The seller has this King Midget Model 2, or Series 2/II listed as a 1958 but the company had moved on to the Model 3/Series III by 1957 so I’m putting it in the 1956 category. They have this one listed here on Facebook Marketplace and they’re asking what seems like a very reasonable $3,950 and it’s located in Auburn, California. Thanks to T.J. for sending in this tip! Here’s the listing, this one won’t last too long at this price in today’s market.
This is one incredibly rare little car as the Model II cars don’t come up for sale too often. There are a couple of things to mention right away on this one: first, there seems to be no clear consensus as to the actual version of the Model II. Some King Midget scholars refer to them as Series II, some others as Series 2, and then again, some call them Model 2 or Model II. My King Midget book refers to them as the “Model 2” as does the King Midget Car Club. But, the International King Midget Car Club calls them Model II and others refer to them as Series II or Series 2. It’s no wonder why politicians can’t “reach across the aisle” if folks can’t even agree on a name for these cars.
The second thing to mention is more of a housecleaning issue that comes up every now and then, and that’s concerning why the photos are sometimes, well, weird-looking. It’s because a lot of the photos used in online vehicle ads these days are in a vertical format because a lot of people use their phones as cameras and they hold them vertically, hence the result being a vertical photo. In order to squeeze them into a horizontal format to be shown here, we have to make these composite images, first stretching the original vertical photo to cover the entire frame, blur it and lighten it as a background, and then copy the original vertical image over that and adjust to fit it to make sure that the whole image is visible within the frame.
As with the image above. If it wasn’t a composite image it would have been cropped to the middle 1/3 which would have made no sense at all, visually. This is what it would have looked like. A reader recently wondered what the ___ was ___ going on with you ___s and your ____ crazy images!! (!!!) (!) Well, he wasn’t rude about it but he was not happy. This is the reason why the images look the way they do here sometimes. We always want to present the best possible photos to showcase the seller’s vehicles and sometimes that means making these crazy, maddening-to-some, images. Just so you know.
Whatever these cars are called, they are very rare. The Model II came between, yes, the Model I and the Model III. My work is done here, have a good evening! They were made until 1957 when the final version of these cars came out, the one that most of us think about when we hear the name King Midget: the Model III. This example looks like it’s in really nice condition other than the top, but having the original to use as a pattern is the next best thing to having a perfect original top.
They’re simple cars and they aren’t meant to hit a 2022 Suburban head-on so don’t worry about merging onto the freeway or any of that nonsense. The engine is the original Wisconsin 7.5-hp air-cooled single-cylinder. This one runs and this is a complete car. It sure looks great to me for this price and it would be a fun winter restoration project. Any thoughts on this one? How do you refer to these cars: Model 2/Series II/etc?
I used to see these advertised in Popular Mechanics and Mechanix Illustrated back in the 60s. I always thought one would be real cool (back when I was 10). I never saw one up close and personal until about ten years ago. Of course they have a different appeal to me now but I think they would still be a blast…
Tough engine,got one powering my buzz saw:-)
Vehicle title laws used to be less strict. I’d bet 75 cents that someone ordered this KMII kit in 1956, but by the time they got it built and had it inspected and titled, the year was 1958, so that’s what it was titled as.
A friend in high school whose dad owned a used car lot took a model 3 one in for a partial trade and we had a blast piling 3-4 guys squeezed in and tooling around with that load it barely moved but we were all laughing so hard we hardly noticed his did not have a top like this one. We’re they all red? Because I do not recall ever seeing another color!
RMac- do you have an opinion on the price of this one? I have a friend who had two of these. They went to Barrett Jackson about ten years ago where they sold a for a predictably high price.
I recall that the standard factory color was Bone White.
I grew up in the 1960’s/1970’s and loved the KM seeing a few around my city growing up. Watching most offered needed a lot of work and a high price. About five years ago I found a ’63 KM that was restored to original standards. Mine is red in color with a black roof and red/white seat. I hope to have it at our “Celebrate Waupun Car Show” June 26,2020 in Waupun WI.
Peter—–Hey I don’t live to far from Waupun and haven’t been to any car shows for a cou[ple of yrs may have cruise over in my collector and see it
Sorry- that should have gone to Peter K, who currently owns a King Midget.
Richard, when you add restoration cost to his asking price, you may do better checking around. I may have an original owner, unrestored Model II not too far away. I’m not sure what his current price is but if you want to contact me on FB as I’m friends with his daughter and will forward on.
Richard, see my previous comments.
Mighty small for the streets.
That Wisconsin engine is reliable and powerful for it’s size. Had one powering a 14 foot inboard (!) boat as a youngster and traveled all over the Northern Michigan lake with it.
I got in behind a Model III once back in the late 60’s… on I-95 of all things… I was heading south to Richmond VA from the town of Ashland. The King Midget was also red and the driver got it up to 55 MPH and held it until he got off of 95 at the Richmond city limits. I found out later that he was a student RPI (now Virginia Commonwealth University) and he needed very cheap transportation to the school daily… the King Midget was his answer.
A King Midget Mustang?
I recall that the standard factory color was Bone White.
Is it still available, would make my Crosley Super Sport look like a big car. LOL
Wpuld be interested if still available.