At Least You're Dry - The Kroboth Allwetterroller

"Jonee" (Jonee) 12/11/2015 at 12:45 • Filed to: Kroboth, Microcars

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The beginning of June in western Europe means “the return of the westerlies,” or the European Monsoon season when westerly winds, which take a break during spring, come back bringing with them rain and cooler weather. It’s a cycle that repeats 7 out of every 10 years and folks are generally prepared for it. The first few years after WWII, however, saw something of a reprieve which serendipitously coincided with a motorcycle boom brought on by the war’s mass destruction. No one could afford a car, so most people rode bikes. Which is great and all when the sun is out. Unfortunately, June 1953 was pretty much one long deluge especially in West Germany.

And, so, people stopped buying motorcycles. Scooters, too. The Vespa had taken Europe by storm for its price, ease of use, and style. Many motorcycle manufacturers like Zündapp and Triumph began offering what were basically Vespa knock-offs with a little German panache.

But, now people wanted something with a roof. Even though the economy in Western Europe was improving rapidly in the 50’s, most people still couldn’t afford a new car. Especially in Germany which was basically rebuilding its infrastructure from scratch. So, what were these poor, wet Germans to do? They needed a covered scooter. Fortunately, that’s exactly what Willy Messerschmitt had started building in February with the help of designer Fritz Fend. The !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! began selling like strudel and Willy couldn’t keep up with demand. So, there was a hole in the market. But, designing, developing and mass producing a car, even a tiny one, takes a long time. BMW’s Isetta, the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and others were all at least two years away from going on sale. Someone needed to capitalize on all that rain ASAP. One person who tried to was Gustav Kroboth.

Kroboth grew up in the Sudetenland and had developed a love for all things mechanical as a child. When he turned 18, he constructed his own motorcycle engine, and a few years later began building by hand a BMW Dixi copy.

It had a novel swing axle set-up and was powered by a 500cc motor. The car was polished enough to attract an investor and Kroboth ended up building almost 150 of them before the money ran out.

After the war, all Germans were expelled from Sudetenland, so Gustav settled in Bavaria where he found himself with nothing but his tinkering skills which he put to work to try and eke out a living. He would scavenge through wreckage to make his own tools, melting aluminum bits of destroyed planes on his stove top and cutting up tires for rubber. He soon started selling handmade wooden toys and then noticed a need for poppy grinders. By 1950 he had a small, but thriving poppy mill business built out of old war detritus.

Before long, he had saved up enough money to get back to doing what he loved; building things with wheels and an engine. He read an article about the Vespa which was about to be introduced to Germany which gave him an idea. He recognized the need for something economical like a scooter, but knew they couldn’t perform like a motorcycle since they had all that weight at the back. He didn’t think they would be successful with people used to riding a motorcycle. So, he built a modified motorcycle frame with a Fitchel & Sachs 150cc two-stroke engine placed under the rider, and gave it unique leaf spring suspension. He then wrapped it in a scooter like sheet metal disguise. What came out was positively badass, and is perfectly Teutonic looking.

I love the steampunk vibe of those slats in the front cowling. It took Gustav just four months to design and build the prototype. By mid 1951 he had sunk the poppy mill profits into a small production line to manufacture it. He made a few refinements and was pumping them out by the fall of that year.

They could be had with a choice of three motors, 98cc, 147cc, and 175cc’s with the biggest one only available with a sidecar.

With its center mounted motor and larger tires, it did ride more like a motorcycle than a motor scooter. And, it was built like a tank. It was also the first scooter designed and manufactured in Germany.

So, it carved out a small niche in the German motor industry, and Gustav sold enough to keep building them until ’55. But, 1953 was rough, so in the spring of 1954, Kroboth set about designing something with a roof.

He started with a simple, but strong central tube frame chassis and then used as many off the shelf parts to finish it off as possible. Front suspension was two transverse leaf springs, with one longitudinal one for the single rear wheel.

