The $250,000-plus figure was an estimate made ahead of a 2020 auction—not a confirmed sale price or a current valuation. The car was an FMR TG500 Tiger, a rare four-wheeled German sports microcar whose best-known auction result was $322,000 in 2013. Other sales cited at the time were much lower, so that record is an outlier rather than a reliable guide to what every TG500 is worth.
What was the 500cc two-stroke sportscar?
It was the FMR TG500, commonly called the Tiger. FMR stands for Fahrzeug und Maschinenbau Regensburg. The four-wheeled model was the higher-performance counterpart to the three-wheeled Messerschmitt Kabinenroller. German engineer Fritz Fend is credited with its design. New Atlas describes the Tiger as having four larger wheels, larger brakes and front suspension arms, larger headlamps, and a larger engine than earlier models. New Atlas’s 2020 report and RM Sotheby’s 1958 lot record document the model and a specific example.
Engine and performance
RM Sotheby’s recorded the 1958 car’s engine as a 494cc, two-cylinder, two-stroke unit producing 20.5 hp. Its catalog gave a stock top speed of 78 mph and a 0–60 mph time of 28 seconds. New Atlas rounded the engine to 500cc and described a top speed of 80 mph. Those are source-specific figures; they should not be collapsed into a single precise specification.
How the Tiger differed
A 2025 listing says the TG500 had larger wheels, hydraulic brakes rather than the cable-operated brakes used on the three-wheeled Kabinenroller, and improved suspension. “Tiger” was an unofficial name; the model designation was TG500 or Tg500. The listing for a 1960 example also describes car-specific competition modifications, not features that should be assumed on every TG500.
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- Brand new box
- Real rubber tires.
- Detailed interior, exterior.
- Die-cast metal body and chassis,
- Dimensions approximately L-2.75 inches long.
Why was it expected to fetch more than $250,000?
The figure came from a July 22, 2020 New Atlas preview of RM Sotheby’s Elkhart Collection sale, then scheduled for October 23–24, 2020. It referred to the expected price of a specific 1960 car, not to a guaranteed result or a general market price. New Atlas placed the expectation against several earlier auction outcomes:
| Car and sale | Reported result or estimate | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 TG500, Bonhams Goodwood Revival, 2013 | £82,140, reported by New Atlas as $130,400 | Realized result; dollar amount is the report’s conversion. |
| 1960 TG500, RM Sotheby’s, 2013 | $137,500 | Realized result reported by New Atlas. |
| 1959 TG500, Bonhams Quail Lodge, 2015 | $165,000 | Realized result reported by New Atlas. |
| Rose 1958 TG500, RM Sotheby’s, 2013 | $322,000 | Realized result and the standout figure in this comparison; confirmed by RM Sotheby’s official lot record. |
| Salmon-colored 1959 TG500, offered in 2017 | $250,000–$325,000 estimate; did not meet reserve | Unfulfilled estimate, not a sale price. |
The three realized results of $130,400, $137,500, and $165,000 were reported by New Atlas in 2020; they cluster well below the $322,000 record. RM Sotheby’s described the record-setting rose car in its own catalog as “The most desirable and fastest ‘Messerschmitt’ with the highest specification; the only example in Rose.” That is auction-house catalog language, not an independently established ranking. The car’s unusual color and specification form part of the context for its result, but the available figures do not isolate what each feature added to the price.
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How rare is the TG500?
RM Sotheby’s gives production as 320, a figure also cited by New Atlas. The 2025 auction listing rounds production to about 300. New Atlas says fewer than half are believed to survive, but that is an estimate rather than a confirmed census. The sources do not establish a definitive current count of surviving cars.
What is known about a competition-prepared example?
The 2025 listing concerns a particular 1960 TG500, chassis 21065. It says FMR built that car for competition under employee and competition driver Eduard Ernst, with a front aerodynamic spoiler, enlarged rear cooling scoops, suspension and gear-change modifications, and a rare Sport Top. According to the listing, Ernst competed in the car; it was later refurbished and entered the 2008 Historic Liège–Brescia–Liège Rally, where a three-Tiger team won the team prize. These details describe chassis 21065 only, not standard equipment or history shared by all TG500s.
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- Brand new box
- Real rubber tires.
- Detailed interior, exterior.
- Die-cast metal body and chassis,
- Dimensions approximately L-2.75 inches long.
What does the $250,000-plus headline mean today?
It records a dated 2020 expectation. The reported results and estimate above provide historical context, but they do not establish a 2026 market value. A present-day valuation would require recent comparable completed sales and details such as each car’s condition, originality, specification, provenance, and sale terms. An estimate—especially one that did not meet reserve—is not evidence that a car sold for that amount.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Brand new box
- Real rubber tires.
- Detailed interior, exterior, engine compartment.
- Has opening hood.
- Made of diecast metal with some plastic parts.
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- Doors Open
- Pullback Action
- Die Cast Metal Body
- PULL BACK ACTION WITH FREE ROLLING WHEELS
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