The DFW Car & Toy Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, has added a rare and quirky piece of automotive history to its collection: a 1937 Tempo E200 three-wheeled utility truck. Manufactured by Vidal & Sohn Tempo-Werke of Hamburg, Germany, this vehicle is a standout example of pre-war ingenuity and is now on display as part of the museum's Ron Sturgeon Collection.
Produced between 1936 and 1937, the Tempo E200 was designed for nimble urban work, featuring a unique front-wheel drive layout powered by a 197cc water-cooled, two-stroke single-cylinder engine that produces a modest seven horsepower. Only about 9,600 units were ever made, making surviving examples extremely rare. The vehicle's most distinctive feature is its entire front wheel, engine, transmission, and chain drive system, all mounted as a single pivoting sub-assembly. This design allowed for surprisingly agile maneuvering in tight European alleyways.
Ron Sturgeon, founder of the museum, remarked on the vehicle's appeal. “From the moment you see it, you know this isn't your average truck. 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 Tempo 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 is equipped with vintage essentials: a starter button, trafficator switch, ignition key, and warning lamps. The three-spoke steering wheel sits proudly in front of the centrally mounted gear shifter, reminding drivers of the hands-on nature of 1930s motoring.
The museum, located at 2550 McMillan Parkway in North Fort Worth, houses over 200 rare cars and 3,000 collectibles, with new additions featured throughout the year. Admission and parking are free, and the museum is dog-friendly. For more information, visit dfwcarandtoymuseum.com.
This addition underscores the museum's commitment to preserving and showcasing unusual automotive history, offering visitors a glimpse into a bygone era of clever, albeit eccentric, engineering.
