Wednesday 12 October 2011

Terrot - the fat pig from France

You could take this for a french Terrot, but it's a Magnat-Debon!

So many scooters, so little time, so little money...
I'm basically a Vespa and Lambretta fanatic. And Svalan Scooter of course. I would even consider buying an Apollo Biet as well. Then I draw the line, me think's.
But I also have a soft spot for this little french bugger. Strongly resembling a fat pig or something running away from a children's merry-go-round.
Thought they only came as Terrot's but on the french Scootentole forum I learnt that they also were sold as Magnat-Debon's. Or even an Automoto. Thanx to Big X for the first photo.
The debuted in 1952 as the Terrot VMS1 and the Magnat-Debon S1. 98 cc, 2,6 hp and 3,25 x 8 inch tyres. Upgraded in 1953 to 125 cc and 3,5 hp. At first suited for only the driver. The third version from 1954 were somewhat enlarged allowing a pillion. In 1955 the last upgrade was done, this is the cunningly named Scooterrot! The Magnat-Debon was called just S3. With a preselector gearbox with a gripshift on the left handlebar displaying which gear that was selected, according to the book "A-Z of Classic Scooters" (Haynes, 2007). It also gained one whole horsepower more, now 4,5!
Drivable? Maybe. Cute? Definitely!

This Terrot sits at Vittorio Tessera's museum outside Milan.
This is a Magnat-Debon, too. I think...
What are they admiring? Being french et al...
Baby blue, and for two!


3 comments:

  1. What a cool looking scooter! Now that would turn some heads for sure. I have never seen one like that before. So are ou buying one or do you own one and are refurbing? I wonder how it handles? Very cool!

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  2. There has just been a barn find of one of the baby blue for 2 models here in NW France, which is going under auction on the 26 th of March 2016. No estimation for the price. It was found together with 70 vintage cars, many old vespas, solex motocycles and pedal cars in a barn of a collectioner who has recently passed away.

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