1946, Gare de Lyon, a 20-year-old student is struggling to push his bike towards the platform. His backpack is crushing him, the slope is hurting his legs, and then, all of a sudden, he sees something strange that passes him effortlessly. A bike... but with a small motor spinning above the front wheel. The guy is barely pedaling, moving forward as if nothing was happening, and above all - and this is the craziest thing - he seems to be having fun .

This student has just witnessed the birth of a legend. The VéloSolex, "the bicycle that rolls by itself." And this story fascinates me because we're talking about a machine that has everything wrong technically speaking but which will become one of the best-selling mopeds in the world. More than 7 million units, can you believe it?

{slides}

But before telling you how two engineers revolutionized French mobility, we need to go back to 1905. École Centrale Paris, class of 1905. Two brilliant kids met at school: Marcel Mennesson and Maurice Goudard. At 21 and 24, they had everything they needed to succeed, except that Marcel struggled to get there.

The two geniuses who suspected nothing

Marcel Mennesson, fatherless at 14. Can you imagine? At a time when education cost a fortune, it was his older sister, who worked in a hat-making company, who paid for his studies. She worked hard so that her little brother could become an engineer. And this story really touched me, because you can already see that Marcel had the determination that would take him far.

Maurice Goudard, on the other hand, is a little more bourgeois, but just as brilliant . The two kids become friends and decide to start their own business together. In 1905, barely out of college, they create their own company. And guess what? They don't make bicycles! No, they make centrifugal radiators. I swear, radiators!

But hey, Marcel and Maurice have a keen eye. They quickly realize that the future is the automobile, which is starting up. So they retrain in carburetors. And there, watch out, it works like a charm. Their Solex carburetor will equip practically all French cars of the time. Peugeot, Citroën, Renault... everyone wants a Solex.

Oh, and the name "Solex," you'll see, it's a funny story . Maurice Goudard organized a family competition in 1910. The rules? Find a name with a maximum of five letters, two syllables, euphonious, which has no meaning and is pronounced the same in all languages. Honestly, try to do that, it's a sport! And that's how "Solex" was born, on June 14, 1910. Thirty years before the first moped!

War changes everything

1914, the war breaks out. And then, our two partners, they do something that blows my mind: they go to the front and leave their company in the hands of their secretary . Can you imagine? A company that works like a charm, and they say to themselves "come on, we're going to fight for France". It's beautiful but it's completely crazy!

But it was precisely in the trenches that Marcel would have the idea of the century. He observed the soldiers loaded down like mules struggling up the hills, and he thought to himself: "What if we put a small engine on a bicycle?" The idea was there, but it would take until 1940 for it to take shape.

1940: The revolutionary idea is born in the midst of war

It's 1940, France is occupied, gasoline is rationed, and Marcel Mennesson—now 56—decides it's the perfect time to launch his revolutionary moped. Revolutionary, but completely technically crazy .

The concept? A small 38cc engine mounted on the front wheel of a bicycle, with a roller transmission that presses directly onto the tire. On paper, it's brilliant. In reality, it's a real fool's trap! The weight distribution is ridiculous, the steering becomes unstable as soon as you accelerate, and in the rain, the roller slides on the wheel. But Marcel doesn't care; he's convinced it'll work.

And you know what? He's right . In 1943, the VéloSolex was officially approved by decree. In the middle of the German occupation! I can imagine the faces of the Vichy bureaucrats who discovered this strange thing: "Uh, is it a bicycle or a motorcycle?" - "Both, Mr. Administrator, both..."

The Renault 4 was much more than just a people's car—it was a symbol of freedom and independence for an entire generation of French people. When it was released in 1961, no one imagined it would become one of France's most iconic cars. And you know what? This 4L reminds me why I love miniature cars. Because holding a small 1:43 scale 4L in your hands is a bit like experiencing that whole era all at once.

That's why I opened my shop BernardMiniatures.fr. I have more than 1500 miniatures in stock, mostly 1/43 scale, specializing in vintage cars from 1950 to 1999. Well, I'm not a big site, so I often only have one or two pieces of each model, but that's also what makes it charming. I have Renault of course, but also Simca, Citroën 2CV, Peugeot 404, cars from the 24 Hours of Le Mans, rally... a bit of everything.

Delivery is free from 75€ in France, and I make sure to wrap everything well with bubble wrap because these little cars break easily.

Go take a look at bernardminiatures.fr if you're interested - and you'll see, I have some models that are really worth a look, including miniatures from the era when the VéloSolex reigned supreme on French roads.

Now, let's talk a little more about the explosion of this revolutionary little moped...

The explosion of the 50s and 60s: when the whole of France adopted the Solex

1946, it's off to a good start . The first production VéloSolex rolls off the production line with its 45cc engine that develops the phenomenal power of... 0.4 horsepower! To give you an idea, that's roughly the power of an electric blender. But it's more than enough to turn any pedaling into a healthy stroll.

And then it was a tidal wave. The French discovered that they could go to work without breaking a sweat, take their kids to school without getting out of breath, and above all - and this is the most important thing - ride for less than a used bike . Because the price of a new Solex was less than a month's minimum wage at the time!

I sometimes think that Marcel and Maurice understood everything before everyone else. In the 1950s, France was rebuilding, people wanted mobility but couldn't afford to buy a car. And boom, the Solex arrived at just the right time.