Like his scooter, it was mid-engined with a 9 horsepower 175cc Sachs motor mounted behind the driver and in front of the rear wheel. This was the same engine that was then powering the Messerschmitt which meant it was easy to get serviced and find parts for. He used a steering box from ZF, ATE mechanical drum brakes, and a VW windshield. Within 3 weeks, he had a bare prototype that was ready for testing. He knew he had to distinguish his covered scooter from the Messerschmitt, so he tried to make it as car-like as possible. It sat two side by side, and had a proper steering wheel. One thing Gustav was particularly proud of was the column mounted 4-speed shifter. Column shift was all the rage, so this was like being in a full sized car. There was no reverse, but still. Reverse is for wimps too weak to pick their car up and spin it around anyway.

Kroboth tested it all over the Bavarian countryside for a month. The lightweight chassis handled to his liking and held up well. Top speed was 46, but it apparently felt quick as I imagine a bare chassis would even with 9 hp.

The body wasn’t so much designed as that’s how it turned out. Gustav and his crack team of builders constructed a basic frame around the engine and passenger compartment and then, like with the scooter, wrapped everything in as little sheet metal as possible. Again, there’s something medieval about it. It’s like a little chariot for an armored knight. Gustav added some flair with that proboscis over the front that serves no purpose but to break up a smooth curve. Capitalizing on the previous summer’s bad weather, he called it the Allwetterroller or, “All-weather Scooter.” Although the all-weather part was just a pretty flimsy ragtop. And side windows cost you extra.

It made its debut, believe it or not, at a hillclimb in Austria where it won its class. Kroboth was certain he had a winner, but the press mocked the little car calling it the product of the “tinkering of a refugee operation.” Undeterred, Gustav set about making preparations for production. Workers at Kroboth rigorously tested it, driving it over 20,000 kilometers and then taking it apart to check for wear and tear. The handling that had satisfied Gustav when it was a chassis proved pretty squirrely at higher speeds, apparently the car like to hop around, but with the 46 mph top speed I guess they decided this wouldn’t be too much of a problem and only adjusted the gear ratios a bit.

When Gustav learned the machinery necessary to build the car was going to cost 300,000 Marks, he decided to start making them by hand while he looked for a loan, or investor. He even found a Munich motorcycle dealer to begin selling the Allwetterroller. It was advertised as having all the convenience of a car for the cost of a motorcycle. With a jab at Messerschmitt, sales literature cheekily stated, “Safe and elegant car steering lovely vehicle which does not make you the laughing stock of the other, but everywhere finds admirers.”

Unfortunately, not among those admirers were any banks, or folks with deep pockets willing to finance a tiny, underpowered roadster. Kroboth took the prototype to motorcycle shows, and went in search of a licensee. He nearly made a deal with Maico before they bought the Champion microcar. By this time, motorcycle manufacturers like Rabeneick, and Victoria were going bankrupt as people were buying more and more cars. And, a three-wheeler wasn’t seen as a car.

Gustav finally did secure a license with a Dutch bicycle company, Fransen and Sohnen to build the Allwetterroller in The Netherlands. But, when a shipment of a thousand bicycles to India went unpaid, Fransen had to rescind their offer or go bankrupt, and the little Kroboth was forever orphaned. Over the spring and summer of 1955 Gustav and his little factory built 55 Allwetterrollers with the remaining supplies before the Kroboth works were shut down. Gustav didn’t abandon his love of cars, though. He went on to a long career as a driving instructor. Apparently all 55 Allwetterrollers sold, but only 3 remain. One was found in the late 80’s still in service puttering around Poland. It was later restored by the Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum before selling at auction for $80,000 in 2013. That’s probably more money than Gustav spent on the entire run of them.

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RallyWrench > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 13:28

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I’ll have that over a Messerschmitt, no question!

Master Cylinder > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 13:39

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Man, I thought I was a pretty big gearhead, but I’ve never built my own motorcycle engine from scratch or made my own aluminum castings, let alone designed and built from scratch a scooter or mini-car. What a great story!

Jonee > Master Cylinder 12/11/2015 at 13:45

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He was a pretty resourceful guy, but I guess he had to be.

