1958 Zundapp Janus

Mobilizing the masses following World War II also meant venturing into the microbar business. Many were based on motorcycles and therefore could be licensed as such, giving their owners significant road-tax savings. One of those companies in the microcar business was Zundapp of Germany. They had been in the motorcycle business since 1921 and, while they had experimented with a vehicle in the late 1930s, it was not until the post-war period that they took the leap into car manufacturing. Their design featured identical doors front and rear opening onto bench seats facing forward and aft. Thus, the name 'Janus' was appropriately applied, as it was named after the two-faced Roman god who had the ability to look into the past as well as the future.

When production ended, fewer than 7,000 examples had been built. One Zundapp was given a starring role in the latest installment of the Pixar animated film Cars 2, in which a prominent villain, Professor Z, is portrayed as one of these cars.


by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2019

Related Reading : Zundapp Janus History

Like many other producers of Microcars, the German manufacturer Zundapp got its start in motorcycle production. It was founded in Nuremberg in 1917 to produce munitions and as the First World War came to a close, switched to motorcycles. The first product was introduced in 1921 and sold at a very reasonable and low price. Their first attempt in the automotive industry came during the 1930s....
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1958 Zundapp Janus Vehicle Profiles

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

Janus

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
71.65 in.
1 cyl., 15.13 CID., 14.00hp
71.65 in.
1 cyl., 14.95 CID., 14.00hp
71.65 in.
1 cyl., 14.95 CID., 14.00hp

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