1942 BMW 750cc R75 Military Motorcycle Combination

• Iconic WWII military vehicle
• Present ownership since 1991
• Requires recommissioning

The BMW R75 sidecar outfit that the Wehrmacht used so effectively and in such great numbers in every theatre of its operations during WWII was no mere sidecar combination but a purpose-built cross-country vehicle. Designed by engineer/racing driver Alex von Falkenhausen and powered by a 750cc overhead-valve engine housed in a tubular steel frame, the R75 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. There was a differential that could be locked when conditions became really tough, and the wide, interchangeable, 16"diameter wheels were 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 K75 had been built when production ceased in 1944.

Finished in the sand-coloured desert livery of the Afrika Korps, this example of one of the most famous military vehicles of WWII was purchased by the vendor in Hungary and registered in the UK on 11th September 1991. The BMW has not been used for some time and will require recommissioning, or possibly more extensive restoration, before returning to the road and thus is sold strictly as viewed (the engine turns over). At present the two guns are away being re-certified as disused and it is hoped they will have been reunited with the outfit by time of sale. The machine is offered with a V5C Registration Certificate. A 'must have' for the serious collector of military vehicles.
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