RUMCars Forum
General Category => Unusual Microcar Discussion => Topic started by: Peelpower on July 11, 2007, 07:48:26 PM
-
Hi all,
i'm searching for a Mini Comtesse made in France. Does anyone knows the current prize for such a Micro car? How much were ever built ot them? Who owns one, or wants to get rid of one ?
Cheers
Ferdi
-
This ones been on ebay for a while, 'buy it now' euro700 item: 330106173250
-
I think I've started something with my Mini-Comtesse; Now everyone wants one!!!!!! ;D
There are currently three Mini-'s in the UK, I paid £900 for mine whilst one of the others fetched £1,500, so on the basis of obseravation, that looks to be the general price guide for one already here in the UK. However, none of the UK cars are currently for sale! In its native France it seems they can go for anything from peanuts to 1,000 euros. Keep your eyes open & strke it lucky it seems. As to production, as far as I can gather, about 300 of the "Mk 1" version with single door and no stabliser wheels were built in 1972, of which none are known to survive. The "Mk 2" (like mine), with two doors and with stabliser wheels appered in 1973 and continued in production until 1979. I have heard that some 30,000 were produced, but how true this is I can't say.
I can supply a photocopy of the (French) handbook to anyone interested in return for photos or whatever of anything micro.
Best of luck Ferdi, & let us know how you get on, then you can join me & Inacoma in the very select Acoma Owners Club...... :-*
-
Hiya, many thanks to blob and stuart for your information at all. I did spy out a comtesse in belgium for a not acceptable prize, but there is always a second choice. Anyway mates, i'll let you know how it ends up. A comtesse in one row with my Peels and the Schmitts would looks great mates, would'nt it ? :) :) :)
-
Hang on a moment everyone! That Mini-Comtesse on eBay that Blob mentioned, it's rarer than we thought! Its not a Mini-Comtesse at all, but a Willam Cyclo of all things!!!!! :o I'm not too sure of the precise facts, as I've only ever came across one other Willam Cyclo, but I think Willam took over production rights to the basic Mini-comtesse from ACOMA in 1979, turned it into the thing we see below, and built it into the 1980s.
(http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z211/stuartcyphus/WillamCyclo1.jpg)
As can be seen in the next photo (below), it has a sort of "slotted" grille on its bonnet, as opposed to the mesh affair of a "proper" Comtesse, and it was this that alerted me to the Willam connection;
(http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z211/stuartcyphus/WillamCyclo2.jpg)
Looking at the next photo (seen below) confirmed the Willam origins as the Willam versions were all painted yellow, but it came as a real surprise to me when I noticed the steering wheel set to one side and that it has TWO SEATS!!!!! Looking at my Comtesse, I can't see for the life of me how it would be at all possible to even think of fitting two people abreast in that bodyshell.
(http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z211/stuartcyphus/WilliamCyclo3.jpg)
It looks like there's still a lot of the story yet to be learned when it comes to the history of the Mini-Comtesse...... ??? ???
-
You clever old thing, Stuart. And it's nearly Right Hand Drive! ;D
-
Ta for the compliment Bob :-*, I notced the right hand bias as well, rather like a Veloto. Concidering the French drive on the right, why we wonder do their micros have the steering wheel on the wrong side? Surely they couldn't have fortold the sudden UK interest in the things 30 years ahead of time! - could they?!
Good news everyone, I've just found my picture of what I think is a factury-standard Willam Cyclo.....
(http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z211/stuartcyphus/WillamCyclo.jpg)
-
This version has two conventional doors with no gullwing? I suppose sitting on the right hand side may make it more unstable than a regular Comtesse!
-
It would appear so that the Willam has conventional doors on both sides, though I don't think it would make much differance as I always find it easer to get in & out of the Gullwing, just to be awkward!
