Mini Comtesse France

[Peelpower]

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

[blob]

This ones been on ebay for a while, 'buy it now' euro700 item: 330106173250

[Stuart Cyphus]

I think I've started something with my Mini-Comtesse; Now everyone wants one!!!!!!   

 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......   

[Peelpower]

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 ? 

[Stuart Cyphus]

 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!!!!!     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.



 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;



 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.



     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......      

[witney44]

You clever old thing, Stuart. And it's nearly Right Hand Drive! 

[Stuart Cyphus]

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.....

[blob]

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!

[Stuart Cyphus]

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!!!!!

[Dan Rodd]

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.

[Stuart Cyphus]

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.

[witney44]

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.  

[Dan Rodd]

unfortunately other drivers dont realise we have no brakes,slow down too much and they will just go in the back of you

[witney44]

  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?

[Bob Purton]

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