Designed at the request of Theodor Croneiss to supply his new airline venture which was to become Nordbayerische Verkehrsflug (NOBA),[1] it was a conventional high-wing cantilever monoplane with fixed tailskid undercarriage.

[2] The design was praised in its day for the cleanness of its aerodynamics, lightness of construction, and economy of operation[3][4] The first M 18 to enter service with NOBA was provided by Messerschmitt in exchange for a 49% share of the new company, and on 26 July it began commercial flights.

[5] NOBA's early successes enabled the company to place orders for additional examples of an improved model, the M 18b.

It would eventually purchase twelve of these,[1] but manufacturing them would exceed the capacity of Messerschmitt's own small firm, leading to a merger with Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) in 1927.

Following NOBA's reorganisation into DEVAG in 1931, a small number of a further-improved version, designated M 18d, were ordered, but the type was soon superseded by the similar but larger Messerschmitt M 20.