UNFOLDED and READY TO GO IN 30 SECONDS!
…THE VALMOBILE FOLDAWAY MOTOR SCOOTER
The motor scooter of a thousand uses. Instant transportation for one or two, completely portable, folds compact (27 x 14 x 24″) …stores like a piece of luggage. Automatic transmission. Easy starting. Smooth riding. Up to 35mph. Up to 165mpg. Air cooled 2-cycle. 2.8hp engine. Under $200.
1961 Valmobile Folding Suitcase Scooter
49cc
Weight: 75lbs
The Valmobile Suitcase Scooter is one of the world’s most interesting scooters. Designed by renowned French inventor Victor Bouffort, it was extensively marketed in Japan, America and Europe, but did not meet with great success. It missed the scooter boom years of the fifties, and was adversely affected by the flood of Japanese mopeds in the early sixties which killed off all competition from European manufacturers. It did sell in small numbers in America, as there was a niche market there for small scooters, particularly to be used on boats and camper vans, and it was superior to any of the American models available at the time.
This example is in excellent original condition. The previous owned bought it in a Sotheby’s auction in the USA in 2000, and it has been stored since. The engine turns over.
VALMOBILE DESIGNER VICTOR BOUFFORT
Victor Bouffort was a French designer who is best known for the outlandish Bouffort three-wheeler (above) he created in 1945. It used parts from the Citroen Traction Avant and was a two-seater with hydropneumatic suspension. Not many were made and production dates are quoted variously as 1947-1950 or up to 1960. A clearer picture of a Bouffort can be seen below.
Bouffort made various prototype vehicles for the French army and, around 1952, worked on prototype bubblecars, as below. None of these met with much success. However, Brutsch and Tourette came up with very similar vehicles, which they claimed to be their own ideas.
Bouffort gave up car design and started work on the Valmobile. The French army were initially interested, but eventually used the Vespa instead.
In France, the scooter was marketed by Martin Moulet & Co, who were pump manufacturers.
1960s TRAVCO/ DODGE MOTORHOME
In America the Valmobile was also offered as an accessory for motorhomes, as you can see below.
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VALMOBILE INSTRUCTION BOOK
HIRANO FOLDING SCOOTER
Hirano (below) was the Japanese distributor. I’m not sure how successful the scooter was in Japan: probably not very successful, as Hirano went bankrupt soon after. Worldwide rights were owned by the Japanese company Gosho. American company OCCO Specialties Inc of South Hackensack, New Jersey was the American importer: they bought the worldwide Valmobile rights from Gosho, and all parts from the factory were shipped to OCCO in the USA before Hirano/ Gosho went bankrupt.
In the 1980s I owned the same model of scooter, although that one was badged as a Hirano. I sold it in 1993. The picture of me sitting on it was taken for an article by Scootering magazine.
Info thanks to – http://automobiles-voisin.pagesperso-orange.fr/e_pfi_08_vehicule.html
http://www.valmobile.com/
