German Motorrad

Today in Motorcycle History

NWF Microcars

A Brief History of the Marque

Manufactured by Nordwestdeutschen Fahrzeugbau of Wilhelmshaven.

These were microcars built under licence to Elektromaschinenbau Fulda, and were advertised as the Fuldamobil NWF 200. These were fitted with a 175cc Sachs engine to obviate limitations due to German road rules.

The firm was managed by Karl Schmitt, and much of the design work was done by Norbert Stevenson, who left to work with Romanus Müthing at Pinguin early in 1954.

Some 700 of them were built in the years 1954 and 1955. NWF had planned on much higher volume production, but during this period Messerschmit had grown considerably, and BMW had announced the Isetta. Sales had stalled, the warehouse was full of unsold cars, and NWF sold quite a number back to Fulda to recoup the licencing fees. They were in serious trouble, production ceased in September 1955, and the firm entered bankruptcy.

Several have survived, one of which was in the collection of the Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum in Georgia, USA.

Sources: Oldtimerclub Lachendorf, motor-car.net, et al