A thiaphosphametallacyclopropane and a thiaphosphametallacycloheptadiene are important intermediates for understanding the mechanism of the cyclotrimerization of thioxophosphorus(V) cations and alkynes. These species are accessible by use of a bulky substituent R at the phosphorus atom. Compounds 2 are formed from the metallacyclopropane 1 and dimethyl or diethyl acetylenedicarboxylate in hexane. Upon heating in THF, they lose CO and are transformed into the known metallabicycloheptadienes 3. R1 = cyclohexyl; R2 = CO2Me, CO2Et.