Saturday 19 November 2011

Three-wheeler or motocarro

A motocarro from Motom, 48 cc 4-stroke, 1952-1966.

I promised to show some three-wheelers, or motocarro or motofurgone, from the fair at Imola this year.
Now is the time. I have a soft spot for these "work-horses", never cared for and just doing their job. Day by day, year by year, decade by decade.
Some are "better" than others.
Like the Ape Calessino from Piaggio. Better paint, nice wood insets and soft seats for tourists. Gliding along the Riviera with a lazy "ciao" to passer-by's.
Other just moved vegetables, boards, bricks, olive oil, bottles of wine, and so on. All through streets several centurys older than the motocarro itself. Narrow streets and alleys, no room for a big lorry like a Scania or a Volvo.
From the beginning half a motorcycle or half a scooter, two wheels in the back and a flatbed above. As they progressed a cabin was added, without doors from the beginning. Later vans and pickups were available. Calessinos, rickshaws, were developed in to small taxis.

Ape from 1967-1974, 175 cc. Like the one I'm longing for...

Ape Calessino, 125 cc, about 1952?

Needs restoration, Ape about midfifties, 150 cc. Missing windshield.

MV Centauro motocarro from around 1959, 150 cc 4-stroke.

A Benelli from Pesaro, early fifties. 49 cc.

Even Moto Guzzi, 500 cc from midfifties maybe.

Ape faro basso, 150 cc and from  about 1956.

1 comment:

  1. great photos of three wheelwers.i love apes motom and all that. would love to have one.

    ReplyDelete