The DFW Car & Toy Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, has unveiled a rare 1937 Tempo E200, a three-wheeled utility truck from pre-war Germany. The vehicle, part of the museum's Ron Sturgeon Collection, showcases unconventional engineering and design that set it apart from typical automobiles of its era.
Manufactured by Vidal & Sohn Tempo-Werke of Hamburg, the Tempo E200 was produced in various body styles between 1936 and 1937, with only about 9,600 units ever made. Designed for urban work, the E200 features a unique front-wheel drive layout powered by a 197cc water-cooled, two-stroke single-cylinder engine delivering seven horsepower. Its entire front wheel, engine, transmission, and chain drive system are mounted as a single pivoting sub-assembly, allowing for agile maneuvering in tight spaces.
Ron Sturgeon, founder of the museum, noted the vehicle's significance: 'The Tempo E200 is a rare survivor that showcases the ingenuity of pre-war utility design. It's strange, it's clever, and it's got more personality than vehicles ten times its size.' The truck rides on a central tube frame with a single coil spring at the front and a swing axle with twin volute springs at the rear. Mechanical rear drum brakes, reverse-hinged doors, B-pillar trafficators, a drop-down tailgate, and a functional cargo bed complete its utilitarian charm.
Inside, the spartan dash includes a starter button, trafficator switch, ignition key, and warning lamps. A three-spoke steering wheel sits in front of the centrally mounted gear shifter. The Tempo E200 is part of over 200 rare cars and 3,000 collectibles on display at the museum, which offers free admission and secure climate-controlled car storage. For more information, visit the museum's website at dfwcarandtoymuseum.com or the Ron Sturgeon Collection page at ronsturgeoncollection.com.
This exhibit offers a glimpse into pre-war automotive innovation, highlighting a vehicle that was both practical and eccentric. The Tempo E200 stands as a testament to the creative solutions engineers devised to meet the needs of urban transportation in the 1930s.
