As a motorcycle rider, I was also interested in 3-wheeled vehicles, and extension of a bike which could be used in all weather. Consequently, whenever I came across one, I always had to stop and examine it, and sometimes take photos. Danielle didn’t really share the same passion, and thought I was a little obsessive.
The first one we saw was a Sulky in Rome. It had all the requirements for a micro car, and was light enough to lift into a small parking space. It only had a 50cc Minarelli Motor, and looked a little top-heavy. It's seemed too high off the ground for a reasonable centre of gravity though.
These are photos I took of Danielle with the Sulky in Rome.
Below is some promotional material for the Sulky.
And here is some promotional material. The caption on the poster "la gioia della liberta" means " The joy of liberty". This was a real freedom machine.
Another one we came across in Rome was this one which I have not yet been able to identify. I've include the larger photo with the Mini Minor for size comparison.
While in Lucca, we stopped again at a motorcycle shop which sold scooters, MV Agustas and three-wheeler the Charly Camel. We talked to the shop owner and he said that it was made in Pianoro near Bologna.
The manufacturer is Autozodiaco, an Italian company started by Mario Zodiac that built dune buggies based on VW Beetles in the early 1970s. At some point, they designed this three-wheeled microcar and then sold the rights to All-Cars Srl of Pianoro, Italy.
In production from 1974 through 1985, the Charly Camel used a 49cc single-cylinder engine from Moto Morini with a 4-speed the transmission. The body is fiberglass. Because they have only small motor they don't have too worry much about stress from speed and power and are only meant as a city runabout or fun vehicle.
These photos were take at the mororcycle shop.
When we got to Bologna, I visited the factory in Pianoro just after there had just been an un-seasonal snowfall in the area. The guys there were quite friendly, if a bit short on technical information, and after a short chat they took me on a tour of the factory which was really just an assembly line – motors and drive parts, the fiberglass bodies were made elsewhere.
I tried to take in as much as I could but will probably forget a lot. Here is some promotional material.
The first one we saw was a Sulky in Rome. It had all the requirements for a micro car, and was light enough to lift into a small parking space. It only had a 50cc Minarelli Motor, and looked a little top-heavy. It's seemed too high off the ground for a reasonable centre of gravity though.
These are photos I took of Danielle with the Sulky in Rome.
Below is some promotional material for the Sulky.
And here is some promotional material. The caption on the poster "la gioia della liberta" means " The joy of liberty". This was a real freedom machine.
Another one we came across in Rome was this one which I have not yet been able to identify. I've include the larger photo with the Mini Minor for size comparison.
While in Lucca, we stopped again at a motorcycle shop which sold scooters, MV Agustas and three-wheeler the Charly Camel. We talked to the shop owner and he said that it was made in Pianoro near Bologna.
The manufacturer is Autozodiaco, an Italian company started by Mario Zodiac that built dune buggies based on VW Beetles in the early 1970s. At some point, they designed this three-wheeled microcar and then sold the rights to All-Cars Srl of Pianoro, Italy.
In production from 1974 through 1985, the Charly Camel used a 49cc single-cylinder engine from Moto Morini with a 4-speed the transmission. The body is fiberglass. Because they have only small motor they don't have too worry much about stress from speed and power and are only meant as a city runabout or fun vehicle.
These photos were take at the mororcycle shop.
When we got to Bologna, I visited the factory in Pianoro just after there had just been an un-seasonal snowfall in the area. The guys there were quite friendly, if a bit short on technical information, and after a short chat they took me on a tour of the factory which was really just an assembly line – motors and drive parts, the fiberglass bodies were made elsewhere.
I tried to take in as much as I could but will probably forget a lot. Here is some promotional material.