Mecum is closing out its 2014 vehicle auctions in Austin this weekend, which means I went through the list to see if there were any interesting motorcycles. Considering the big daddy of motorcycle auctions is coming up in Vegas in a month, you might expect the answer would be no. And you’d be right.
In fact, there’s just one motorcycle up on the block at Austin:
Demented Cycles built this bike with a custom rigid frame and a Jesse James Villain tank.
I’ve dabbled with three-wheelers and microcars before, and I’ll do it again here to bring a little more joy into this post. Also available at Mecum Austin are these two beauties:
One of the most beloved microcars of all time, the Isetta was originally an Italian creation that was licensed by BMW (among other companies in a multitude of countries). This example is a multiple show winner with a 298cc engine that produced 13 horsepower. I wish it wasn’t yellow, but the fabric sunroof and rear luggage rack are excellent touches.
This was actually built in response to the Isetta, as Ernst Heinkel thought he could do better. The 153 (3 wheels, was also available as the 154 which had 4 wheels) has a diminutive four-stroke single engine which produced 9.2 horsepower. This example looks beautiful and has a fabric sunroof. For more on the 153, check out this informative write-up from the Microcar Museum.