1942 Unic Kegresse Half Track Military WWII Ex Nazi - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

whunter · #1 04-01-2010, 03:30 PM

Too cool to allow this one to vanish when the ebay auction ends...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1942-Unic-Kegresse-Half-Track-Military-WWII-Ex-Nazi_W0QQitemZ270553918597QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item3efe452c85

1942 Unic Kegresse Half Track Military WWII Ex Nazi

Designed by Kegresse, the creator of the half track.
Formerly from Czar Nicholas II’s court, he is best known for the design on a Rolls Royce Silver Ghost and later the world record breaking Citroen’s which crossed the Sahara.

It was used to tow light field pieces, and anti-tank guns.
Maximum speed 28 MPH.
It was pressed into the German Wehrmacht service after the fall of France. This one is alleged to have been in the artillery.

This Unic Kegresse is very small, not so terribly heavy and runs well after decades of sitting dormant.
Rubber tracks may make it legal in your state.
Take one half of a picnic, or start a small revolution.
With this car you are sure to be the only one on your block.

whunter · #2 04-01-2010, 03:31 PM

more pictures

cscmc1 · #3 04-01-2010, 03:55 PM

Cool. I have liked the Kettenkraftrads ever since seeing one in a museum in Belgium when I was a kid. It had been found on a farm in the 1970's and was still in use by the farmer. The same museum had a piece of sheet metal (with markings) from the wing of a German bomber that had been used as a roof for a chicken coop. I am always fascinated by these sort of "finds."

pj67coll · #4 04-01-2010, 04:01 PM

Certainly a fascinating bit of history there.

- Peter.

strelnik · #5 04-01-2010, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pj67coll

Certainly a fascinating bit of history there.

- Peter.

Yes they are. I have worked on the Citroen version which was made in the 1920s.

However, one point. I have almost been cheated about 5 years ago by the guys at Cosmo Motors. Apparently they had Traction Avant engines for sale, then there was a "problem" and engines were no longer available and someone was fired for selling stolen engines.

Fortunately I nhad not sent a cashier's check before that happened.

If you want the actual details, names, phone nos, etc, PM me. But that's only if you actually plan to do business with them. Otherwise I'm not going to go into details.

Hatterasguy · #6 04-01-2010, 06:47 PM

Very cool, its the baby half track though. I want the big one that can tow an 88!

cscmc1 · #7 04-04-2010, 10:31 PM

Schwimmwagen, anyone?

http://www.finecars.cc/en/detail/car/13271/index.html?no_cache=1

lutzTD · #8 04-05-2010, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cscmc1

Schwimmwagen, anyone?

http://www.finecars.cc/en/detail/car/13271/index.html?no_cache=1

wow, that would make a heck of a kit car project

Chas H · #9 04-05-2010, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cscmc1

Schwimmwagen, anyone?

http://www.finecars.cc/en/detail/car/13271/index.html?no_cache=1

A friend in Germany owns a shwimmwagen and an original WWll "thing".
Both are 4 wheel drive. I rode in the schimmmwagen out into the Main River with him. It's an amazing vehicle.

Hatterasguy · #10 04-05-2010, 06:41 PM

You just have to plan your exit with those things. I remember in Luck's book he talked about getting screwed because the banks were to steep so they had to keep going downstream to try to get out. He was like what a great way to get yourself captured...by getting stuck in the river.

Chas H · #11 04-05-2010, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

You just have to plan your exit with those things. I remember in Luck's book he talked about getting screwed because the banks were to steep so they had to keep going downstream to try to get out. He was like what a great way to get yourself captured...by getting stuck in the river.

The Main river is totally domesticated. The part we paddled around in is a lake made by an hydro-electric damn. The level is is closely monitored so the bank is only inches high above the water.
But I could see a possible problem with a mud bank. Before our voyage into the river we climbed some impressively steep wet grass slopes.
All this on about 19 HP. My lawn mower has more.

kerry · #12 04-05-2010, 06:51 PM

I've seen pictures of one of those on an early 20th century expedition somewhere. It wasn't the Sahara one because I remember a lot of foliage in the pictures.

Hatterasguy · #13 04-05-2010, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chas H

The Main river is totally domesticated. The part we paddled around in is a lake made by an hydro-electric damn. The level is is closely monitored so the bank is only inches high above the water.
But I could see a possible problem with a mud bank. Before our voyage into the river we climbed some impressively steep wet grass slopes.
All this on about 19 HP. My lawn mower has more.

It was in Russian, which is all mud.

lutzTD · #14 04-06-2010, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

You just have to plan your exit with those things. I remember in Luck's book he talked about getting screwed because the banks were to steep so they had to keep going downstream to try to get out. He was like what a great way to get yourself captured...by getting stuck in the river.

thats a really good point, when I was a kid I got stuck in a river and had to keep working down stream, wet on a muddy slope is an impossible climb. I was so tired from trying the first time I just had to float down to a place where there was a rock. was a sucky walk back too.

pj67coll · #15 04-06-2010, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chas H

A friend in Germany owns a shwimmwagen and an original WWll "thing".
Both are 4 wheel drive. I rode in the schimmmwagen out into the Main River with him. It's an amazing vehicle.

You sure of that? From what I've read neither Kubels nor Schwimms were four wheel drive.

- Peter.