1949 Imme R100: The Most Radical Post-War “Bee” on Two Wheels

1949 Imme R100 🚲: 100 cc Bee That Hit 47 mph on 1 Gallon. In just three years, this tiny German motorcycle sold over 12,000 units, turned its swingarm into an exhaust pipe, and delivered 100 mpg fuel economy that modern scooters would envy. Built in postwar Germany by Norbert Riedel—an engineer who once designed starter engines for jet aircraft—the Imme R100 wasn’t just a commuter bike, it was a rolling experiment in ingenuity. 🛠️

From its single-sided fork to the “stinger” exhaust swingarm, everything about the Imme R100 defied convention. Collectors today pay up to $22,000 for surviving examples, proof that this 100 cc oddball has become an industrial design icon. 🎨

Join us as we dive into the full story: the history, the engineering tricks, and why the Imme R100 is still buzzing in museums and collections worldwide. Don’t forget to hit 👍 if you enjoy rare machines, and subscribe 🔔 to keep our hive alive with more incredible stories. 🐝

────────────────────────────────
LINK
────────────────────────────────

• Imme R100 – Mecum Auctions: https://www.mecum.com/results/?q=Imme...[filters]=taxonomies.run_date.timestamp%3C1756080000+OR+sold=1+OR+bid_goes_on=1&configure[ruleContexts][0]=pin_items&saleResult[0]=sold

────────────────────────────────
Image Sources
────────────────────────────────

This video contains historical and archival photographs from:
– Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain, CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA)
– Flickr (licensed for commercial use / no known copyright restrictions)
– Unsplash / museums / archives (CC0 or equivalent licenses)

All images are used under their respective free licenses.

👉 Full credits with authors & links are available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O...

────────────────────────────────

#ClassicMotorcycles,#VintageBikes,#MotorcycleHistory,#ClassicCars,#EngineeringIcons,#ImmeR100,#GermanMotorcycle,#TwoStrokeHistory,#PostwarDesign,#MotorcycleCollectors