By motoring historian Bob Montgomery.
THE GOOD RED HERRING: Back in the 1950s motoring writers used to wax eloquent about "the motoring fringe", a theoretically vast group of people who couldn't afford conventional cars but would pay about £100 less for transport. Again, theoretically, another fringe group regarded motorcycles as too uncomfortable but who would pay more for vehicles which gave them better weather protection.
The result was, echoing the 1920s "light car" trend, a series of vehicles smaller and simpler than conventional cars of the time, often three-wheeled, almost always two-seaters and economical to run. None of these many creations achieved the success of Professor Willie Messerschmitt's unique two-seater.
Launched in Ireland in 1955, the Messerschmitt Cabin-Cruiser came with a 174 cc two-stroke Fitchel & Sachs air-cooled engine which revved freely to 7,000 rpm and delivered all of 9 bhp at 5,000 revs. Irish journalists strained hard to describe it and one memorably wrote: "You can't call it a scaled-down car. Neither can it be described as a scaled-up motorcycle. Nor, for that matter, is it remotely like any other three-wheeler on any market. It's neither fish nor flesh, but it's definitely good herring!"
Assembled and distributed in Ireland by Irish Motor Concessionaires, of Lucan, Co Dublin, and costing £265 for the De Luxe model, the Messerschmitt sold in reasonable quantities. No doubt the claimed 100 miles per gallon and excellent 12-volt lighting system and electric starting helped attract buyers . . . but, lets be honest, what really made it desirable was that wonderful Plexiglass cockpit cover.
Ten years after the end of the second World War, who couldn't imagine himself in the cockpit of one of Professor Messerschmitt's more famous wartime creations when seated in the Cabin-Cruiser? The unique Plexiglas cockpit cover hinged over completely to the offside to allow entry. Driver and passenger were seated tandem-style. The view was unparalleled and performance was sporty enough to satisfy most.
Today, the Messerschmitt and indeed its Cabriolet and Tiger siblings are regarded highly by collectors who are prepared to pay premium prices for them. In fact, recent prototypes by manufacturers such as VW show that this unique and interesting approach to economic motoring has not been forgotten and indeed could yet figure in all our motoring futures.
WINTER PETROL: As winter tightens its grip, few motorists will recall that in the 1950s and into the 1960s petrol suppliers used to announce annually the changeover to winter-grade petrol. Shell, Caltex, BP and Esso all advertised their winter petrol extensively, claiming that "winter requires a special blend to make certain of instant starting and quick warm-up, to avoid stalling and carburettor icing".
The special ingredient seems to have been a higher volatility, sometimes combined with a higher octane level. By the start of the 1970s, fuel injection and more efficient engines consigned winter petrol to history's waste bin.