I've worked on a Heinkel tourist scooter long ago, I'd heard of the "Kabinenroller" before but have never seen one. Pretty cool! A friend picked up several BMW 600 Isettas needing restoration, enough parts were there to get one fully together and back on the road, I know he sold the batch, but not to who.
It is Heinkel. The factory started to make planes again - under licence the US F-104 Starfighter. So they had production in Ireland, which was a disaster. Production was also in Argentina. So Heinkel farmed it out to Trojan in South London cutting the Irish production. The car was renamed Trojan when made in London with Trojan on the front. Production stopped in 1966 as competition from the likes of the BMC Mini was too great and it was expensive for what it was. In the UK three wheeled vehicles were classed as a motorcycle and side car. They could be driven at age 16 on a motorcycle licence. If it had four wheels, even of they are a few inches apart, as some German models had, it would be classed as a full car in the UK, so Heinkel made a 3 wheeled version.
Nice heinkel. I restored one in the 90's I fitted a carb from a Honda cd200 benly as an upgrade. Mine was a 1959 heinkel ireland 200 cc. A heinkel is a Trojan & they are all kabine cruisers. Have fun, everyone loves a bubble car.
I prefer to call them a 'cabin scooter', the true translation of the German 'kabinroller'. That 10 horsepower can carry so much is almost miraculous. Just don't go on the motorways, a trip on the M23 made my hair go white.
Hi your Heinkel Kabine has the earlier 174cc engine the cooling box around the cylinder and head is sloped at each end where as the 200 (198cc) has a flat topped cooling box.
First, "Isetta" is an Italian word. Italian has NO long "I" sound. It's "EE-setta". Second, as has been pointed out, "Kabine" is pronounced "Kah-BEE-nuh", NOT "ka-BINE". As you may have guessed, it means exactly the same: "cabin".
I have the four wheeler version , 200cc and considering the conversion to the electronic pickup for mine , I have one installed in my 66 beetle and the performance is great... Instant start Everytime.... Btw my Heinkel pulled 138.725mpg at the Green Grand Prix in 2012 Watkins Glen NY. Check out my vids. Steveg. Look for Bubu501 and you will find me!
