Melkus Logo

In 1959, the city of Dresden in East Germany witnessed the establishment of Melkus, a brand committed to crafting lightweight sports cars and single-seaters. The brainchild of racing enthusiast Heinz Melkus, the company initially devised innovative ways to navigate the stringent auto production regulations prevalent in East Germany. As a result, early Melkus creations cleverly incorporated components from vehicles like the Trabant and Wartburg.

While the 1960s and 70s saw the brand making waves in the racing circuits, particularly in Formula Junior and Formula 3 with standouts such as the models 69 and 70, the brand also explored the realm of road cars. Notably, in 1979, they introduced the RS1000 sports car, although the production numbers remained modest.

The political transformation marked by the fall of the Berlin Wall also ushered in challenges for Melkus. By 1986, with outdated infrastructure and waning demand, the brand bid farewell to car production. However, a glimmer of hope emerged in 2009 when Melkus returned, unveiling the RS2000 sports car. Though manufactured in Germany, this model intriguingly harnessed engines from Toyota and VW. This revival, however, was short-lived. By 2012, financial turbulence forced Melkus to shutter its operations again after managing to craft around 25 RS2000 units.

Looking back at its sporadic history spanning 1959 to 2012, the total output of Melkus, including their racing and road cars, amounted to less than a hundred units.