The Messerschmitt KR201 was a rare roadster version of the KR200 produced in the late 1950s, featuring an open-top design instead of the iconic bubble canopy, while retaining the same compact, three-wheeled layout. Although prototypes appeared in late 1956, official production began in 1957, with fewer than 450 units produced between 1957 and 1964.
With a shorter windscreen and with detachable side screens, this model is quite rare and sought after even as a replica. The rounded, frameless, sports windscreen makes the car look particularly attractive. A delight to drive on a warm day, but not for the rear passenger! In winter, it is a nightmare with a cold blast of air from the poorly sealed roadster hood, hitting squarely in the centre of your forehead. This attractive car is probably the cause of the pricing confusion in the Classic Car press. Values are generally higher than the other models but excellent replicas abound using parts supplied by a specialist German manufacturer. FMR also offered a factory conversion where the lifting section was exchanged for the KR201 type. To confuse matters further, British examples were rarely recorded as a KR201 in the registration book.
