1998 Tri-Tech Autocraft Messerschmitt

First registered in November 1998, this Tri-Tech Schmitt trike has only covered just over 1900 miles, most of which were driven early on in its life.

Its history is sketchy, but it was bought by a director of a video production company back when first registered - but by 2005/6 when MOT records went online it was no longer in use on the road. It is understood to have been in storage for at least the last 8 years. He is believed to be the trike’s sole owner.

The Schmitt was was recently put through an MOT, which was successful (although apparently the inspector declined to take it for a test run) and the vendor reports that mechanically it is “on the button”. Our driving impressions are that you must be very precise with the steering, tiny inputs only, and one must go easy on the brakes too. You feel like you're going like the clappers however, that's probably a lot to do with the fact that your bum is only 6" off the floor.

The exterior bodywork is painted in a combination of a vivid sky blue across most of the vehicle with Royal blue lower body accents. Almost every painted surface (including inside) is suffering from blistering where the paint appears to have reacted to the primer. Some of the blisters have been knocked off, leaving behind what look like stone chips.

The upper part of the trike is a side-hinged canopy (rather akin to a WW2 Messerschmitt fighter plane - can’t think why) and it is covered by a fabric roof, which is in a fair condition and can be removed or unfurled and stud-secured across the fixed canopy frame. Where the canopy meets the bodywork, a thick rubber seal does its best to keep out the weather.

Around the body there are plenty of chromed trim pieces - rubbing strips, bumpers, lamp housings, wing mirrors, door handle and rear luggage rack, all of which are in a fair to good condition.

The trike has 8-inch steel wheels with chromed hubcaps at the front with Kenda tyres and a single 10-inch wheel from the donor Honda at the rear, fitted with Dunlop rubber.

Inside, the upholstery is in ivory coloured vinyl with light blue piping and accents similar to the exterior colour. All looks to be in good condition with no apparent damage save for a couple of small nicks in the front seat piping and some staining on the rear seat. There are just the two seats in tandem formation, the rear possibly fitting two children or one larger person with legs akimbo around the driver’s seatback.

Up front, there is no steering wheel but just an ivory coloured handlebar and it has just two pedals - stop and go - which are mounted for right footed operation rather than split like a go kart. The instrument panel is also a simple affair, with just the essential controls and dials. Whilst the speedometer rather ambitiously registers up to 150mph, anything much beyond 40mph in one of these isn’t advisable unless the front suspension and steering has been suitably modified and improved for greater stability.

The floor is carpeted front and back and looks in good condition.

From what can be seen of the Honda engine and its ancillaries under the rear panel, all appears fine and in good order. Simply push on the brake pedal and turn the key (no need for any throttle) and it starts humming away.

Underneath the vehicle, what you essentially have are the mechanicals and ancillaries from the back half of a Honda motor scooter mounted to a box-section steel frame with trailer suspension units and Mini dampers and drum brakes up front. The underbody is fibreglass and whilst most of it appears intact, there are a couple of areas of impact damage under the nose.

Whilst there are many detailed photographs underneath the trike and all round the bodywork, we’d still encourage a personal inspection for something so unusual. If you’re unable to travel, we can still do this via a one-to-one video call. Use the ‘Contact Seller’ option to arrange it.

The Schmitt has a current MOT certificate valid until January 2022 - which it passed with no advisories.

There is very little other paperwork, beyond an invoice for a donor Honda engine and running gear supplied by Tri-Tech in March 1999, and a look-up sheet for identifying the engine from its number.

Since being in our showroom, the Schmitt has been the subject of a great deal of curiosity and not a small amount of mirth. It goes like the clappers, pulling away and accelerating up through the continuous clutchless gearbox before you know it.

This Schmitt can be enormous fun but needs to be driven with care, especially on uneven surfaces. The design of the underpinnings is not quite Heath-Robinson but it’s a long way from Willy Messerschmitt and Fritz Fend’s ‘50s collaboration - and that was none too stable either.

Genuine Messerschmitt Kabinenrollers can go for tens of thousands of pounds and such vehicles are very collectable - even in replica form. Whilst this rare, one-owner evocation would benefit from some cosmetic attention and perhaps a bit of tinkering with the suspension setup to get the best out of it, we think it will sell for between £7,000 and £12,000.

Inspection is always encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.