chevrolet crate motor. Meanwhile, the wide array of collectibles offered consists of period neon signage, rare kiddie rides, literature, and 1950s vending machines and candy dispensers.
Rob Myers, Chairman and Founder of RM Auctions, said, “As a microcar collection, the Bruce Weiner Museum is unequivocally the finest of its kind worldwide. With many items having been closely guarded in private ownership, and the vast majority coming to public auction for the first time, the sale is truly unprecedented.”
The Bruce Weiner Collection auction will be held in situ at the Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum, February 15–16, 2013 in Madison, Georgia. For more information, visit www.handlewithfun.com or call +1 519 352 4575. RM Auctions Bruce Weiner Microcar Collection 2013 – Auction Preview 1958 Berkeley Sports – Estimate $15,000 – $25,000. One of the more well-known and handsome microcars, the Berkeley Sports SE328 used a 2-cylinder Excelsior motor that could propel the British featherweight to 62 miles per hour. Berkeleys tend to be more affordable than many of the other microcars, and this sporty red one is a very nice example. 1957 Jurisch Motoplan Prototype – Estimate $50,000 – $75,000. Considered the most attractive of a series of three cars, this prototype was the vision of talented engineer and motorcycle racer Carl Jurisch. The German saw the benefits of a vehicle that could combine the positive aspects of car and motorcycle. The prototype utilized Messerschmitt and Heinkel components, and was used by Jurisch for a short time before he sent it to the United States in an attempt to market the car. It sat unloved in Florida until the 1970s, when a microcar collector purchased it and was able to track the car’s mysterious and fascinating history. 1959 Messerschmitt KR 200 Sport – Estimate $50,000 – $60,000. After realizing that the days of the microcar were numbered, Fritz Fend decided to market a more economical, stripped-down version of the Kabineroller called the Sport. Considered the only genuine factory KR 200 Sport in existence, this car led a well-known life in the UK as 837 CLJ. 1964 Lightburn Zeta Sports – Estimate $35,000 – $45,000. The spirit of the Lightburn Zeta goes back to the introduction of the British Frisky Sprint at the 1958 Earls Court Motor Show. Australian Harold Lightburn was so smitten with the car that, when Frisky faced financial difficulties a short time later, he hired the designer/engineer team of Gordon Bedson and Keith Peckmore to develop the car for production in Adelaide. One of less than 50 examples ever built, this Lightburn Zeta Sports looks as cool as its name sounds. 1956 BMW Isetta ‘Bubble Window’ Cabrio – Estimate $45,000 – $50,000. BMW built 160,000 little Isettas between 1956 and 1962, and while a fabric sunroof was standard on all Isettas, only a handful were built as full cabriolets. Featuring the rare “tropical vents”, this is one of around 50 Isetta Cabriolets. The Cabriolets are reportedly the most highly prized Isettas, and this restored example features the appealing combination of pale green paint and bright green plaid interior. 1958 Goggomobil Dart – Estimate $35,000 to $45,000. The Goggomobil Dart did not come out of the Glas factory in Germany but the workshops of Bill Buckle in Punchbowl, Australia. Buckle secured a license from the German firm to build Goggomobil cars in Australia, and used the pressed steel platform chassis underneath a body of his own design. The doorless Dart was very well received, and this black example is a very correct specimen of this most sporty of microcars. 1953 Champion 400H – Estimate $40,000 – $50,000. After Ludwigshafen-based Champion dealer Hennhöfer took over production of the 400, they began to use Heinkel’s 400 cc twin-cylinder two-stroke, hence the “H”. This very nice red example is one of less than 2,000 400H’s built, and was restored by the museum. 1961 Autobianchi Bianchina Special Cabriolet – Estimate $35,000 – $45,000. Introduced at the 1960 Geneva Motor Show, the Special Convertible version of the popular Bianchina proved to be one of the more fashionable small cars of its day. Fitted with the Fiat 500 Sport motor, this beautiful white Bianchina boasts a top speed of 65 miles per hour, and is arguably the most charming of all Autobianchis. 1959 BMW Isetta “Whatta Drag” – Estimate $75,000 – $100,000. Inspired by a wild Hot Wheels toy design, Bruce Weiner had a fully-functioning, life-sized version commissioned. A 1959 Isetta body was laid over a new steel frame and M3 suspension, while out back lies a 502 ci supercharged Chevrolet crate motor. With over 700 horsepower, it certainly isn’t the most usable (or safe) car out there, but it is an amazing showpiece and, due to the impressive attention to detail in getting it to look exactly like the toy that inspired it, an amazing piece of craftsmanship.
[Source: RM Auctions; photos: Darin Schnabel]
