1940s French Plans for a 'Mochet' type Velocar
- Thread starter Intrepid Wheelwoman
- Start date
And here's another four pages.
I'm posting the chapters on motorising a velocar as well. Remember these plans were published just after WW2 had just ended so the intention was to provide people with simple ways to homebuild cheap transportation for themselves.
I'm posting the chapters on motorising a velocar as well. Remember these plans were published just after WW2 had just ended so the intention was to provide people with simple ways to homebuild cheap transportation for themselves.
Attachments
Last edited:
I think I shouldn't have skipped school so much in public high school and then paid more attention to my French teacher in military school. With some fluency I could say "My name is", "No" and "I don't know". I said "I don't know" quite a lot even though it resulted in immediate push-ups by my desk. I said to myself, "When am I ever gonna need French?" "Push-ups make me stronger." How about now so you could study these plans, you dummy!
Cool pictures.
SB
Cool pictures.
SB
I know what you mean SB. When I was in school French and Latin were taught like they were punishments for being naughty which did not help in the slightest with feeling any kind of liking towards what I was being taught. My Latin is very (very) rough and I think it always will be, but while I can manage with reading French (with dictionary help) I can't actually speak French for toffee.
If it's Ok with the mods and forum admin I'm only too glad to make these plan pages available on-line as I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds these old vehicle plans from another age fascinating.
If it's Ok with the mods and forum admin I'm only too glad to make these plan pages available on-line as I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds these old vehicle plans from another age fascinating.
Scanned title page. I'm still wating for the Systeme D magazines I recently purchased to arrive btw.
Attachments
Absolutely ingenious the way it is built with hand tools. No welding since everything is bolted together and from what I heard from my friend fathers who were in France during and after the war the only abundance's they had were an abundance of rubble and an abundance of nothing.
It would be fun to build one as closely as possible to the plans but with a small motor in it and brakes.
Steve.
It would be fun to build one as closely as possible to the plans but with a small motor in it and brakes.
Steve.
For a country that has a French speaking population they were very reluctant to let it spread. There are now French immersion schools all across Canada and in fact there is one 3 blocks away that my nieces and nephew went to but it became French immersion where part of your day is spent learning totally in French after they got into the grades towards the end of public school and they want to start you in kindergarten if they can.
Your parent have to ask to have you placed in it though.
When I was in school the joy started in grade 8 or the last year of public school before you went into high school. When I asked the teacher if we were going to be learning the Continental French or our own French that had evolved from French in the 10th to 14th century and is very hard for modern French speaker to follow so I've been told.
The teacher looked at me like I had just blown fire out my ears and told me that we were learning "Proper" Continental French since it was more likely I would be going to Paris than Montreal that was 350 miles away. That reaffirmed my opinion of teachers in that school.
Steve.
Your parent have to ask to have you placed in it though.
When I was in school the joy started in grade 8 or the last year of public school before you went into high school. When I asked the teacher if we were going to be learning the Continental French or our own French that had evolved from French in the 10th to 14th century and is very hard for modern French speaker to follow so I've been told.
The teacher looked at me like I had just blown fire out my ears and told me that we were learning "Proper" Continental French since it was more likely I would be going to Paris than Montreal that was 350 miles away. That reaffirmed my opinion of teachers in that school.
Steve.
Yes it's the low tech, built with salvaged scrap approach that attracts me to these vehicle Steve. No fancy tools or techniques required anywhere on these plans. I did post a chapter with suggestions of how to motorise these velocars with small ex-motorcycle engines, so yes adding a motor is very possible.
In the pages I've just posted in another thread there are suggestions on how to fabricate bicycle tyre substitutes when none are available. So yes these plans were indeed drawn up for a time when absolutely nothing was available. Makes me feel foolish whenever I find myself complaining that I don't have an xyz thingamajig so I can't do or make something.
In the pages I've just posted in another thread there are suggestions on how to fabricate bicycle tyre substitutes when none are available. So yes these plans were indeed drawn up for a time when absolutely nothing was available. Makes me feel foolish whenever I find myself complaining that I don't have an xyz thingamajig so I can't do or make something.
I find that so strange Steve. I suppose the history behind such attitudes is deeply rooted in Canada's colonial past (sigh).
Family friend was raise in the Canadian Province of Quebec which is largely French speaking and though of English parentage he spoke fluent French as well as English.
He was one of the first Canadians on the beach on D Day. As he said there was no one in front of us except the Germans and one fool photographer running out in front of us and taking our picture. The photographer survived the war apparently.
When they had forced their way inland a little he saw some French men hiding in a doorway and he asked them for directions and they just stared at him in slack jawed amazement. They never answered him and he cursed him and moved on. The advance was held up and he was sent back into town for supplies and happened to see one of the men and tore into him for not answering when he asked a question.
He found out that his French that he was so proud of sounded to these men like 400 year old Norman French and with the British and Canadian uniforms being the same the poor men were absolutely dumfounded that a British Tommy was addressing them in a 400 year old Norman Dialect.
It was hinted at that there were some bracing beverages brought up from a close by cellar as an apology for the misunderstanding and a welcome to France and the war went on.
Steve.
He was one of the first Canadians on the beach on D Day. As he said there was no one in front of us except the Germans and one fool photographer running out in front of us and taking our picture. The photographer survived the war apparently.
When they had forced their way inland a little he saw some French men hiding in a doorway and he asked them for directions and they just stared at him in slack jawed amazement. They never answered him and he cursed him and moved on. The advance was held up and he was sent back into town for supplies and happened to see one of the men and tore into him for not answering when he asked a question.
