Shednesday: Mobylette 50V
The mention of a salad has inspired Ben Carter to select a Mobylette 50V for this week's Shednesday. PetrolBlog: the home of tenuous links.
Merry Shednesday. After last week’s query regarding songs that mention salad, I've been pointed in the direction of “A Change of Heart” by The 1975. “And then you took a picture of your salad and put it on the internet,” it says.
As a tenuous link, this week’s challenge was to find a car from 1975. At least you haven't posted a photo of a salad on Instagram – Ed.
Not actually a car
This criteria led me to only one car, which was actually from 1973, and a truck with a cherry picker. But what if I didn’t just look at cars? Yep, this is my first foray into motorbikes, which I know considerably less about than cars!
I found some interesting trike projects, but what really drew my eye was this pedal and pop 1975 Mobylette 50V. Okay, so it’s a moped rather than a motorbike. Being the top spec 50V model means it has front and rear suspension and a heavier body than lesser models. It's also the most desirable model produced by manufacturer Motobécane, which sadly stopped making mopeds after bankruptcy in 1981.
Don't go crazy
It uses a 39cc air-cooled, two-stroke engine, which propels the Mobylette 50V to a dizzying top speed of 35mph. Forget any ideas about high-speed antics – this moped's made for pootling. Is there a more British word than ‘pootling’?
Viva la variator
I’m unsure if it has a variator or not, although you can apparently tell by seeing if the engine moves inwards when the throttle is opened up. Variator aside, it looks like it has been lovingly maintained and looks great with the red and chrome combo. The seller also mentions a costly rebuild, so it should be in mechanically sound condition.
What you have is essentially £750 of retro charm to carry you to the station each day, or to fetch a newspaper. It’s in Wolverhampton should you want to go and see it.
Over to Gavin to comment on what I suspect is the first coverage of a moped on PetrolBlog!
What does PetrolBlog think?
I have to be honest, this doesn't do anything for me. Variety is the spice of life and all that, but I just can't get excited about it. Show me a leggy Corolla for £400 and I'll go wild with excitement. An ageing Accord for £800? Hold me back.
In other news, I'm going to be spending this Shednesday driving a new Dacia Sandero to the West Midlands. I did the same journey last week, but I can't wait. Maybe that's why I can't concentrate on what is probably a really interesting moped. It's quite simple: my head has been turned by a Sandero!
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