The Messerschmitts Revisited

The Messerschmitts

Messerschmitt, temporarily not allowed to continue the manufacture aircraft in post WWII Germany, directed its resources to the manufacture of other products. It was decided In 1952 that the company would apply its extensive production capability and knowledge to the making of a small automobile, one that was fairly affordable at 2500 Deutsch Marks (about $700 at the exchange rate) and suitable for metropolitan streets and byways, although not really safe or appropriate for the autobahn. The Messerschmitts were fairly common in the late 50s. Most of their drivers would try to stay in town or on the byways. You see, the autobahns were – and still are - very fast moving, without speed limit in those days; so speed was only limited by the car and/or its driver. A Messerschmitt had an absolute top speed of 93 Km/H (58 MPH), being powered by a 10 horsepower motorcycle engine. Oh, once in while some “dumkopf” would dare the drive, someone who had probably never driven any vehicle faster than his Messerschmitt and could not possibly relate to the sense of power and daring that courses through one’s veins just before pushing the gas pedal to the floor and seeing the speedometer quickly advance. Messerschmitts were very close to the ground, however; and I’m sure that top speed felt faster than it was. That feeling is undoubtedly what got some Messerschmitt drivers in serious trouble. In retrospect, Messerschmitts were deathtraps. Ralph Nader would have certainly blackballed them in the US.

I was in Germany in late spring of ’73. I was buying cars to ship back before EPA got even more involved and controlling about emissions. Most cars or cycles were acquired “on order”, which meant some cash down though sight unseen. We were a “trusted” buying service. I bought four cars on that trip. I would deliver each to Hamburg for shipment to Houston. The one I was driving this trip was a pristine and loaded ’72 Mercedes W116 “S class” sedan. This particular car had “special” paint and interior and was a cut above all others I had seen. Its new owner would be very happy, boasting a rare and unusually well equipped luxury sedan that was not “federalized”. It was dusk and I was heading north on the autobahn, clicking along about 170 KmH (105 MPH) in the far left lane, commonly referred to as the “fast lane”. I glanced in the rear view mirror, expecting to see nothing but the cars I had passed. Instead, I saw a very distant “blink blink” of headlights behind me. Why was he blinking? He wasn’t even close to me. I just had time to think, “Blink, blink my ass.” when a fire engine red exoticar passed me with his horn blaring. That guy must have been doing close to 250 KmH (150 MPH). Just a few miles down the road, traffic slowed to a near standstill. There were emergency vehicles and police controlling traffic. I was sitting for several minutes and asked one of the police what had happened. Apparently, a person was driving his pokey Messerschmitt in the fast lane and, in the low light of dusk, the guy in the red exoticar had not seen him in time. He had hit the Messerschmitt at full speed, completely destroying the vehicle and knocking it over 100 meters away. In the meantime, his car had hit the tunnel abutment. All that was left of either vehicle was rubble on the side of the road. Pieces of the cars were scattered about. The emergency personnel were just getting the exoticar driver’s remains separated from the mess. The remains of the Messerschmitt driver were inseparable from the wreckage. I doubt that either driver suffered.

I slowed my driving dramatically for the rest of that trip and for all trips since.

Take care when driving, whatever you are driving. Cars are lethal weapons.

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