LOT 311
1954 Maico Mobil 197cc MB200 Scooter Frame no. 301-430
Estimate:AU$20,000 -AU$25,000
Lot 311
1954 Maico Mobil 197cc MB200 Scooter Frame no. 301-430
Collectors' Motor Cars, Motorcycles, Automobilia & Number Plates|23 October 2011, 14:15 AEDT|Melbourne, Royal Exhibition Building
1954 Maico Mobil 197cc MB200 Scooter
Frame no. 301-430
Frame no. 301-430
'With its latest product, the Maico-Mobil, Maico have introduced a completely novel type of machine which lies mid-way between the conventional motorcycle and scooter; it may be that this will prove to be the true touring machine of the future.' – Maico.
One has only to look at the admirable capabilities of today's increasingly popular 'super scooters' to realise that Maico were right, if more than just a little ahead of their time. Maico's 'car on two wheels' was premiered in June 1950, its all-enveloping steel bodywork disguising the fact the beneath it lay a conventional motorcycle-style duplex loop frame complete with top tube and 14" diameter wheels. Power, what little of it there was, came from a 150cc single-cylinder two-stroke engine that struggled to endow the 250lbs-plus machine with any kind of performance, a shortcoming not addressed until 1954 when 175 and 200cc versions were introduced. Nicknamed the 'Dustbin', the Maico Mobil succeeded in providing motorcycle handling combined with scooter convenience and weather protection for discerning enthusiasts up to 1958 when it was withdrawn, although the more conventional Maicoletta continued in production until 1966. Today there are few scooters more eagerly sought after by collectors than the outrageous Maico Mobil. As Peter McManus observes: 'This would draw a crowd anywhere!'
Having spent a decade in a German museum, the current owner discovered this incredibly rare Maico-Mobil MB200 scooter about ten years ago and acquired it for his private collection. An older restoration, we are advised the Maico does run and the paint, trim and brightwork all look to be very presentable.
One has only to look at the admirable capabilities of today's increasingly popular 'super scooters' to realise that Maico were right, if more than just a little ahead of their time. Maico's 'car on two wheels' was premiered in June 1950, its all-enveloping steel bodywork disguising the fact the beneath it lay a conventional motorcycle-style duplex loop frame complete with top tube and 14" diameter wheels. Power, what little of it there was, came from a 150cc single-cylinder two-stroke engine that struggled to endow the 250lbs-plus machine with any kind of performance, a shortcoming not addressed until 1954 when 175 and 200cc versions were introduced. Nicknamed the 'Dustbin', the Maico Mobil succeeded in providing motorcycle handling combined with scooter convenience and weather protection for discerning enthusiasts up to 1958 when it was withdrawn, although the more conventional Maicoletta continued in production until 1966. Today there are few scooters more eagerly sought after by collectors than the outrageous Maico Mobil. As Peter McManus observes: 'This would draw a crowd anywhere!'
Having spent a decade in a German museum, the current owner discovered this incredibly rare Maico-Mobil MB200 scooter about ten years ago and acquired it for his private collection. An older restoration, we are advised the Maico does run and the paint, trim and brightwork all look to be very presentable.
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