RUMCars Forum
General Category => Unusual Microcar Discussion => Topic started by: richard on July 05, 2013, 06:37:14 pm
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determined to widen my knowledge a bit . one problem with these sorts of car , i am sure i am not alone , when a topic starts off gearchange/ dashboard blah de blah i don't know what car is being discussed . in order to help me :) why not intro the topic with a pic so i know where we are starting from . which are these i photographed a few years ago at an NMCR
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Sorry looking in the background. Freind Wood, 2CV, sooo nice. Not microcar, no talking at the back.
Its a bit of nightmare actually, as the same cars turn up, in nearly the same form, but with different names on. It would be easy to picture the wrong car! What is wanted is a spotters guide to 'sans permis' and then the thread can reference that file of informative pics. Isn't that what Barry said about 6 months ago? Damn.
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In the middle is an Acoma Super Comtesse
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ao7dnotn45wfm9o/7y7XAejC5D/A/Acoma
Microcarfan forum:-
http://microcafan.xooit.fr/index.php
The www.microcarfan.com site (by Denis) appears to be off-line.
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from what i now gather not all this type of car are "sans permis " different engine sizes 50- 150 ? for example and surely the number plate would mean that the central car is "avec permis " ;)
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Surely sans permis cars are san permis and the other ones not. They are not both at once unless they are avec permis in there spare time. So unregistered exported and all French san permis are sans permis along with other exported unregistered cars including such things as LHD Bonds, since the cannot be real cars in that form. However on gaining valid registration as cars in any other country, but France, although the French retain the right to register them, should they choose, all these cars move to their designated none sans permis section on the forum leaving only the sans permis that are sans permis remaining on that site. I trust that is clear, Richard. If not you could move to France and practice your all conquering Gallic shrug of indifference. Now maybe thats it! The cars are shrug started, Steven. It explains the spare levers/strings/pedals etc.
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I get the impression these vehicles are somewhat akin to the blind-alley UK regulations that used to allow 17 year old learner drivers to drive a 3-wheel van as long as it long as it was below a certain weight and didn't have passenger seats or reverse (or something around that spec). The market dictates that you'll only ever sell a few vehicles in such a niche so manufacturers attempt to diversify to keep sales rolling e.g bigger engines or higher spec. Add to that the desire of individuals to upgrade, probably illegally, from the original spec and you end up with a range of microcars some of which where but now may not be Sans Permis or may never have been Sans Permis.
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In the middle is an Acoma Super Comtesse
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ao7dnotn45wfm9o/7y7XAejC5D/A/Acoma
Microcarfan forum:-
http://microcafan.xooit.fr/index.php
The www.microcarfan.com site (by Denis) appears to be off-line.
The one on the left is an Arola - newer version I think.
http://www.remarkablecars.com/arola.html
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/cljlcg6lgr2cans/28AKzsiyly
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Dear Friends
I think the best way to think of them is as tricycles and quadricycles, but the ones with 50 cc petrol engines or larger diesel engines restricted to 4 Kw were called Sans Permis in France, All others are classified as heavy quadricycles and heavy tricycles, for which you need a licence in France. Now that this European classification has been unified. I think the Sans Permis classification has been done away.
Can any of our French Forum members confirm this fact.
Chris Thomas
Rumcar News
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The Arola on the left of Richard's photo was mine. It had a 47cc Sachs engine, electric start and centre-mounted handlebar steering although there was provision for two adults on the bench seat. This made for an interesting driving experience. I sold it to Fabian Fresson who used it for a while to cruise the stalls at Beaulieu autojumble before re-homing it.
The spectacularly ugly (some may disagree) Mini Comtesse in the centre was owned by Gary Axon, a one-time microcar enthusiast, who worked for SAAB UK in their publicity department at the time. He brought the MC to the rally in the back of a pick-up truck and there's a video of it being unloaded from the pick-up on YouTube. Gary now works for Goodwood, something to do with corporate events, I think.
Nick D.