Zyrtec just kicked in, yo > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 14:01

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That’s a really awesome post! Both the story behind the car and the story behind the man are fascinating. This is FP material.

Jonee > Zyrtec just kicked in, yo 12/11/2015 at 14:10

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Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it. There are tons of fascinating stories from that period. I have some more here if you’re interested:

http://weird-wheels.kinja.com/

Zyrtec just kicked in, yo > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 14:44

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Thanks! Looks like a lot of cool articles... I’ll have to read those.

Klaus Schmoll > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 15:06

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Great write-up!

Jonee > Klaus Schmoll 12/11/2015 at 15:11

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Thanks, Doc!

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 15:19

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So this guy started neck sweaters...

The Perp > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 15:20

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Sweet ghetto fix on the K!

The Perp > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 15:21

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Seriously cool motorroller.

Jonee > The Perp 12/11/2015 at 15:24

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I know. Looks like a spoon handle.

just me > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 15:24

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Simple, maybe. Strong?

ninjagin > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 15:27

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Gosh, I love Weird Wheels.

Joneez > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 15:30

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Sexy hood emblems are a lost art that needs to return.

Jonee > ninjagin 12/11/2015 at 15:32

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Thanks! Tell your friends. Or at least the ones that like oddball cars and stuff.

Jonee > Joneez 12/11/2015 at 15:33

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Yeah, big metal word marks are the shit.

Joneez > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 15:37

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Speed holes!

moardots > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 15:37

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I really dig the little euro cars. The quirkiness is just awesome.

Wolc *grammar nazis go f*** yourselves* > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 15:39

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Faboulus!

G42dog > The Perp 12/11/2015 at 15:48

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Looks like a cuddly Dalek!

Wyldcard > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 16:09

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Badass sidecar.

TheAnswerIsAlwaysCitroën > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 16:18

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This looks like a prop from a Mad Max movie!

TheStigsGermanCousin > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 16:19

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This thing looks like its straight out of bioshock.

Jonee > just me 12/11/2015 at 16:24

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Strong enough for a 9 horsepower car.

Chase D. Morrison > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 16:30

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Badass Photo!

tapzz > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 16:38

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Made me think of the Dutch ‘Alleweder’ velomobile trike. Slightly down on power, I’m sure, but lighter still...

XanosCloud's Account Got Kinja'd > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 16:58

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Please

sadfasdf > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 17:23

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This is a Standard Template Construct, no doubt about it.

Jobjoris > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 17:33

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Best looking Roller. Ever.

Gustav finally did secure a license with a Dutch bicycle company, Fransen and Sohnen to build the Allwetterroller in The Netherlands.

Huh? Dutch, English and German in one name? That’s weird. And in German it would actually be “Sohne”. In Dutch “Zonen”. Or, to make it more complicated, “Zoons”.

Jonee > Jobjoris 12/11/2015 at 19:54

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I got that from an old German article, so maybe it was Zonen. It’s two guys’ names, so that could also have something to do with the spelling. Maybe it was a German who moved to the Netherlands. Have you heard of them before? Google doesn’t seem to turn up anything, but I’m guessing there were a bunch of Dutch bicycle makers in those days.

Jonee > Chase D. Morrison 12/11/2015 at 20:12

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Make fun of her tiny car and she’ll go all Eva Braun on your ass.

this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata > Jonee 12/11/2015 at 21:55

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Dat sidecar

lecrab > Jonee 12/12/2015 at 04:08

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There were and are thousands of small bicycle makers in The Netherlands (lived here all of my life). Small point: no monsoon here, yet we’re Western Europe. We do get a lot of rain in general, and that, with all the bicycles and all, you get the picture. A closed one is a win in this country all year long.

Jobjoris > Jonee 12/12/2015 at 05:12

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Ah, so it’s Mr Fransen and Mr Sohnen, that could be a clarification for the incorrect spelling.

