Hello all.
A few years ago I had found pics of the so called"Velocar", while searching online for bike related stuff.
These vehicles were build by the french manufacturer Charles Mochet from the late 20s until the middle of the 50s.
They were basically bikes, but build like a car in sociable configuration with four wheels, partiallly whith suspended front axle.
Up to 5 gears for both driver and stoker where available in the final models.
Mochet used very thin plywood (1-2mm)for the fairing, with a layer of paint and fabric on the outside to make it weather resistant.
Very few of these vehicles survived, no possibility for me to buy such an ingenious vehicle.
One Velocar (freshly restored) was sold last year on a well known online platform, for a very reasonable price of 2500€.
The Microcarmuseum auctioned a few this year for prices...wow...five, six times higher.
So my idea was, to build my own Mochet-inspired sociable.
I want to use most modern and easy available bike parts and least specially constructed ones.
Since May 2012 it's driveable, used as family tandem with room for 2-3 childs in the rear box.
As I planned the build I was a little bit too optimistic about the weight calculation of the "Retroadster".
I had estimated around 100 pounds with the fairing, but ended up with over 120 pound without the shell.
So weight saving is recently my biggest issue.
This results in a new frame build from 4mm birch plywood.
It's in fact lighter than the steel frame AND doubleacts as part of the shell (i.e. the entire bottom)
The last pics are showing the recent construction stage.
Next steps are the assembling of the axles, steering system, seats, backseat and then finally the fairing.
I'm still brainstorming about the final look.
More aggressive like the model, eventually shark teeths made from alum in a beast mouth shaped fake grille,
hidden head lights like this car
a little bit H.R.Giger and so on.
I'm glad to read suggestions from you, so feel free for comments and critics.
So long
Kai
A few years ago I had found pics of the so called"Velocar", while searching online for bike related stuff.
These vehicles were build by the french manufacturer Charles Mochet from the late 20s until the middle of the 50s.
They were basically bikes, but build like a car in sociable configuration with four wheels, partiallly whith suspended front axle.
Up to 5 gears for both driver and stoker where available in the final models.
Mochet used very thin plywood (1-2mm)for the fairing, with a layer of paint and fabric on the outside to make it weather resistant.
Very few of these vehicles survived, no possibility for me to buy such an ingenious vehicle.
One Velocar (freshly restored) was sold last year on a well known online platform, for a very reasonable price of 2500€.
The Microcarmuseum auctioned a few this year for prices...wow...five, six times higher.
So my idea was, to build my own Mochet-inspired sociable.
I want to use most modern and easy available bike parts and least specially constructed ones.
Since May 2012 it's driveable, used as family tandem with room for 2-3 childs in the rear box.
As I planned the build I was a little bit too optimistic about the weight calculation of the "Retroadster".
I had estimated around 100 pounds with the fairing, but ended up with over 120 pound without the shell.
So weight saving is recently my biggest issue.
This results in a new frame build from 4mm birch plywood.
It's in fact lighter than the steel frame AND doubleacts as part of the shell (i.e. the entire bottom)
The last pics are showing the recent construction stage.
Next steps are the assembling of the axles, steering system, seats, backseat and then finally the fairing.
I'm still brainstorming about the final look.
More aggressive like the model, eventually shark teeths made from alum in a beast mouth shaped fake grille,
hidden head lights like this car
a little bit H.R.Giger and so on.
I'm glad to read suggestions from you, so feel free for comments and critics.
So long
Kai
Last edited:
