Vespa left the ACMA works. In 1954, production of the 150,000th

Vespa left the ACMA works. In 1954, production of the 150,000th

Vespa ACMA

    The Vespa was exhibited for the first time in France in 1947 and in 1949 the ACMA factories were created in Fourchambault in the Nièvre which, from 1951, manufactured the Vespas. The French market soared, from 600 units in 1949, sales of scooters rose to 15,000 in 1951 then to 135,000 in 1955, including 57,600 ACMA. A beautiful story which ends in 1957 with the departure for Algeria of all young people of "scooter" age, a huge increase in insurance due in large part to the poor stability of these first Vespas, and finally the appearance of credit and small used cars.

    Forced-air-cooled 2 t single cylinder - 125 cm3 (56.5 x 49.8 mm) - 4 hp / 4,500 rpm - 3-speed gearbox - Self-supporting steel hull - Side covers and front fender. in alu - Front suspensions single-sided drawn wheel, rear. motor-swingarm and hydraulic shock absorber - Steel wheels, 3.50 x 8 "tires - Drum brakes - 5 l tank - 87 kg - 65 km / h. Production started in February 1951 with 20 workers building 200 scooters. In April 1953, the 100,000th completed Vespa left the ACMA works. In 1954, production of the 150,000th Vespa was celebrated.

    It was also in 1954 that the company modified its name to Ateliers de construction de motocycles et d'automobiles. ACMA was founded on 25 November 1950 as Ateliers de construction de motocycles et accessoires in Fourchambault, near Dijon, France. It is remembered for the production of scooters and micro cars.

    A.C.M.A. (Ateliers de Construction de Motocycles et Accessoires), an aeronautical firm, produced 123cc, 147cc & 173cc Vespas under license in Fourchambault, near Dijon. Manufacture commenced in 1951 and by 1954 they had produced 150 thousand machines. Production continued until 1962 when falling sales of scooters, and of the Vespa 400 microcars which they also produced, caused the closure of the small factory with devasting impact on Fourchambault. The company at its peak employed some 2800 people, and the population of the town was just a little over six thousand.

    The major difference between the French and Italian scooters was the location of the headlamp which had been moved to the steering head on the ACMA. The Vespas at that time were located on the front mudguard.

    Born from the brilliant idea in 1945 of the aircraft manufacturer Enrico Piaggio and his engineer Corradino d'Ascanio, the Vespa ("wasp" in Italian), fulfills all the desires of the post-war period and the market literally explodes. Simple and designed for mass production, the Vespa found its definitive concept in 1945: a self-supporting hull in pressed welded sheet metal, small wheels mounted in cantilever and easily removable and an engine attached to the side wheel right with three speeds controlled by twist grip on the handlebars.