Page 35 - LHR Sept 25.
P. 35
In Britain, Italy, France, and beyond, the immediate and wages were modest. Cars were a luxury, often
post-war years saw a boom not in glamorous reserved for the wealthy. Public transport was
superbikes, but in utilitarian, lightweight, and crowded, unreliable, and in many rural areas, non-
affordable machines. Two designs encapsulate existent.
this era perfectly: the Italian Garelli Mosquito and A cheap way to convert a pedal cycle into a
the British Vincent Firefly. Both represented a motorised commuter was the ideal solution. Out
philosophy of motorcycling that was less about of this need arose the cyclemotor, small engines
horsepower and more about thrift, utility, and designed to bolt onto bicycles. They offered just
ingenuity. enough power to flatten hills, reduce sweat, and
The World in 1945: A Need for Mobility cover modest distances faster than pedal power
alone. They were lightweight, affordable, and
The late 1940s were defined by scarcity. Petrol was
rationed in Britain until 1950, steel was expensive, adaptable.
