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Wednesday, 12 November 2014

Mystery Mini derivative (38)

I still have quite a few mystery motors left in the files, several of which come in the shape of a 3-wheeler so let's post another one up here. This car was bought in the UK in 2007 by Dutcham Peter Hintzen and for him, too, its origins are shady. Peter wrote: "It's a Heinkel prototype, as far as I know the only one in existence, and built by Noble Motors Ltd. of Piccadilly, London. According to the UK registration (511 KPU) it originally used an 803cc engine (could that be Morris Minor?-JB) and it was road registered for the first time in 1957, but the first private owner is listed in 1974. In 1998 it was given a 1275 Mini engine."

Peter thinks it was meant to become a Heinkel Kabine based sports car, made to look like a Morgan three-wheeler after Morgan had stopped production of their own trike. I am not too sure about that, though. To me it looks much like a privately built special, maybe based on a Heinkel chassis. I asked 3-wheeler authority Chris Rees who wrote: "Your trike isn't one I've come across before. Metal-bodied so most likely a one-off. It's possible it is based on a Noble 200 chassis, I suppose, but it has the look of a 1970s special. Do let me know if you find out any more…"

Over to you!

Oddly enough Peter's Mini based 3-wheeler is registered as a 1957 Heinkel
Picture courtesy Peter Hintzen

 Peter thinks it's a Heinkel factory prototype, but these shapes ooze something else
Picture courtesy Peter Hintzen

 Straight panels, wood bits and a most unusual chassis tube (?) in the interior 
Picture courtesy Peter Hintzen

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