Hanomag Kommissbrot

This Hanomag certainly has something to say about minimalism. It is one of the smallest and simplest cars of its time.

This Hanomag certainly has something to say about minimalism. It is one of the smallest and simplest cars of its time. A time when Germany is weighed down by extreme inflation and, for example, a loaf of bread costs millions of marks. Because the rounded shape of the bodywork resembles the loaves that the army hands out to the poor, this first Hanomag passenger car gets the nickname "Kommisbrot" (army bread roll). Also note the single headlamp in the middle. With its 10 hp single cylinder 500 cc engine it can reach a top speed of 60 km/h. The Hanomag "Kommisbrot", which is also available as a convertible and as a van, has only one (drum) brake. Between 1924 and 1928 about 15,000 are built. Remarkably, in 1927 stripped Hanomags were still being raced on the Nurburgring. Hanomag is an abbreviation of Hannoverische Maschinenfabrik AG. The company originally builds steam locomotives, later trucks and tractors. Between 1924 and 1939 the company also produces passenger cars. In the late 1960s Hanomag merges with truck manufacturer Henschel, and this combination is taken over by Mercedes-Benz in 1971.