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Derived Products of the Solex
Limited series :
There's been more than a colored series called "de luxe", it was a limited
series called the Roland Garros SoleX. It was borne in hungaria and inherited
the special green color of the frensh tennis open. It is really nice, take
a look by your self :
The most pecular model is still a unique Golden SoleX. This model was ordered
by the Cartier Fundation for an exhibit : "nostagic about SoleX", in 1989
to "Présence Panchounette". It's a group of french artists created
in 1969 and dissolved in 1990 who always wanted to laught at art, with such
things as giant lawn dwarf, or artificial well ; a sort of parodic and
alternative art.
In this case it's a SoleX plated with three golds and red lether signed Cartier.
The name of this piece of work is "The real classic of perfect emptiness"
("Le vrai classique du vide parfait").
The bike from Solex :
In 1964, Solex produced the F4. It's a replica of the 3800 for kids. This
bike even has a fake engine that produces sound. This bike was solde 149 F.
In 1967, Solex deals with Eduardo Bianchi to produce within the next year
a complete line of bikes for France and Germany. This deal will go on until
the year 1973.
VéloSolex abroad :
After 1948, you could find the Solex just about everywhere, and particularly :
in Switzerland (Hispano-Suiza), in Italy (SIFAC of Turino), in England, in
the scandinavian countries, in Belgium and Luxembourg (Stokvis (also dealing
in Indonesia and the belgian Congo)), and by l'Union Française in Africa
and Asia, in the States, in South America, in the Dominican Republic (Moped
Dominicana).
From 1957, we can even find it : in Spain (Orbea), in West Germany and
with the help of importers and manufacturers under a VéloSolex licence
this special bike was present in 57 countries.
And in 1973, the Solex will be solde in Brazil (Industrias de Cyclomotores
S.A.), in Canada (Laniel Canada Inc. et Cyclex Ltd), and even in the United-States
with the creation in 1947 of a special model, the 4600 to abide the standards.
Here are some exportation numbers : 37 163 units for the 6 first
month of 1967, 78 000 for 1968, 47 000 for 1971 and 38 000
for 1973.
The accessories of the Solex :
Here comes a non definit list of accessories fo the Solex :
a declutcher for the first models
a central stand for old models that didn't have it
a derailleur
a transport handle
fuel can carriers for the side of the front wheel, one to go along the
frame inbetween the clank gear and the seat, and one just aside the luggage
rack
saddlebags
baby seats to mount on the luggage rack that even have foot rests
a hand warmer that carries the heat from the engine to the hands via a
hand protection installed on the handlebar
a windscreen
a foot rest protection that goes up to the legs
a biger foot rest
an anti-mud device, a rubber that rubbes the tire under the front mudguard
a mudguard that covers part of the back wheel
and chromed bumper for the engine, the back light and also the back frame
The Solexine :
The Solexine was created by British Petrolium on Solex's demand
and distributed from 1947.
It's a special fuel optimized for the Solex engine. 4 000 000
litres were sold in 1951, 6 000 000 l in 1952, which
means you could go round the world 15 000 times. Until 1957,
the can was painted in green on a gold background, and from 1958
on, it was written in green on a black background whith the BP logo
on a white angle. In 1969 the Solexine was solde 1,36 F the
litre .
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