Stability; Ah the old chestnut. You hear these legends everywhere you go, you read about it in every publication. Just like the other big love in my life, Reliant three-wheelers. I've driven them both, Reliants & the Mini-Comtesse, and neither of them have ever shown even the slightest urge to lift a wheel at ANY time in ANY circumstances. Remember this folks, if your three-wheeler ever does lift a wheel, its YOU that's doing something wrong, not the car!!!!!
-
i have long argued with Stuart over this point,however as i actually have a car that i use daily i feel im better suited to make comment on it! ive used a Reliant rialto and Regal since feb this year and even though i love the things to bits im not going to pretend that they are the most stable car on the road!a simple manuver like avoiding a rabbit will cock a rear wheel up in the air in a regal,the rialto will bounce over the slightest manhole cover.
-
ive used a Reliant rialto and Regal since feb this year
Well, yes Daniel, you have, but as I've pointed out to you before, we've had twelve three-wheeled vehicles over the past 35 years, and clocked up something like fifteen solid years worth of daily driving in the things in total, and never even came close to a situation where the car even looked like it was thinking of lifting a wheel. In this we also include the hurricane of 1990 that blew the Regal some ten feet sideways at 40mph (the car, not the wind) up on the Burford road. even then, as ever, ALL THREE WHEELS STAYED ON THE FLOOR!!!! My views are still the same, if it ever lifts the wheel, its the driver at fault, not the car.
-
I've driven many threewheelers since 1964 including Bond C, Reliants Mks 2,3,6 & 3/30 also Frisky, Scootacar and a Peel P50 at its top speed of 40mph and not once do I recall lifting a wheel on any of them when on the move. When I was 7 or 8 I used to ride a kids trike miles on only two wheels. Love to try it on an adult trike now to see if I've still got balance! ::) The traffic today is too fast for me, so slow down and blow the others. They can always wait or overtake. Let them get on with it. ;D
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z28/robbie-dee-photos/EBAY064.jpg)
-
unfortunately other drivers dont realise we have no brakes,slow down too much and they will just go in the back of you
-
My cars all had brakes. Do your cars need some work done on them? You must have some weird drivers around your way! Do they need retraining on the way to drive or do they need eye tests if they drive in the back of you?
-
Thats a nice reliant Bob D! Which mark is it? I ask because I owned one as a teenager, I recognise the little visor shape over the rear window, 750 side valve if I remember correctly, mine had a warped head and was forever blowing gaskets. I too have been driving three wheelers for years and have never lifted a wheel! It must be said though that two wheels at the front and one at the rear is the better layout especially if the engine weight is between the front wheels like a morgan, berkeley ect. Bob P
-
Hello Bob P.,
It is or was a 1962 Mk 6. I bought it in 1968 from Two Strokes. Originally in pale lemon and a few scrapes I hand painted it with the best brushes and expensive coach enamel I could find in the duo blue you see. Yes, it had the 750cc side valve engine, based on the Austin Seven one. The photo is a bit foggy as I used an old box camera to take the picture.
Rob D.
-
A 1954 Bond Mk C that I restored in 1964. On the Downs overlooking Eastbourne.
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z28/robbie-dee-photos/EBAY083.jpg)
-
I have to go along with Stuart, Bob P and Rob D. 'cuscus47@yahoo.com', '12.210.134.97', 1, 0, NULL, 'I have to go along with Stuart, Bob P and Rob D. Three wheelers are very stable, feel different than four on the corners, but in my experience never even felt like any wheels lifting. I have a Model 70 with the handle bar steering, and that's different, but feels sure-footed. It does 'figure of eights' like a skater. Also a few Regals with never a shimmy, and a Super Robin that takes off like a rocket and turns even quicker and holds the road, tar, stone or dirt, just like a mountain goat. Maybe the suspension configuration on Dan's is not correct, or even the tyres. Maybe he is observing Milton Friedman's theory of Rational Expectations. simply paradigmed, "that if an event is expected, then that may influence the end result". He expects a wheel lift, and so he believes that it happens.
