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Tag: 1963

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1963 Messerschmitt KR201 Roadster

Post World War II, the German manufacturing sector and economy attempted to pick itself up – but it was a pretty rocky road. Still, as early as 1950 Western powers were pronouncing the ‘Wirtschaftswunder‘ in the Western side of Germany – a phoenix-like rebirth of the economy overseen by Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. Despite this, it would be decades until this wealth and prosperity really filtered down to the average worker. As a result most drivers in Germany were relegated to very small and efficient cars, with the Volkswagen Beetle being the most successful. But it was far from alone.

I’ve previously looked at some other alternative air-cooled designs from Germany; both the NSU Prinz and BMW 700 challenged the Beetle’s hegemony in the marketplace while offering more style:

1963 BMW 700 Coupe

Feature Listing: 1965 NSU Spider

However, while sporty-looking economy-based cars began to emerge from major manufacturers, microcars were still reasonably popular in the early 1960s though choices were dying out. The Isetta continued to be produced until 1962 and was quite popular. But one other World War II-era name also strangely entered the marketplace – from the makers of some of the most famed fighter planes in history came a single cylinder, two-stroke wingless “car” – the Messerschmitt KR175, 200 and 201 Roadster:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1963 Messerschitt KR201 Roadster on eBay

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1963 Porsche 356B 1600S Coupe

I don’t know what we’d consider to be the opposite of the 930 Slantnose Cabriolet I posted previously, but among Porsches this must be about as opposed as we can get. This is an Oslo Blue 1963 Porsche 356B 1600S Coupe with a Grey leatherette interior and Corduroy seat inserts. Whereas the Slantnose is all hard lines and somewhat preposterous proportions, the 356 is vintage charm and elegance. Both of these cars will grab the attention of Porsche enthusiasts, but for completely different reasons. I imagine driving either one would elicit rather different emotions as well.

While this 356 certainly has more miles on it than that very-low mileage Slantnose it nonetheless presents in rather good condition. This is a restored example so that must be taken into account, but the work looks good and it’s wearing its original colors. Given that it’s up for auction without reserve we also know that it should be making its way to a new home and hopefully for a reasonable price.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1963 Porsche 356B 1600S Coupe on eBay

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Funny Fiber Double Take: 1974 Bradley GT II v. 1980 Aquila

Kit cars don’t get much love on these pages. Well, to be fair, they don’t get much love, period. But kits cars do offer something; exotic(ish) looks on a pedestrian budget. And strangely enough, some kit car and limited-manufacture cars have begun to be considered collectable in their own right. So when I came across two unique Volkswagen-based bits, I thought “why not?”

So today we have two very limited production examples of fiberglass laid over a VW chassis. Which is the winner? Let’s start with the Bradley GT II:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1974 Bradley GT II on eBay

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1963 Porsche 356B 1600S Coupe

I’ve been looking at a lot of new blues among Porsches lately. Or sometimes old blues on new cars (and I haven’t even posted all of them!). Let’s turn the clock back to look at an old blue on an old car. These are always fun to revisit if for no better reason than as a data point for those considering their paint-to-sample options. It’s always worthwhile to see what these very rare colors look like on an actual car. We’ve even had the pleasure of seeing this particular vintage blue on a recent GT3 RS. All the better for understanding our options.

Here it is on its original model: an Oslo Blue 1963 Porsche 356B 1600S Coupe, located in Long Beach, with 120,200 miles on it.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1963 Porsche 356B 1600S Coupe on eBay

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Two Visions of the Future: 1963 BMW 700LS and 1990 BMW Z1

Update 1/30/19: The 700LS remains available on eBay here and via the seller’s site, now for only $12,900.

Update 6/1/18 – the BMW 700LS has dropped a further $2,000 in ask to $19,500.

Update 2/6/18 – Unsurprisingly, the 700LS remains available on reserve auction (it is $21,900 on their site)

Normally, our dual posts have two comparable cars to consider. But while typically that manifests itself in one model, one price point or one performance group, today it’s something very different.

Although both of today’s cars come from one marque – BMW – there is literally and figuratively a huge chasm of development between them. There’s also a vast gulf between performance, desirability and price. Yet each reflected the time point in which it was made; the austere 1960s, emerging from the fog of war into a bustling economy when average Germans could for the first time contemplate automobile ownership, and the exotic 1980s, with its new computer designs and technology rapidly forcing car designs forward. For the company, each car represented the future in many ways even if the results and their impact was so vastly different.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1963 BMW 700LS on eBay

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