The Car We Need In Wisconsin & Iowa Now

[Norm's Coupe]

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Edited September 20, 2009 by Norm's Coupe

[Dennis Hemingway]

We had one of those at the car show here in Barstow yesterday. The only problem is the nearest water is about 50 miles away.

Dennis

This is the Mojave River that runs thru the Barstow area.

[JerseyHarold]

A guy down the road (as in, walking distance) from me restored an Amphicar a few years ago. Looked nice in turquoise. He has a few old cars (including a chop-top '57 DeSoto that was in LeRoi Tex Smith's Mopar book back in the '90's) but I haven't seen the Amphi lately so maybe it got sold.

[BobT-47P15]

This Amphicar is at the Lane Museum in Nashville

[james curl]

Check the old car price book for the money those things go for. You can buy a real good car for the value of a # 4 Amphicar. I have a friend who put patch panels on his boss's Amphicar. You have to weld the seams solid to prevent leaks so he used gas to weld the patches in. He spent many a night and week end welding the rust bucket back together. I thought his boss was nuts until I checked the value of the cars.

[Dennis Hemingway]

Here is the one that was at the car show here in Barstow on Saturday.

Dennis

Then we had one of these.

[Uncle-Pekka]

Then we had one of these.

I did not knew that they imported these to the States as well ???

Actually in Finland and all over Europe these were quite popular in mid-fifties when the continent was still poor after the wars...

Lets have a quiz - Please tell the make and model. (hint: the brand is very strong today, but not in minicars anymore)

[Don Coatney]

There was an Amphicar at the Sully show But I did not get a picture. What are they selling for these days?

[blueskies]

Lets have a quiz - Please tell the make and model. (hint: the brand is very strong today, but not in minicars anymore)

BMW Isetta...

Friend of mine had one. Motorcycle engine for power. Pretty neat.

Pete

[JerseyHarold]

My cousin has always wanted an Isetta. I found him a few inexpensive ones years ago, but he never took the plunge. Now the prices are out of sight.

[Dennis Hemingway]

There was an Amphicar at the Sully show But I did not get a picture. What are they selling for these days?

This one sold at Barrett Jackson for $115000.00.

Dennis

[Don Coatney]

This one sold at Barrett Jackson for $115000.00.

Dennis

Wow! Did it sell with or without the paddle?

[BobT-47P15]

Yeah, you wouldn't want to be up the creek without it.

[Dennis Hemingway]

Wow! Did it sell with or without the paddle?

With, I think that's required safety equipment.

Dennis

[Tim Frank]

A naval friend of ny father had a very similar import in the late 50s.

That one was made by Messerschmitt.

[Uncle-Pekka]

A naval friend of ny father had a very similar import in the late 50s.

That one was made by Messerschmitt.

Several German car/motorcycle factories made these minicars in the 50's:

BMW, Messerschmitt, Heinkel, NSU, Goggomobil, Trojan...

The Messerschmitt was the wildest looking of them all:

rear view:

They even had a beefed up sports model; the Tiger!

[Don Coatney]

A naval friend of ny father had a very similar import in the late 50s.

That one was made by Messerschmitt.

I owned this one in the 70's.

[Rodney Bullock]

Don, you could fit in that:eek: oh yeah you did say the 70's:)

[Don Coatney]

Don, you could fit in that:eek: oh yeah you did say the 70's:)

Believe it or not this was me and my dad in the 70's.

Don' date=' you should have put a V8 in that one that you had. [/quote']

The engine was a one cylinder two stroke 200CC Sachs motorcycle engine. In order to back up it was necessary to kill the engine and flip a switch to another set of points. Then re-start the engine spinning backwards. Had 4 speeds in reverse same as going forward.

[Captain Neon]

I invited the guys from the local Isetta club to join us on our tour to Carhenge in August. I don't know what speed these little cars cruise at, but it would be fun to have one come along if he can keep up at 50 mph.