m410 Posted November 1, 2020 Share #13801 Posted November 1, 2020 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) My guess is it is a micro or mini car made in France in the early 1950's. Make/model? Not exactly sure. Edited November 1, 2020 by m410 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 1, 2020 Posted November 1, 2020 Hi m410, Take a look here Name this car..... I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Rona!d Posted November 1, 2020 Share #13802 Posted November 1, 2020 It is French and it is smaller than a Panhard Dyna. Constructed in the late 1930s, this model built until the late 1940s. A similar follow up maybe made until 1953. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted November 1, 2020 Share #13803 Posted November 1, 2020 Could it be a Boitel? Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelG Posted November 1, 2020 Share #13804 Posted November 1, 2020 (edited) Rolux I think? ( That’s what I meant by really small) The odd trim detail looks right. Edited November 1, 2020 by NigelG Clarity Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
m410 Posted November 2, 2020 Share #13805 Posted November 2, 2020 (edited) 6 hours ago, NigelG said: Rolux I think? ( That’s what I meant by really small) Small enough to be a Baby model? Edited November 2, 2020 by m410 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rona!d Posted November 2, 2020 Share #13806 Posted November 2, 2020 Nigel got Rolux, I´m fine with that. The model got m410, it´s the Rolux Baby, to be precise the VB58. This vehicle was made in 1949. Official records say this model was made in a number of around 1.000 cars from 1945 until 1949 (although some 1950s models are existing). Planning for this Voiturette started back in the late 1930s. In France you could (legally) drive it without a driving licence. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/119687-name-this-car/?do=findComment&comment=4072650'>More sharing options...
pippy Posted November 2, 2020 Share #13807 Posted November 2, 2020 Advertisement (gone after registration) 1 hour ago, Rona!d said: Nigel got Rolux, I´m fine with that... I just want to say a big 'Thanks' for posting this interesting (and unknown to me) car, Ronald, because I had a quick 'google' to find out more about the curious beast and as a direct result I have just spent an extremely enjoyable - and often highly amusing - 90 minutes going through the Virtual Tour of some the exhibits on show in the Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum. If anyone else feels an itch to delve into the weird and wonderful world of these miniature masterpieces they could do a lot worse than click on the 'Start Tour' link at the bottom of this page; http://www.microcarmuseum.com/virtualtour.html Philip. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted November 2, 2020 Share #13808 Posted November 2, 2020 One of these Rolux Baby cars was sold by Sotheby's in 2013 for $48,875! They were only one wheel drive, as only one rear wheel was driven. You can still drive a Micro car without a licence in France, if over the age of 14 and they are limited to 45 kph. There are a number of them puttering around the village where I live in France, usually made by Aixam. Wilson 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted November 2, 2020 Share #13809 Posted November 2, 2020 (edited) 16 minutes ago, wlaidlaw said: One of these Rolux Baby cars was sold by Sotheby's in 2013 for $48,875!... Crikey! I knew the Messerschmitt KR series were eye-wateringly pricey nowadays but almost $50k for a Rolux seems extraordinary! In the tour of the museum I mentioned earlier the caption for the Peel P50 relates that even a replica of "The Smallest Production Car Ever Built" would have set-back any potential purchaser the astonishing sum of $20,000 back in 2008! Truly mind-boggling! Philip. Edited November 2, 2020 by pippy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rona!d Posted November 3, 2020 Share #13810 Posted November 3, 2020 vor 8 Stunden schrieb pippy: I just want to say a big 'Thanks' for posting this interesting (and unknown to me) car, Ronald, because I had a quick 'google' to find out more about the curious beast and as a direct result I have just spent an extremely enjoyable - and often highly amusing - 90 minutes going through the Virtual Tour of some the exhibits on show in the Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum. If anyone else feels an itch to delve into the weird and wonderful world of these miniature masterpieces they could do a lot worse than click on the 'Start Tour' link at the bottom of this page; http://www.microcarmuseum.com/virtualtour.html Philip. I grew up with one of the oldest and largest micro car collections around long before Bruce Weiner started his outstanding collection. When Bruce sold his vehicles I spent hours reading the wonderful auction catalog (somewere I might have saved a PDF of it in case I get bored in a long winter). Not in my wildest dreams I would have expect vehicles like the rare Messerschmitt Tiger 500 would ever top the 100.000,-$ "sonic wall" – even topped that more than 3 times (320.000 $ !!!) INSANE. I´m glad the collection of my youth is still unsplit (even growing!) and not spread all over the world like Bruces collection unfortunately has. From time to time I´m able to spend some hours there and explore unexpected details like a friction drive etc. I knew most German microcars and a lot of the british ones since I was a little boy but the french voiturettes are another world of it´s own to explore. 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rona!d Posted November 3, 2020 Share #13811 Posted November 3, 2020 Nigel or m410 should proceed 😉 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelG Posted November 3, 2020 Share #13812 Posted November 3, 2020 Yes the Bruce Weiner catalog is a great resource for the “micros”! I have the (large) pdf if anyone is interested in a copy. I was very tempted by the red Trojan 200 I posted recently which caught my eye at a Bonhams auction I attended in September (in the end it sold for £11.5K) The Rolux amuses for its one-wheel drive but especially the appliqué aluminium rod “radiator” front styling (the detail that stood out in the photo) on its non-opening “bonnet” I’m heading out from London back to the Cotswolds today ahead of the lockdown deadline so if m410 wants to jump in that’s fine by me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
m410 Posted November 4, 2020 Share #13813 Posted November 4, 2020 (edited) Okay Nigel thank you. How about this car with an aluminum body and loved by movie stars in Hollywood? Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Edited November 4, 2020 by m410 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/119687-name-this-car/?do=findComment&comment=4073630'>More sharing options...
