It would be fair to say that Lawrence House’s 1957 Zündapp Janus 250 resembles few other vehicles in the UK, with its interesting door configuration – and an engine mounted between the seats. It is also one of the most exclusive microcars of its era, with only four believed to be on the road in this country.
The Janus began as the Dornier Delta prototype for which Zündapp, the German motorcycle manufacturer, acquired the rights. The Bella motor scooter was the firm’s mainstay, but by the mid-1950s, the local motorcycle industry was in crisis and Zündapp sought to augment its output. It logically named its first car after Janus, the two-faced Roman god of beginnings, time and duality.
Power for the Janus was provided by a 14hp, 245cc single-cylinder, two-stroke engine that drove the rear wheels. The top speed was 50mph, with 0-50mph acceleration said to take 38 seconds – this was not the ideal car for the autobahn. Zündapp intended it to appeal to motorists with a German “Class IV” driver’s licence, who could not operate a vehicle with an engine larger than 250cc.
Zündapp could further claim that the Janus had an elaborate specification by microcar standards: hydraulically powered brakes, all-independent suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, four-speed gearbox and a 12V electrical system. Plexiglass side windows minimised weight and the back seat was removable for extra luggage space. It could even be configured as a camper, the two benches forming a double bed on top of the engine cover.
The Janus debuted in June 1957, tempting buyers with a list of standard equipment that included an exterior mirror, a column lock and an engine immobiliser. Extras included a heater, sun visors front and rear, a sunroof and luggage nets for the doors. The owner could also order a detachable steering wheel to provide additional space when converting the seats into a bed.
Autocar referred to the Zündapp as “one of the most original approaches to small-car design, and the suspension and space distribution problems in particular have been tackled admirably and boldly”. The magazine also found the front-seat occupants had good legroom, that the engine was very noisy and that the “very soft suspension allowed the Zündapp to roll alarmingly if cornered fast”.
An English language brochure boasted “the Janus allows anybody sitting on the rear seats ample legroom and unobstructed view in all directions”. Not to mention: “Even a fair-sized pram can be accommodated in a Janus, and that really is something that will not be imitated quickly.” A limited number were marketed in the United States, while US Concessionaires Ltd displayed “the intriguing new Janus” at the 1957 London Motor Show.
However, only four examples are believed to have been privately imported to this country. The four-wheel layout would have been a challenge to UK sales, as the Janus could not be driven by anyone who held only a motorcycle licence (a quirk in the regulations permitted them to drive three-wheelers, such as Reliants). The projected price was also too high: at £556, it cost as much as a Fiat 500.
In its homeland, the Janus was also comparatively expensive: 3,290 Deutschmarks, when an NSU Prinz 1 cost 3,645DM and the entry-level Volkswagen Beetle was 2,950DM. Zündapp needed to produce at least 12,000 units per year to cover its costs and it hoped to sell 15,000. But October 1958 marked the end of the line after only 6,902 examples of the firm’s first and only car were produced.
House acquired this fine Sahara yellow and alabaster grey Janus “for £12,000, a long time ago. This one began its life in Austria and its first owner decided to use it as an ice cream van. He removed the back seat to accommodate his storage buckets and sold the ice cream out of a side window while kneeling on the front bench.”
As for road manners, House finds the Janus “a very willing little car with a non-synchromesh ‘crash’ gearbox and the handling is wonderful because it is a truly mid-engined car. Its Achilles heel is that the engine could be over-revved, causing expensive damage. I enjoy hearing the sound of that crisp two-stroke note and, besides, you must listen out for the vagaries of the transmission.”
And best of all, a Janus owner could even buy a toy shop stick-on steering wheel to attach to the rear door. What a confusing sight for following drivers, who might believe the Janus was driving straight at them…
We use the fascinating How Many Left for figures of surviving examples but some cars present more of a challenge. Some pre-1974 records were lost before the DVLA centralised the process, while some cars have their model type misnamed on the V5 registration documents. A further issue is the omission of the exact model name or generation – Mk1 or Mk3, for instance.