-
im just adding to a balanced argument,i do however find the cars perfectly stable under normal conditions,i drove my regal up the m5,m42 and a5 to tamworth to a reliant do today and the only real complaint was the noise and occasional blowing around due to sidewinds.
-
Hi all,
Here is difference between Minicomtesse and her sister Cyclo 49. (20 centimetres in width).
In side of this one, a half place is planned for a child, or your girl friend if you are very in love !
-
Hi Denis
How are you?
I have been working on my Acoma Super Comtesse today, to get it looking a bit better to take to Jeans open day later this month.
I have not had time to do anything to the Comtesse break yet.
I am meeting Stuart at the open day so we will have 3 different Acomas together in the U.K. I think this is the first time.
Let me know if you find any of the other Acoma models. I am still interested in finding any spare parts for Acomas.
Best wishes to Mrs.
John
XX
-
Hi Denis, love the comparison though I'm not sure which I prefer, the Cyclo's proportions seem a little odd against the Comtesse.
-
Hello Denis, nice to have you back! Many thanks for the Cyclo details. I notice though that the Cyclo picture I put up earlier seems to be the same width as a standard Mini-Comtesse, whereas your Cyclo pics show the differances in width of that one. Therefore did they make two versions of the Cyclo, narrow single-seater & wide two-seater?
For all the fans out there reading this, here is yet another version of the basic Comtesse idea; the Cedre 600 W. (photo below, curtesy of Nick Devonport)
(http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z211/stuartcyphus/Cedre.jpg)
I know absulutly nothing about these, except that they are electrically powered!
-
Hi mates,
just back from Holland to buy a mini comtesse, and i got 2 of them! So what i need is help.
Unfortunately, there is only 1 headlight rim for both of the cars. So i do need one for the good car to drive it on the road.
Is there anybody who's able to help with a rim??
Probably the unrestored will be for sale. Its nearly complete - good engine but work to do.
Hopefully i get some help with the rim,
Ferdi
-
Hello Ferdi. Congratulations and welcome to the Acoma Owners Club. :-* You don't hang about do you, it took me thirteen years to get mine and you turn up two at once!! :o ;D
Not sure what else uses these headlight rims, but I'll make enquerys. There can't be much that uses five & a half inch lights out there. How about one of your P50s? Some questions from us now; does yours have Saxonette or Motobecane engines and what are the chassis numbers? Mine is 6066..... By the way, the chassis plate will also have 4/4/75 on it. This is NOT the date of manufacture. As far as I can work out, it's either something to do with the address of the Acoma factory, or their telephone number. Can you enlighten us Denis?!
-
Hi Stuart,
the chassis number from the good car is 6553, and the unrestored one is 6402. Both have 8/4/75 on their plates.
Both cars are fitted with dynastart sachs/sachsonette engines. Fortunatelly the better ones.
Still hope someone can help out with this rim, mates.
Cheers
Ferdi
-
Hi Ferdi
I have a spare rim for the Comtesse.
Email me your address and I can send it to you, it's not 100% and has a few rust spots, but would do you for now.
I don't want anything for it, but bear me in mind if you get any spares or info about Acomas.
Welcome to the loony Acoma owners club.
All the best
John
-
Hi
The lights on the Cedre 600's look like they have been added on afterwards, but they are the same on both in the pictures, either very odd styling or they couldn't get the originals any more ?
Great pic. though.
-
Hi inacoma,
tx for your fast help.
My adress is:
Ferdi Tillmanns
Hochstrasse 48
47877 Willich
Germany
Surely i will bear you in mind about the acomas.
Anyway, im proud to be member of the loony acoma club now.
The world is going mad, i reckon mates ;D ;D ;D
Regards
Ferdi
-
We don't mind the world going mad, just as long as it also goes by Mini-Comtesse!!!!
