A watchmaker from Turku bought a special German motorcycle in 1952. Now it can be bought at an auction.
A two wheeler car, was advertised by the German motorcycle manufacturer Maico Mobil in the 1950s.
A scooter-type metal tube with a bow that is a cross between a duckbill and a cyclops competed with the Italian Vespa in the same market. Whereas Vespa attracted buyers with Italian elegance, Maico Mobil promised almost car-like mobility.
Maico markets the Mobil as a completely new type of vehicle that combines the benefits of a car with the ease and lightness of a motorcycle.
Image from Maico Mobil’s advertising magazine from the 1950s.
The large windshield and wide roofs promised to push rainwater away from the driver’s face, and the manufacturer promised that pants and shoes would stay dry. The bike’s 14-inch tires offered a smooth ride, while visibility was guaranteed thanks to the large front light.
Wheel did not receive praise for its appearance, but was nicknamed the Trash. Today, Maico Mobil has been restored and is even called the Holy Grail of scooters.
In Naantali Reijo Ahosella for sale is such a German motorcycle rarity. His father Esa Ahonen bought Maico Mobil 30 years ago.
“The bike was perfect in parts, but required a comprehensive restoration,” says Ahonen.
After five years of restoration, Maico was accepted into the museum vehicle register. The beige-colored bike has had little use in recent years. After the restoration, the bike has been ridden only a few kilometers. The engine has been rotated at regular intervals.
Ahonen’s father bought the bike partly out of nostalgia. In his youth, he rode his own father’s Maico.
Maico Mobil was suitable for continental city driving.
“My father used Maico in the late 50s in Helsinki when he was in the army. According to him, the bike was quite challenging to ride. In particular, you had to remember when stopping that the support leg could not be moved directly to the ground when the wheel covers were in the road. Many Maico fell on their side because of this,” says Reijo Ahonen.
The most famous the Finnish Maico enthusiast is from Helsinki Timo Nyberg. He told HS in the story Driving Maico is at least challenging. The large windshield easily hawks air and easily turns the vehicle onto the side of the road in a headwind.
“Yes, you sail with it. You have to lean to one side when the cue turns to the other side,” Nyberg described.
In Germany, the Maico Mobil hobby is going strong, and there are still plenty of spare parts for the bike. Maico manufactured Mobil bikes between 1950 and 1958.
The bike’s engine was placed in the middle of the frame.
Ahonen’s bike was bought new in 1952 by a watchmaker from Turku Lovely Stake. In Europe, Maicos in good condition have been sold for over 20,000 euros. Why does Ahonen want to give up rarity?
“We like four-wheelers,” says Ahonen.
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