1956 Heinkel Tourist 103 A0 & Steib LS200 Sidecar - Super Rare German Scooter

1956 Other Makes Heinkel 103 A0

Price: US $6,150.00
Item location: Morongo Valley, California, United States
Make: Other Makes
Model: Heinkel 103 A0
Year: 1956
Mileage: 19,900
Color: Burgundy
Engine size: 175
Vehicle Title: Clear
Contact seller: Contact form
Description

Rare Heinkel Tourist Scooter with Steib sidecar for Sale on eBay
HEINKEL TOURIST
Like Phoenix from the Ashes ...

After the Second World War the Allies wouldn't allow the German Aircraft Industry to carry on manufacturing airplanes, or obvious reasons. Times were tough in postwar Germany, nd missing means of transportation were one of the main issues in everyday's life, specially since public transportation was still not sufficiently rebuild.

As you can imagine money was scarce too, o that for most people the thought of owning a vehicle - not even mentioning a car - was a thing in a far away future.

Bearing these circumstances in mind it is easily understood that the time was right in postwar Germany for a product that was affordable for some, et a necessity to help rebuild a war battered country. Inspired by models like the Lambretta and Vespas from Italy, hich sold very well south of the Alps, he HEINKEL factory concentrated on getting their shares of a new market in Germany.

Along with Messerschmitt, MW and Dornier, EINKEL was allowed to commence production of engines and then later progressed to scooters. With a work force of only 200, hich was a vast reduction from the 30,000 employees when manufacturing aircraft, einkel built their first prototype scooter already in 1949 although the first "Tourist" model, he 101 A0 with a 150cc 4-stroke engine, idn't appear until January of 1953.

A production run of 6,500 units was attained prior to August 1954 when a 175cc model 102 A1 was introduced. This model was manufactured up to mid 1955. A further improved model, he 103 A0, hich is feature in this listing appeared in August 1955 and was built until 1957.

The HEINKEL factory carried on manufacturing engines and scooters, hich were the 103 A1 scooters between 1957 and 1960 and a the last step of the evolution, he A2s from 1960 to the end of 1965.

The 1956 Heinkel Tourist scooter offered in this listing here on eBay is a vehicle that was produced during the most successful era of scooter manufacturing in post war Germany. As seating capacity was clearly limited the addition of a sidecar was a much desired yet costly option that only a few could afford back then, esulting in very limited sales of such luxury item. It is therefore no surprise, hat these scooter/sidecar set-ups are very rare to be found, ven in Germany.

The sidecar attached to this stylish scooter fits perfectly, nd is easily attached and removed, f so desired. The Steib LS200 was specifically designed to be a lightweight and therefore suitable for motorcycles with limited amounts of power. As the single cylinder Heinkel Tourist is by no means a power house scooter, he Steib LS200 was and is the perfect companion to create such a beautiful 3 wheel vehicle.

The simplicity of machine and design were typical for Fifties Germany and combined ingeniously the demand for something fresh and new without compromising to address the low budget aspects important to most German households at the time.

But these scooters were merely seen as means of transportation back in the day and were therefore not really pampered in daily use, ain or shine. The scooter for sale in this auction appears to be a rare exception to that rule, s it survived quite admirable before it was meticulously restored in Germany back in the 90s. The outcome is without doubt one of only a very limited number of Heinkel Tourist scooters with a Steib sidecar in existence, nd probably the only one for sale here in the United States.

Granted, hat restoration was done about 20 years ago, ut it was babied ever since, nd only a few blemishes bear witness that its rejuvenation was done a while back. As the scooter was kept indoors, emained well maintained and was used sparingly used only for occasional outings or scooter shows it remained in the remarkable condition you can see in the pictures posted.

Should the new owner ever need parts for maintenace in the future for this 60 year old scooter, ou can take comfort in the fact that you will be backed by the parts stock of an extremely well assorted Heinkel Owner's Club, hich is based in Germany but has members throughout the world. The time between needing a part and getting it measures merely in a few weeks, ost of which is being used up for shipping to your location.
In order to get you started I will include a few goodies with the scooter, s you can see in this picture. There are some used and new parts and a windshield that I never mounted. In addition I will include an additional (used) muffler and two new tires, ll of which is not show in the picture.