Never heard of them. Google didn’t get me anything either. But we have a source for that, the... CONAM !

ccc40821 > Jobjoris 12/12/2015 at 09:10

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Dutch is a weird language, not elegant like French, and with lots of guttural sounds. But reading it is surprisingly easy, if you know a bit of German and English.

Jobjoris > ccc40821 12/12/2015 at 11:05

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I know this. As I am Dutch ;-)

bhtooefr > tapzz 12/12/2015 at 12:25

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Weird roof design, and looks like it’d get really hot. (A lot of velomobiles have available roofs, but they tend to be opaque except for the front and sides, and the window can pivot up for airflow.)

tapzz > bhtooefr 12/12/2015 at 13:31

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It’s non-standard; the more standard roof for an Alleweder and derivatives is indeed exactly what you describe:

bhtooefr > tapzz 12/12/2015 at 14:56

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I wonder how well that Flevobike roof actually works (not having ridden a velomobile). If it works well, it does look incredibly light.

The roof design that I’ve been most impressed by lately (but I also don’t know how well it works in reality) is the WAW@2014 roof setup. Linking a video because #1 Katanga’s site is hit by malware, #2 the video shows it better:

scottmill > Jonee 12/13/2015 at 09:25

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I wonder why the glove shelf never caught on...

Jonee > Jobjoris 12/13/2015 at 21:51

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Do they keep track of bicycles, too? That’s a pretty cool site. Some interesting stuff on the page with all the inquiries. I didn’t find anything about Fransen and Sohnen, either. But, they were big enough to send 1,000 bikes to India, so there’s got to be info somewhere.

Jobjoris > Jonee 12/14/2015 at 03:36

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Not per se, but as you say there used to be a thin and distinct difference between a cyclemanufacturer, a scooterfactory and a car company. So there’s knowledge. Rutger Booij from the CONAM told me this:

Kroboth I don’t know, but a Dutch company for this probably would have been the “Franssen en Zonen” firm in Venlo. The built a light motorcycle in the ‘20’s, the Cyrus. In ‘50’s they also manufactured scooters with Sachs engines.

He’s checking with the other CONAM members as we speak. We’ll get more info. We’ll just have to.

Jonee > Jobjoris 12/15/2015 at 01:33

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Very interesting. The book I where I got that information regarding Kroboth and that company did mention Venlo, but it just described it as a bicycle manufacturer and didn’t say anything about the motorbikes and scooters. It makes more sense that they would have interest in the microcar if they were already building something motorized. But, that book is in German, so maybe I didn’t Google translate it accurately. I can’t wait to hear more. I wonder if anyone knows about the India thing and how long they lasted.

Jobjoris > Jonee 12/15/2015 at 05:47

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That cyrus you’ll just have to Google, it’s really like a bicycle! With a tiny engine.

If you want stuff properly translated just send stuff over. I’m curious as well about this matter now. And we all know what my research can eventually lead to. How’s Hans Lapine doing?

Jonee > Jobjoris 12/16/2015 at 03:05

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It looks like Cyrus was the brand name under which Franssen en Zonen produced bicycles, and mopeds and scooters.

http://www.transportfiets.net/2010/08/26/cyr…

http://www.mo-ped.se/brommers/cyr60…

It seems like it was a fairly substantial company. They also made phonographs at one point.

It would have been interesting if they made the car. They used Sachs motors in the bikes, so maybe that was the initial connection. I wonder if you Dutch would have bought any Kroboths. I wonder what else F&Z were up to.

I’ve been thinking about contacting Hans, but I keep waiting for Dieselgate to wind down and it hasn’t.

Jobjoris > Jonee 12/16/2015 at 06:59

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Ah, Transportfiets.net. I’ve got a transportfiets. And recordplayer. No Cyrus though. Great bike on that site! I don’t think we would have bought these a lot. It’s only been socially accepted over here to ride a convertible for what, 20 years? Before that you had to be gay (we did accept that) or extreme wealthy!

Good call on Hans. Leave the guy alone for now.