He found out that his French that he was so proud of sounded to these men like 400 year old Norman French and with the British and Canadian uniforms being the same the poor men were absolutely dumfounded that a British Tommy was addressing them in a 400 year old Norman Dialect.
It was hinted at that there were some bracing beverages brought up from a close by cellar as an apology for the misunderstanding and a welcome to France and the war went on.
Steve.
The endless wars between France and England did nothing to endear one to the other. Napoleon was not exactly the poster boy for intercontinental harmony for example. Of course Lord Nelson had his stick in the spokes as well not to mention Wellington.
With the hundreds of antique shows that I did in Quebec not speaking French I only found two men who were belligerent about me only speaking English and they were buried under a tsunami of angry French speaking dealers and customers and went out the door far faster than they could ever have come in and I was profoundly apologized to even though it wasn't necessary. Everyone has boors in their midst.
Growing up I saw the last of the old British Empire in the Colonies. As a matter of fact part of the old British Empire is asleep right above me as I speak. My Mom.
Steve.
With the hundreds of antique shows that I did in Quebec not speaking French I only found two men who were belligerent about me only speaking English and they were buried under a tsunami of angry French speaking dealers and customers and went out the door far faster than they could ever have come in and I was profoundly apologized to even though it wasn't necessary. Everyone has boors in their midst.
Growing up I saw the last of the old British Empire in the Colonies. As a matter of fact part of the old British Empire is asleep right above me as I speak. My Mom.
Steve.
Ah c'est donc ça, maintenant je comprends ...
I didn't realise the French Canadian dialect was so different to continential French Steve. Norman French, I find that really interesting, - not that I'm about to rush off and completely confuse myself by trying to learn it
Thanks for sharing that story Steve
I didn't realise the French Canadian dialect was so different to continential French Steve. Norman French, I find that really interesting, - not that I'm about to rush off and completely confuse myself by trying to learn it
Thanks for sharing that story Steve
That's a nice little story, Steve. The Norman French splitting off in the new world is interesting. Something similar happened in the Appalachian mountains in the U.S. English and Scots settled into isolated mountain homes at a time when English sounded just as it did in Shakespeare's day. Old songs and manners of speech remained unchanged in the isolated new world mountain communities while back in England it changed quite a lot in the following centuries, particularly in pronunciation. And in a similar way, we Americans had the idea (and still do) that the language of "hillbillies" in the highlands of North Carolina is backwards and laughable... when the truth of the matter is that the hillbilly twang we make fun of is how Shakespeare and his generation spoke the language in their time.
I find it interesting that the accepted norm of Shakespearean elocution as we know it is not at all accurate historically and if somehow William were able to attend a contemporary production he would have a hard time understanding what was being said. But if all the actors were hillbillys he would feel right at home. That's what I thought of with your Canadian soldier speaking an antiquated Norman French.
Thanks again for your story, my friend.
SB
I find it interesting that the accepted norm of Shakespearean elocution as we know it is not at all accurate historically and if somehow William were able to attend a contemporary production he would have a hard time understanding what was being said. But if all the actors were hillbillys he would feel right at home. That's what I thought of with your Canadian soldier speaking an antiquated Norman French.
Thanks again for your story, my friend.
SB
When we were traveling in the south in 1952 or 1953 and I'd have to ask my Mother just what state it was but most likely in the Carolinas, they had a flat tire and a young man stopped to change it for them. I remember just barely his unusual English accent which even at about 10 years old caught me off guard because it was a strange place for someone to have a rather strange English accent.
Years later my parents talked about the nice young man with the Elizabethan accent who stopped to change their tire for them like it was an everyday happening.
Steve.
Years later my parents talked about the nice young man with the Elizabethan accent who stopped to change their tire for them like it was an everyday happening.
Steve.
That front suspension is Morgan sliding pillar. Actually, the whole frame layout looks like a Morgan three wheeler (with a fourth wheel added).
Did any of these actually get built? Reason I ask is that I see plans on the internet for various homebuilt type cyclecars, and while they seem like great ideas, the plans (once you really start to look hard at them) are not that complete, requiring a great deal of "fill in the blank".
An example of what I mean are those Swedish cyclecar plans (Fantom?). I think I've seen perhaps one or two examples of that one. The "plans" are more like notional sketches.
Did any of these actually get built? Reason I ask is that I see plans on the internet for various homebuilt type cyclecars, and while they seem like great ideas, the plans (once you really start to look hard at them) are not that complete, requiring a great deal of "fill in the blank".
An example of what I mean are those Swedish cyclecar plans (Fantom?). I think I've seen perhaps one or two examples of that one. The "plans" are more like notional sketches.
Yes those Fantom plans are really just 'notational sketches' intended to give a broad outline to the builder and the details get filled in according to the parts and material the builder has to hand.
Sliding pillar front suspension was used by several cyclecar makers, it's just that Morgan is remembered best for using it. It's a good design in that it's relatively easy to build with only basic handtools, has few moving parts and it just plain works well and does the job.
These French plans were published in 1948 and were certainly based on actual designs that were proved to work during the German occupation. Photographic evidence does exist, but is often hard to find unless you know how to Google in French
Sliding pillar front suspension was used by several cyclecar makers, it's just that Morgan is remembered best for using it. It's a good design in that it's relatively easy to build with only basic handtools, has few moving parts and it just plain works well and does the job.
These French plans were published in 1948 and were certainly based on actual designs that were proved to work during the German occupation. Photographic evidence does exist, but is often hard to find unless you know how to Google in French
Last edited: