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TROJAN (Type 604) (1963) – Lex's cute little cart
-> Vintage cars for sale in Auto Motor Klassiek
Take a peek inside Lex's garage and you'll be amazed. His exclusive domain is a time capsule filled with historical artifacts. A place where he indulges his passion: collecting and restoring unique bicycles, mopeds, and classic cars. We're optimists when it comes to classics, and luckily, we're able to highlight one of the gems from his collection.
Trojan 200
Lex's little blue classic is a Trojan 200 Type 604 from 1963; a British microcar with German roots. Originally the model was developed by Ernst Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in Germany, under the name Heinkel CabinetWhen Heinkel stopped car production in 1958, Trojan Ltd. in Croydon, England, the license was transferred. The British adapted the car slightly for the local market: English lighting, and the name Heinkel disappeared from the nose.
The Type 604 had a 198 cc air-cooled four-stroke engine with four gears and a top speed of about 95 km/h. Starting was done via the 12-volt dyno starter, after which the riding fun could begin. The Trojan 200 was clearly inspired by the Italian Iso Isetta, but with more comfort and a neater finish.
Microcar with character
The 1950s and early 1960s were the heyday of microcars. After the war, many Europeans wanted affordable mobility. Manufacturers like Messerschmitt, BMW, Heinkel, and Vespa responded with small, economical three-wheelers or four-wheeled microcars. The Trojan 200 (or Heinkel Kabine in Germany) offered protection from rain and cold for a fraction of the price of a "real" car.
The heyday was short-lived. When prosperity increased in the 1960s, the public preferred a Volkswagen Beetle or Citroën 2CV. Most microcars disappeared from the streets, but their playful appearance and clever technology remained popular with collectors.
how the resting place was found
Lex: "By chance, I heard in the village that some faded glory from the past was stored somewhere. At first, I couldn't make the right connections. Then I succeeded, and to my surprise, the owner lived just three doors down. He didn't want to sell the car; the Trojan was in the attic of the garage, covered in junk and completely disassembled. He'd owned the car for over forty years. After a few months, I finally got a call: was I still interested? Eventually, the car came into my possession and was saved from oblivion. Inside the car, I even found part 3 of the service booklet of the first owner, J. de Vries."
What followed was three years of restoration work: endless welding, an engine overhaul, polishing the plexiglass hood, a new interior, and a fresh coat of light blue paint. Lex spared no expense in bringing his Trojan 200 to peak condition. And he did it all himself, because he did the most expensive part—the labor.
Proposition: Restoration is a labor of love; it takes time, patience, and dedication.
Classic car enthusiasts who know Lex know he never leaves an old vehicle to the scrap heap. With boundless energy and an unjustifiable dip into his savings, he rescues old bicycles, mopeds, and cars from destruction.
Care
Lex: "When I go for a ride or attend an event on a nice day, the little one draws a huge crowd. For me, it's pure joy. All that dedication, all those hours... it gives me a great sense of satisfaction. The lack of status it had back then is long gone; the Trojan is now a true icon."
Added value
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(The photos continue below.)
I was 14 and a friend's mother had a BMW Isetta, which we regularly secretly rode around Badhoevedorp. I think it also had two rear wheels placed next to each other.
Perhaps that Isetta is the one that stands centrally in the hall at the Harrie Meijer company (now in Lijnden)...
Thanks for your comments and additions, Ton, Peter, and Edgar. You're absolutely right. Although the abbreviation "Heinkel Trojan" was later used more frequently in collectors' circles, the correct historical lineage runs from the Heinkel Kabine (1956–1958) to the British Trojan 200 (Type 604), built under license by Trojan Ltd. in Croydon. Lex's car is indeed such a British version from 1963, so strictly speaking, a Trojan 200, no longer a Heinkel. The article has since been updated to ensure the technical and historical details are completely accurate.
Whether it all works out or not, it's awesome. Keep it running and enjoy it safely.
Nice article about the Heinkel Trojan, but if you have to share a bit of history, do some research first. As an owner of a Heinkel Cab, an Irish Cab, and a Trojan 604, I value their history highly.
Speaking of the Italians and the aircraft industry: After WWII, Italy still had a huge stockpile of aircraft wheels they didn't know what to do with, so all Vespa scooters came with a spare wheel as standard (pictured is a PX (80 to 200cc) which was available until 2016). The same applies to the wartime production of cellulose, which was used in car paint after WWII until the 1980s.
Heinkel was sold to Trojan in the late 60s, and Trojan closed down for good in 1966.
A bit of bad luck, because that thing is called a Heinkel Kabine and it appeared on the market in 1956.
First with three wheels and then four wheels placed very close together.
It was a short-lived success, as production ceased in 1958 and the entire 'project' was sold to the British Trojan in 1961 after much wrangling.
He called the cart the Trojan 200 because the engine was 198 cc. 😄…
And a four-stroke, good for 10 hp
So please don't blindly copy a story from the internet, but first check the facts.
Kind regards, Edgar Ecury
What a sublime restoration of a remarkable little car!
The origins of this Roller were, of course, in the German aircraft industry, which was initially crippled and had to produce something else. Italy, on the other hand, embraced the scooter, which became more popular than its German counterparts, including the Heinkel Tourist.
I have no idea if something similar was produced in Italy. What happened to the Heinkel brand after the 60s?