While we are talking technical stuff on the scooter, et's take a closer look under the seat, hall we?
Filling the tank, attery check, park plug access, alve clearance adjustment or a simple oil level check, t all can be done by simply flipping up the seat. Should further access become necessary the entire hood can be removed by simply loosening two clamps, emoving the spare tire, nd unhooking two wires for the taillight before lifting up the entire hood with seat. That's it !

The typical and very simple start procedure begins by opening the fuel petcock, hich is accessible through the fold- down access door on the right-hand side of the engine cover. Give the juices a few seconds to flow and fill the carburetor and with a simple push on the ignition key you activate the 12V DYNASTARTER unit and the engine will come to life after only a few rotations.

Our TOURIST for sale here was manufactured in 1956 and is a model A 103 A-0 with the 174cc 4-stroke engine rated at 9.2hp. After all, his was good for speeds of up to 60 mph when driven solo, ith the sidecar you may expect more moderate speeds of around 50mph. The speedometer itself currently shows 30433 kilometers, hich translates to less than 20kmls.

The controls for the scooters are quite easy to operate. The gear change is conducted via a revolving LH handlebar grip, hat in conjunction with pulling the clutch allows you to rotate the grip to the next gear positions of the 4-speed transmission. 2 multifunction switches on the handlebar control the light, ignals and a terrific sounding horn.

While you find the lever for a front brake in the typical style on the RH side of the handlebar, he rear brake is activated via car-style brake pedal in front of the seat.
With the electric start feature, ow maintenance, nd a powerful 4-stroke engine it wasn't for no reason that the HEINKEL scooters was always considered the Cadillac amongst the scooters in Germany.

A spare tire for the occasion is always at hand and mounted right behind the seat. Additional luggage is easily stored on a package tray atop the spare tire as well as on an additional tray above the headlight that flips down if needed.

Despite the fact that the scooter will somewhat stand pale in comparison to nowadays standards of convenience, he driving experience with this "little car on two wheels" is still nothing short of simply exhilarating. Regardless of where you go it is almost for certain that you will make new acquaintances, nd make sure you are prepared to tell her story............

The scooter is titled in the State of California and located in the Palm Springs area of Southern California. If you were looking at this scooter as an addition to your existing collection or simply consider it a very rideable conversation piece, hances are you won't be able to get your hands on a TOURIST Scooter by Heinkel in this condition with a sidecar to boot anytime soon, o don't miss out on it!

Please read my terms of sale ! I do my best to accurately describe the scooter for sale. If you still have any questions remaining that are not answered by the description and the pictures above, invite you to email me before you place your bid.
Please understand that, s nice as the scooter may be, ou are bidding on a "USED 60 YEAR OLD SCOOTER", nd as such it will surely NOT measure up to a new one. You most certainly will find some flaws consistent with its age and usage, nd if you are an overly picky buyer, ho never purchased a vehicle online before, t might not be suitable for you to purchase a vehicle through this online auction. If you are someone who wants to save some money on a good Classic, s it is possible in an online auction, ou may have to consider putting a small portion of those savings back into the vehicle to make it as perfect as possible in your own opinion. The scooter is in remarkable condition, ut it is still a used scooter, nd as such we cannot be held responsible for things that happen after a sale, herefore it is being sold AS-IS with no implied warranty.
Please place a bid only if you are serious about owning the scooter and have the necessary funds readily available to pay for it. I expect payment in full within 7 days after the auction ended and will not be able nor willing to assist in financing. I accept your payment in US funds only, his by means of a Cashier's Check, ire Transfer or cash at pick up. I will certainly work with you on any arrangement to have the scooter picked up or shipped at a later time, ayment terms should still be met within the 7-day period.
While I gladly assist with any shipping arrangements of the scooter to be shipped to any location in the world, ny additional costs for transportation and preparation will solemnly the be the high bidder's responsibility in addition to the final high bid price.
If you do not agree with all of the terms above, hen please, o not bid on this vehicle. Once the auction ended and you had successfully become the high bidder, ou have accepted a legal and binding contract, s outlined in eBay's rules and regulation, o purchase the scooter offered in this auction with no room for further negotiations.
Thank you for stopping by and your interest in my auction.


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