Rona!d Posted November 4, 2020 Share #13814 Posted November 4, 2020 An overhusty guess would be an early 356 and indeed it is an aircooled boxer engine here. But it is the Rometsch "Modell Beskow" based on the Volkswagen Beetle. The German nickname was "Banane" due to the sidelines shape. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
m410 Posted November 5, 2020 Share #13815 Posted November 5, 2020 (edited) Yes, this is a Beeskow Rometsch. Belonging to a 356 buddy, this car is specifically a 1956 cabriolet and was manufactured in Berlin, Germany by the Rometsch company. The body is aluminum with a partial substructure of wood and the chassis is a modified VW pan. The engine is also Volkswagen based but with Okrassa built heads, barrels/pistons, crankshaft, camshaft, dual carburetors and four outlet exhaust.. The Okrasa kit almost doubled the power from stock VW 36hp to approximately 65hp. This made a big difference in performance. Designed by Johannes Beeskow, the available coupes and convertibles were built from 1950-1957, the concept was to compete with Porsche 356's. This particular machine was purchased by Audrey Hepburn and still has a studio parking sticker on the windshield. Many admired the rear-hinged doors and the wheel-well eyebrows know famously on the beautiful Mercedes 300SL but which first appeared on the Beeskow. Will post a sideview photograph when possible... Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Edited November 5, 2020 by m410 4 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/119687-name-this-car/?do=findComment&comment=4074205'>More sharing options...
m410 Posted November 5, 2020 Share #13816 Posted November 5, 2020 Additional front/side view of '56 Beeskow Rometsch. Photo: S. Watanabe Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 4 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/119687-name-this-car/?do=findComment&comment=4074223'>More sharing options...
Rona!d Posted November 5, 2020 Share #13817 Posted November 5, 2020 Lovely car. Given the fact that Volkswagen forbid their dealers to sell VW chassis to Rometsch and that Rometsch was forced to let his workers and friends buy used or chrashed VW beetles on the free market (which were pretty old even at that time), 65hp were pretty much for such an ancient early 1950s beetle chassis. In DIN the beetles of that era had 24,5 or 30 hp (in SAE a bit more). Okrasa sets pushed that in the region of maybe 40-50 DIN hp. 65 hp maybe with the full tuning set which was mainly for racing use. Not many Rometsch had more than 45 hp in the old days as they were used as "house wife beetles" for wealthy women not for racing. There is a private Rometsch collection nearby with the original factory sign and office desk of Rometsch, construction plans and cars (all Rometsch models incl. the 4 door beetles which were used as Taxis in Berlin). Nice stuff in there, private collection but can be visited on request. They also have the famous pre-series 38/06 beetle handmade at Porsche. 2nd oldest known Beetle. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
m410 Posted November 5, 2020 Share #13818 Posted November 5, 2020 Ronald, thank you for the additional Rometsch information, an interesting company indeed. VW was not cooperative at all, perhaps it was their future plans for the Karman Ghia. Perhaps it was their legal department, dunno. Your turn or perhaps NigelG can step in from his ID of the Rolux. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rona!d Posted November 6, 2020 Share #13819 Posted November 6, 2020 vor 9 Stunden schrieb m410: Ronald, thank you for the additional Rometsch information, an interesting company indeed. VW was not cooperative at all, perhaps it was their future plans for the Karman Ghia. Perhaps it was their legal department, dunno. Your turn or perhaps NigelG can step in from his ID of the Rolux. Although looking obvious I think it wasn´t just because of the Karmann Ghia that VW forbid delivery of parts. Would be a long story. Rometsch had many other problems too. As Berlin based after the wall was build, half of their workers were lost because they came from the Soviet Zone. Production was too expensive, a former manager calculated a loss of 1.500,- DM per car. Side note: Beeskow and his successor later met as Karmann employees 😉 Let´s wait if NigelG can step in for the Rolux riddle. Nigel? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelG Posted November 6, 2020 Share #13820 Posted November 6, 2020 OK - Will find something this morning. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now