Oops, I made a mistake in my last post. :-[ My chassis plate also reads 8/4/75 like Ferdi's, NOT 4/4/75. I belive my Comtesse to be 1973 as I once read somewhere that all 1973 cars had round indecator lenses, and from 1974 onwards, oblong lenses were fitted. Production ran from 1972 to 1979 & if it is ture that some 30,000 were built in total, my maths makes that around 4,500 produced per year. (remeber also, the first chassis number was 300) then mine (6066) is perhaps late 1973, & Ferdi's (6402 & 6553) are perhaps early 1974? ??? Anyone else have anything to say on the matter?........
-
Just back from testdriving the comtesse. The automatic gearbox is very weird. As i kicked the throttle down nothing really happens.
The car is going slowly forward. I did stop the test run due to the horrible hot temperature we have outside.
How are your Comtesses are running mates?
I am a totally novice in this microcar ???
-
As far as I can make out with mine, although it is indeed an automatic two-speed gearbox, it will only change DOWN automatically. To change UP into top gear needs manual assistance, which is what the handle on the right-hand side under the steering wheel is for.
To drive away from standstill, let the revs build up to a noteable degree, then ease off throttle and at same time pull the handle against spring pressure (not too hard or you will pull the handle off the cable as I have done many times!). Revs should noticibly drop. return handle slowly. You should now be in second (top) gear. If revs immideatly rise again, it has not found second. Try again but hold handle out a little longer time. Eventully you will get the feel for it and learn the precise rev range in which it will change. Too little & it will not change, too much & it will not change.
I belive you need to make this manual change every time you want to get top gear!
Note, it will only drop back into first gear when you have slowed to a near standstill. Then you will feel & hear a distinct "clonk". This is it dropping into bottom gear.
As far as I can see, changing gear has no effect on the forward speed. Only on the rev range of the engine.
-
Hi Stuart,
tx for your kind illustration. Hope i got you, not sure coz my english isn't well enough.
Anyway i'll try to find it out to drive this loony micro asap.
Cheers
Ferdi
-
Dear friend
I am very happy to know than few of you are also in love with these so nice little without licence microcars.
Of course the top speed isn
-
The links for Minicomtesse vid
-
I love the little one with eyes. Don't they all look sad with the Citroen type embellishment on the front? :(
-
Had another test driving right now.
Gear changing works propper, and this tiny car is running about 40 km/h
Makes me feel like it runs 80 !! :o :o
By the way, thanks a lot for your help inacoma !!
-
Is that Denis de Sousa? Microcarfan? Welcome aboard! Love the photo, some great cars.
Amities
Nick D.
-
No Nick ur wrong.
Its me, Ferdi Tillmanns from Germany. You don't remember me, don't you!
...and this is the picture shown of the other side.
-
Hi Ferdi
Glad you got the rim O.K.
If I get info about any new ones I will let you know.
I like Denis's picture as well and have set it as my computer background for a while.
See some of you on Sunday if weather O.K.
John x
-
Nice one Ferdi. ;D How does your gearchange work? Do you have to help yours change up like mine?
Major apoligy needed from me to you John (& everyone else). My boss has sudenly seen fit for no good reason at all to refuse me & Dad the use of the works van this weekend :'( :'( :'(, despite the fact the arrangements were in place since February! Therefore alas I have no (sencible) way of getting the Mini- to Jean's now. At 3pm I was all set to spring it from its hutch and DRIVE the thing to Jean's, but it was then pointed out to me, even if I set off right then, I wouldn't actully get to Jean's until half-an-hour after the last visitor had left Sunday night.
I am somewhat fed up with work at the moment (cobblers to the lot of it!), so I'm still coming to the Open Day anyway, even if it chucks it down (Try keeping me away!), I'm just coming by foot now......
-
Hi Stuart,
the gearchange works well without any help.
Have all a nice day on Jean's open day. :) :)
-
I purchased my 1975 ACOMA Mini Comtesse in December 2020. What do the five letters in the acronym ACOMA stand for?
-
Ateliers de Construction de Matériel. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_Comtesse