Archive index   Go to the Archive index


VEHIKLE - Utrecht, February 1990

by Derek Rayner

This year's autojumble was even bigger than the 1989 event previously reported in these pages, with an extra hall (making four in total) open specifically for cars, commercials and associated displays.  There were some 1,200 stalls altogether covering an area of 33,000 square metres and there was plenty to see for the cyclemotor and autocycle enthusiast.  There were many, many individual machines for sale, certainly more than I have ever seen at a British jumble.  We spent some five hours in the halls and certainly did not see everything during that time.  Some engines were priced and the converted prices are given here to enable a comparison with the home market.  Sinamec - £112, VAP (ABG) - £56, Cymota (minus cover and lamp) - £152, several Mosquitoes - unpriced, Itom - £88, Mini-Motor - unpriced, and Victoria - £120.  All these were without cycles.  There were three Velo-Vaps noted, prices for the complete machine started at £88 and went to £160; and no fewer than three Solex 'Flash' 6000s were seen - this is the shaft-drive version.

As pointed out in a letter to the magazine last year from one of our worthy Dutch friends: a visit here is a must for VéloSoleX enthusiasts, for there were parts in abundance - both new and second-hand.  Indeed, virtually all the models produced in the Netherlands were on display, for sale, in various conditions.  Not surprisingly, the older they were, generally the poorer they were.  The cheapest, in a poor condition, was £25.  One oddity was a standard Solex 3800 frame which had been fitted with a Berini cyclemotor in place of the Solex engine.

Another thing of interest noted was the Velenzo electric conversion which was seen in 1989 - perhaps even the same one - which friction-drives the front wheel by two vertical contra-rotating cones.  These are mounted on spindles which are attached to the wheel nuts either side of the front wheel.  Also there were transfers - as has been noted in these pages before, popular ones not available in this country included Cyclemaster (two types), a red background Power Pak and two versions of the Solex.  The prices of these were most reasonable and instructions came in English.

Our friends RHC-Nederland had a big stand there with several machines on display, both cyclemotors and autocycle/moped type machines.  They seemed to be doing good business in so far as dispensing information was concerned.  It was obviously worthwhile for British autojumblers to be present since at least two stalls (big ones at that) were observed staffed by English personnel.

It was altogether a most rewarding weekend - with a visit to Antwerpen in Belgium included.  Here we visited an interesting collection of objects entitled Het Wiel (The Wheel).  This is located at No.17 Hopland, close by Antwerpen Centraal Station and not far from where the Sunday Vogelen Markt (Bird Market) is held.  The museum consists of some ten rooms wherein are displayed a wide variety of objects associated with the museum's title.  These range from unicycles, bicycles and tricycles to motor cycles, children's toys, cars, model steam engines and many other categories too numerous to mention.

Of specific interest to Club members were a nicely restored Cyclemaster, an Ariel 3, a Benelux Solex (OTO) and a couple of loose engines - a Berini M13 and a Flandria.  There were also a Victoria scooter, Honda P50, a couple of Whizzers and a 1955 Piatti scooter - made in England by the same firm which manufactured Cyclemasters - this one with a 150cc engine.  It certainly is worth seeking out this place if one has an hour or two to spare when on a short break to Belgium.  The admission cost of 100BF (around £2) is not unreasonable provided that once inside one can avoid having a personal conducted tour by the owner.  He was most definitely a Belgian.


First published - August 1990


Archive index   Go to the Archive index