Friday, October 8, 2010

1952 Terrot VMS1 Scooter 98cc

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With frame number 068, this particular Terrot VMS1 scooter is the earliest known surviving example of this iconic marque

Engine number is 700168.

One of the initial batch of 100 Terrot scooters to be produced, this beautiful scooter was restored by the previous owner at great expense.

The 98cc VMS1 was quite underpowered, so the model was soon superseded by the 125cc VMS2. In 1955 the model was renamed the ‘Scooterrot.’

I love 1950′s French scooters. I adore my riding my Peugeot S57; its wonderful little design touches never cease to amuse me. But the Scooterrot is probably my favourite model; surely it’s the most bulbous design of all the 1950′s French models?

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It pains me to sell this little treasure; I’d originally intended to keep this one and sell my others. But I’ve now decided to be more mercenary in pruning my vintage collection.

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I have a complete photographic record of its restoration (by its previous owner). In the 2 years I’ve owned it, I’ve never started it up. Which is one of the problems with owning so many vehicles: you simply don’t bother to ride them all; and that’s why I’m cutting down to a more realistic level of several dozen.

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The Terrot has been completely restored to original specification using all original parts. All the chrome has been replated; it has new brake linings, and new tyres. The frame is white with the bodywork finished in French Blue. There is no provision for a speedo on this model. The engine and gearbox have been rebuilt. I do not have any registration documents with the Terrot. It is fully functional, but has not been started in the past 3 years. The only job I know that needs doing is that the flexi-pipe from the petrol tank to the carb leaks at its joint with the tap. The only deviation from originality that I know of is that the first batch were apparently finished in red oxide! I don’t think the company had time to paint them due to the pressure to bring out the model in time for its first show. So this Terrot’s paint-scheme is not absolutely to original spec, though is definitely a colour that a prospective purchaser could have chosen after buying one of the first red oxide examples.

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I displayed the Terrot at Amberley Vintage Scooter and Three-Wheeler Show last year. Here it is next to my Peugeot.

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The workshop manual pictured below is included in the sale.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wow keren.