Messerschmitt KR200 History

Introduced in 1955 as a refined successor to the KR175, the KR200 upgraded the engine to a 191 cc Fichtel & Sachs two-stroke single, raising output to around 9.7 bhp (7.2 kW) and top speed to approximately 105 km/h (65 mph). The same Plexiglas-canopy, tandem-seating, three-wheel layout was retained, but with better build quality and handling. Almost 12,000 were sold in the first year alone — the highest annual production figure any Kabinenroller ever achieved.

One of the KR200's engineering quirks became a talking point: it had no conventional reverse gear. Instead, the two-stroke engine was stopped, restarted in reverse rotation, and the car simply drove backward in any of its forward gears. The same mechanism meant the KR200 had four reverse 'gears' — a claim no full-size car of the era could match.

When Messerschmitt regained its aircraft licence in 1956 and exited the car business, Fritz Fend continued production under the new FMR banner without interruption. Production ran until 1964, with approximately 30,000 KR200s built in total. The model is the definitive Messerschmitt and the most collected of all bubble cars.