Description
The BMW R75 sidecar outfit that the Wehrmacht used so effectively and in such great numbers in every theatre of its operations during WW2 was no mere sidecar combination but a purpose-built, cross-country vehicle. Designed by engineer and racing driver Alex von Falkenhausen it was powered by a 750cc overhead-valve engine housed in a tubular steel frame, and it employed an ingenious transmission system featuring shaft drive to both rear and sidecar wheels and two-stage gearing.
The latter provided four alternative ratios for both off-road and tarmac use, plus two reverses. Another function was a differential that could be locked when conditions became really tough, and the machine rode on interchangeable 16-inch wheels shod with knobbly tyres. Hydraulic braking was another unusual feature, but as the R75 weighed more than 900lbs unladen and could top 60mph it needed all the stopping power it could get. A total of 16,510 K75s had been built when production ceased in 1944.
A ‘must have’ for any serious collector of automotive militaria, this superb example of one of the most famous military vehicles of WW2 comes complete with spare wheel, Afrika Korps graphics and the Italian libretto. The BMW logo is embossed into the fuel tank’s flanks – a rare feature.
As part of a large Italian collection of military memorabilia, this machine was restored at the beginning of 2014 and it is in excellent condition.
