Conceived as a method of transportation for the disabled, Fend did not want the vehicles labelled as for the disabled, but as a car that also appealed to the handicapped.
The Flitzer established many of the basic concepts on which Fend's later Messerschmitt Kabinenroller microcars were developed.
In 1948, Fend, a former aircraft designer and technical officer in the Luftwaffe, began production of a tricycle invalid carriage in his workshop in Rosenheim, Germany.
The tricycle had a front wheel that was steered by handlebars and powered by a mechanism actuated by pushing back and forth on the handlebars. Shortly afterward, it was offered with a 38cc Victoria two-stroke proprietary engine normally used for motorised bicycles.
Fend then designed the Flitzer, a larger, better-enclosed invalid carriage.
It was designed to be powered by a gasoline engine. Whereas the earlier tricycle was both steered and powered by a single front wheel, the Flitzer had a pair of front wheels linked to the steering mechanism and a powered rear wheel.
The Flitzer was initially powered by a 98cc Fichtel & Sachs two-stroke engine, but the engine was later changed to a 100cc Reidel/Imme engine.
The Flitzer was made with aluminium panels over a steel frame and was enclosed at the front, sides and back.
It had a hatch at the top that was hinged at the front and tilted forward for the operator to get in.
About 250 Flitzers had been built when production stopped in 1951. Many of these invalid carriages had been bought by able-bodied individuals seeking basic personal transport.
This led Fend to believe there could be a mass-market for a larger, transport-oriented version of the Flitzer.
He designed and developed a two-seat vehicle similar in concept to the Flitzer. He began looking for a manufacturer to mass-produce this vehicle and came to an agreement with aircraft designer Willy Messerschmitt.
Fend's company could build the vehicles in the Messerschmitt factory at Regensburg. Part of the agreement was that the cars carried the Messerschmitt name, with Fend's new design being designated the Messerschmitt KR175.
Between March 1949 and December 1951, Fend built 252 of these models.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Manufacturer: Fend-Motor GmbH, Munich, Germany
- Model: Flitzer 101 Motor: Reidel, 2-stroke
- Body: Steel
- Years Built: March 1949 - December 1951
- Cylinders: 1
- Chassis: Steel Tube
- Produced: 252
- Displacement: 98cc Suspension Front: rigid
- Number surviving: 4
- Horsepower: 4.5
- Suspension Rear: Swing arm
- Length - 2 000mm, width - 1 151mm
- Gearbox: 3 forward
- Steering: Direct
- Starter: Manual
- Brakes: Cable
- Weight: 120kg
- Interior: 1 seat
- Top Speed: 75km/h