The slogan that changed everything

"The bicycle that rolls all by itself" - honestly, who came up with that? It's advertising genius! In four words, it says it all. It's not complicated to understand, it's not pompous, and it makes you want to. Just hearing it makes me want to hop on a Solex and explore the countryside.

And the numbers are mind-boggling. In 1964, an absolute record: 380,000 Solex sold . Can you imagine? That's 1,500 Solex leaving the factories every day! At that time, seeing a Solex was as commonplace as passing a 2CV on the road.

Students, workers, office workers, small business owners... everyone rides a Solex. And I have to admit something: the more I study this era, the more I think we've lost something . This simplicity, this resourcefulness, this joy of riding a machine that makes noise but takes us everywhere...

When the Solex becomes a movie star

Well, and this is going to make you smile, but the Solex is becoming a real star! Jacques Tati , do you know him? Monsieur Hulot? In 1958, in "Mon Oncle", his character drives a Solex from start to finish. And it's not a product placement, it's just that Tati thought it suited his character perfectly: a bit of a dreamer, not very practical, but endearing.

And then there's Brigitte Bardot ! BB herself posing with a Solex S2200 for Life Magazine. Honestly, when I see these photos, I think the Solex really had it all. It was cool, it was practical, and even the biggest stars of the time were seen on it. In "Les Novices" in 1970, she rides a Solex and looks like she's having the time of her life.

Charles Aznavour too, Catherine Deneuve in Saint-Tropez... All these people could have afforded any luxury car, but no, they choose the Solex. Because the Solex isn't flashy, it's not pretentious. It's just efficient and fun.

Technical evolution: from the 330 to the legendary 3800

Over the years, Solex has evolved its models. The 330, the 660, the 1010... Do these numbers mean anything to you? For enthusiasts, they're like wine vintages! Each model has its own particularities, improvements, and minor flaws.

The more modern Solex 1700 from the 60s. Then the S2200, S3300, and finally the S3800, the most popular of all . With its 49cc engine, it was the one that would accompany the baby boomer generation in their youth. And I bet some of you have memories of this model...

But hey, I have to tell you something that always makes me laugh. Technically, the Solex is a nightmare ! The roller transmission that slips when it rains, the engine on the front wheel that unbalances everything, the steering that goes crazy as soon as you push a little... Any serious engineer will tell you that it's nonsense. And yet, it works! It's the Solex mystery.

The Dark Years and the Modern Renaissance

Well, all good stories must come to an end, and the Solex story began to go sour in the 80s. The competition arrived , the Japanese arrived with their reliable and efficient scooters, and above all, young people were changing. They wanted more power, more speed, more style.

In 1988, it was over. After 42 years of loyal service, production stopped. More than 7 million VéloSolexes were sold worldwide . That's huge! But at that moment, we thought it was over, that the Solex would join the memories of the past...

Well, no! In 2013, a dramatic turn of events occurred: the company Easybike bought the Solex brand and decided to relaunch it. But be careful, not just any old way. They relocated part of the production to France, to Saint-Lô, and they innovated with electric vehicles.

The e-Solex: tradition and modernity

Well, I have to admit I'm blown away by the e-Solex . They've kept the spirit of the original moped - that simplicity, that ease of use - but with today's technology. No more slipping rollers, no more smell of petrol, no more backfiring noise. Just electric assistance when you need it.

The Intemporel collection even incorporates the curves of the first models. It's a bit as if Marcel Mennesson came back to us and said, "You see, my idea from 1940 still works!"

And all this makes me think. The Solex is the story of an innovation that was technically wrong, but just right from a human perspective. Because in the end, what do people want? To get around easily, without breaking the bank, without worrying. And the Solex understood that in 1946.

Why we still miss the Solex today

Do you know what strikes me most about this story? It's that the Solex was ecological before its time . Think about it: ridiculous fuel consumption, an engine that only runs when necessary, the possibility of pedaling without assistance... It was already soft mobility!

And then there's something profoundly French about the Solex. This resourcefulness, this assumed simplicity, this way of doing good with cheap things . Marcel Mennesson and Maurice Goudard, they created much more than a moped. They created a way of life.

When I think back to all these stories - the orphan who becomes an engineer thanks to his sister, the family competition to find a name, the two partners who go to the front, leaving their company to their secretary, the worldwide success of a technically shaky machine - I tell myself that this is French innovation .

It's not necessarily the most advanced technology, it's not necessarily the most sophisticated product. But it's the intelligence to understand what people really need, and to give it to them with simplicity and elegance.

The VéloSolex, "the bicycle that rolls by itself," is ultimately the story of a time when people still knew how to keep things simple and efficient. A time when a student could buy a revolutionary means of transport for less than a month's salary. A time when movie stars weren't ashamed to ride the same machine as the local worker.

And today, when I see the e-Solex back in service on our roads, I tell myself that Marcel and Maurice can be proud . Their "bicycle that rolls by itself" continues to roll, 80 years after its creation. And it will roll for a long time to come, I am sure, because the original idea was so true that it has stood the test of time.

This is why the VéloSolex remains, for me, one of the finest examples of French genius. Simple, efficient, and totally timeless .