Zündapp Janus 250
Which end is the front? This little car gave its passengers two very different views.
1958 Zündapp Janus 250 in Sinsheim · Alf van Beem · Public domain (PD-self)
What did this one sell for?
Make a guess, then reveal one identity-matched completed auction result. It is a comparison point, not a price promise.
Reveal the auction result
Based on a completed sale at RM Sotheby's, an estimated value for this vehicle is $51,750.
Why this sale: Exact 1958 German-built Zündapp Janus, identification W3571, with the production 248 cc single-cylinder two-stroke and four-seat double-ended body; not a Dornier Delta precursor, motorcycle or different microcar. RM described the car as fully and professionally restored to factory-correct specification and exceptional throughout. The restoration and rarity are value-positive differences from unrestored, incomplete or driver-quality Janus examples.
RM's displayed $51,750 sold result includes the auction's 15% buyer's fee; taxes, registration, transport and later work are excluded. One auction result is a reference, not an appraisal; condition, history, options, location and market timing can change value. Accepted as an exact-year, exact-model completed sale from RM's Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum auction. The RM results identify it as lot 248 in the Friday 15 February session. Searches did not establish a newer primary identity-matched completed result, but this is not claimed to be globally latest.
More than a set of wheels.
Zündapp was known for motorcycles when it tried a small family car. Its Janus used a design developed from aircraft designer Claudius Dornier’s idea. The front passengers faced forward, while the rear passengers watched the road disappear behind them. The 1958 car belongs to a short production run that began in 1957.
Look a little closer.
The two benches could be arranged into a sleeping surface, making the tiny Janus a very small camping companion.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Two ends, two viewpoints
Janus took its name from a Roman god associated with beginnings and endings. The museum highlights its four back-to-back seats and nearly matching front and rear shapes.
Source: Zündapp Museum Sigmaringen · Janus exhibit ↗A motorcycle maker changes direction
Zündapp sought outside designs as customers wanted more substantial transport. It selected Dornier’s double-ended car, but sales disappointed and production lasted only about a year and a half.
Source: Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum collection · 1958 Janus sale catalog ↗Spot the production car
Look at the doors as well as the badge. The Dornier precursor used top-hinged end doors; Zündapp changed to side-hinged doors for the production Janus. A museum photograph or filename alone therefore cannot establish that a car shows production Janus equipment. The gallery cabin photograph is labeled as model-level context because its exact year is undocumented.
Source: RM Sotheby’s · 1958 Janus, development from the Dornier design ↗Where these facts come from
- Zündapp Museum Sigmaringen · Janus exhibit
- Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum collection · 1958 Janus sale catalog
- Tucson Auto Museum · Janus 250 engineering
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 30, 2026.