Jonee > Jobjoris 12/17/2015 at 00:58

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That’s funny. Only gays and the rich? Not women? Here it would be women and men having a mid-life crisis. And probably some gays. Maybe Gustav could have figured out a hard top. But, the Dutch microcar market was crowded enough with Bambinos and Rovins.

Jobjoris > Jonee 12/17/2015 at 03:31

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Rich women yeah. Then I got the Z4 and all just got better ;-)

Rovins? It was just 50 of those, remember?

Jonee > Jobjoris 12/18/2015 at 02:04

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I was kidding. They didn’t make too many Bambinos, either.

Jobjoris > Jonee 12/18/2015 at 06:54

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I don’t know how many Bambinos were produced. 50 as well?

Jonee > Jobjoris 12/21/2015 at 01:18

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I don’t remember specifically, but that sounds about right. It wasn’t many. Then they tried a “sports” version and I think they only built 2 of those.

Jobjoris > Jonee 12/21/2015 at 04:09

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Alweco, the company behind the Bambino, produced “about” 60 cars. One of which was a 4-wheeler.

Jobjoris > Jonee 12/21/2015 at 05:18

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Oh, and speaking of microcars, I ran into this one this weekend:

1/18 so too big for me. Too expensive as well: current bid is 185, reserve not met yet...

Jonee > Jobjoris 12/22/2015 at 02:14

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Oh, yeah. That thing is awesome. It’d make a great Teutonic Tuesday, though. That is a lot of money. It needs the trailer, too.

And they’re supposed to be nose to nose on the roof. You wouldn’t want that massive 125cc single cylinder resting on that flimsy pole.

Jobjoris > Jonee 12/22/2015 at 04:00

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Haha, that’s a great picture! And it NEEDS that trailer indeed.

I’m doing a kind of Micro Car today for TT.

Jonee > Jobjoris 12/23/2015 at 03:57

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Someone makes it with the trailer.

Jobjoris > Jonee 12/23/2015 at 05:37

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That one looks awesome! Who made/makes it?

Jonee > Jobjoris 12/24/2015 at 14:04

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Brekina, I think. Never heard of them before, but it looks like they make nice stuff. Some neat vehicles on their page.

http://ameblo.jp/enwa600/entry-…

http://brekina.de/

Jobjoris > Jonee 12/24/2015 at 16:06

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Ah, interesting line-up. And I really love how they just have an excel-file as a list of models on their site hahaha...

Just what scale are these? 1400 yen for just the combi, that’s just over 10 euros, right?

Jonee > Jobjoris 12/27/2015 at 15:13

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That Combi looks like 1/64, doesn’t it? 1400 Yen is about 10.50 Euros, yeah. That seems pretty reasonable. I guess the Kleinschnittger kit was limited edition. I wonder if it’s still available. I like all the weird trucks and busses they have. Barkas, Steyr; all our favorites. Even an NWF which I think is the same company that once built Fuldamobils under license. That other Fulda I had was an NWF. And, they have a good selection of Fourgonnettes.

Jobjoris > Jonee 12/29/2015 at 11:01

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I think it’s even smaller: My guess would be a 1/87, Brekina is really known for their HO scale cars in rail-model hobby shops. Their lineup is awesome. I want all of ‘m!!! NWF doesn’t ring a bell though.

Jonee > Jobjoris 12/30/2015 at 15:04

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Ah, interesting. It does say 1/87 on their website. That’s pretty small. They out a lot of detail in their models. NWF mostly built bodies and chassis for other bus and truck manufacturers, but they had a couple of their own models. I think they mostly concentrated on trolley busses.

Jobjoris > Jonee 12/30/2015 at 17:07

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That is small. The only 1/87 I end up with is when they’re in some sort of auction lot.

I really love those abbreviations of NWF: BK 4 = Bus klein mit Vierzylindermotor. Or NWF FS = Ford-Schnellbus. Great marketing!

Jonee > Jobjoris 01/02/2016 at 03:32

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No reason to get complicated with the names. I like Schnellbus. If Wanke r l ever expands into rotary powered municipal vehicles, we should make a Schnellbus.