We saw this at the market on Saturday and it brought back memories of the Vespa Ciao Bravo I bought when I first moved to France in 1975. Moby, is a model of moped by the French manufacturer Motobécane made during the second half of the 20th century. The Mobylette was launched in 1949 and was manufactured until 1997, with production numbers exceeding 14 million with peak production in the 1970s, averaging around 750,000 annually. The word “Mobylette” has since become something of a genericized trademark in the French language, referring to mopeds in general. (Thank you Wikipedia).
Nous avons vu cette belle mobylette bleue au marché samedi. Elle me rappelait ma première acquisition d’une Vespa Ciao Bravo en 1975 lorsque je suis arrivée en France.
4 replies on “The Blue Mobylette – La mobylette bleu”
That’s the first time I’ve heard that term for one of those.
What do you call them? They don’t allow them in Australia!
Simon has mobylette envy. Of course, to looke properly French the rider has to be wearing a beret and there needs to be at least one baguette strapped to the baggage rack. (I have a photo of one of these or a Solex — I forget which — with baguettes strapped to the back.)
Here’s mine : http://www.aussieinfrance.com/2012/08/bikes-i-have-known/