Fuji Cabin

1955—1958

Created with Sketch.

Like Messerschmitt, Hitachi was originally a manufacturer of military aircraft that converted to the manufacture of motorcycles after World War II when it was banned from building planes. Working with Fuji, it produced the Fuji Cabin, a scooter with a polyester cabin. The design was by Ryuichi Tomiya, the greatest of the early Japanese car designers, who had worked for Nissan in the 1930s. The Fuji Cabin wasn’t so popular and very few items were actually built (years of production: 1955–1958).

Max Speed

Weight

45

250

km/h

 

kg

1/3

Darin Schnabel © 2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions

Darin Schnabel © 2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions

Darin Schnabel © 2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions

Darin Schnabel © 2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions

Heinkel Kabine

1956

© Darin Schnabel

Courtesy of RM Auctions

Heinkel Kabine

1956

Created with Sketch.

For its role in support of the Nazi regime, the firm of Heinkel Flugzeugwerkerke was also banned from building military aircraft after the war. Seeking to repeat the success of Messerschmitt, it produced its own “scooter with a cabin” in 1956, a cross between a Messerschmitt KR and an Isetta. The cars were produced until 1960 in Germany and until 1966 in the United Kingdom as the Trojan 200.

Max Speed

Weight

90

243

km/h

 

kg

1/3

Spatz Victoria

1956—1958

© Darin Schnabel

Courtesy of RM Auctions