1951 Peugeot BMA 25L 48cc 2-Speed
This is the rarest version of the well-known and popular Peugeot cyclemotors of the fifties. It was a stop-gap model sold only in early 1951, that used the ABG engine (ABG were the manufacturers of the VAP4) until Peugeot had finalized production of their own cyclemotor engine. They only produced 3500 of them.
It’s not for sale, but I’ve added its profile here as a point of reference in case other enthusiasts wish to know more about this model. I’ve written a short history below. You can compare it to the better-known Bima, which was introduced in late 1951, and ran through the 1950s and into the sixties.
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EARLY POSTWAR PEUGEOT CYCLEMOTORS
Peugeot’s first postwar foray into cyclemotoring was a very simple affair: in 1949, they added a VAP4 engine to their Peugeot bicycle models. The illustration above shows the VAP4 fitted to a Ladies Peugeot bicycle, and below you can see a Gent’s Peugeot fitted with a VAP3. (I sold this one to my friend Trevor in New York. As I write, it’s on its way to him, somewhere in mid-Atlantic. I hope he’ll send me a photo of it in due course with a typical NY backdrop).
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Bear in mind that, at the end of the forties, the French manufacturers were still establishing themselves after the ravages of WW2. Peugeot was in a better position than most, but priority was obviously given to their motorcycle models, which had actually started production again even before the end of the war. The motorcycle below is a contemporary: likewise, it’s the earlier (1947) version of the popular 125cc Model 55 which ran through the fifties.
Details of the above machine are on Page 39. PLEASE CLICK HERE
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The BMA 25L was fitted with a centrally-fitted ABG engine; if you study the photo of the VAP3 above, you can see the similarities in design between the VAP3 and the BMA 25L engines.
Below is a publicity shot of the Peugeot factory, taken from the 1951 brochure.
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I’m a confirmed Peugeot addict. I’ve owned a varied selection of their motorcycles, BMA’s, cyclemotors, triporteurs (three-wheelers) and I have a 1955 Peugeot scooter in my personal collection. It’s easy to be impressed by vintage Peugeots: they are well-made, reliable, and sport that quirky French design that I admire so much.
To compare this BMA 25L with the later Bima, here are a few pictures of a 1954 model I used to own, now the pride and joy of my friend Tony.
(That’s not Tony in the picture below)
As you can see, below, these mid-fifties Bimas have their engine-engage levers on the seat tube, whereas the BMA 25L lever is on the actual engine.
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I purchased this rare BMA 25L in France. I had to pay more than I would have liked, especially as it had been hand-painted in household paint by the seller’s children and had a modern saddle on it. Nevertheless, it’s very rare and I’ll attend to its cosmetic blasphemies over the winter. I already have a lovely French 1950s ‘Triomphe’ saddle ready to install. The amount I’ll have to spend on it does not make it economically viable for resale.
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to see what’s currently being sold
PLEASE CLICK HERE – http://buyvintage.co.uk/
