Book review- la Mobylette Universelle - National Autocycle and ...

The Moulton Moped DB
In Buzzing April 2009 a letter and photos from Gerry Wallis were published showing his recreation
of the almost mythical Mouton Moped, for which patent drawings exist but no further information
was forthcoming. With very limited information Gerry has done a superb job recreating Alex
Moulton’s idea. Curiosity was aroused so further investigations on behalf of Buzzing were made,
and with the very generous assistance of Tony Hadland, Sturmey-Archer and Moulton cycle expert
and author, contact was made with Alex Moulton concerning the Moped. He is now aged 90 but still
very active in his Moulton bicycle business, based at The Hall, Bradford on Avon.
Extraordinarily, we learned that the original Moulton Moped protoype probably still existed
and might possibly be found in “The Cellar” at The Hall, an underground oubliette where many
aborted projects and abandoned prototypes now slumbered. Via the good offi ces of Tony Hadland
Buzzing made an appointment to visit Bradford on Avon one very cold, snowy day in February.
The Hall is Alex Moulton’s family home which once belonged to his late father, a rubber-trader.
an extraordinary large country house with extensive grounds yet near the centre of the town,
the grounds are now studded with additional building which house the thriving Moulton bicycle
business. Our objective was to visit The Cellar and see if we could fi nd the Moped prototype.
Alex Moulton himself was not thought to be at home on the day, so Tony and I were given
permission to look for the Moped and ushered down into the bowels of the house, formerly the
kitchen and pantry area where staff stored provisions and cooked for the Hall residents. It had a
wonderfully evacotive ‘dungeon’ feel to it, dark, gloomy corners with massive black kitchen ranges
contrasting with ultra-modern heating-system plumbing in stainless steel. We turned a corner and
there, throught the next doorway, on the fl oor were row upon row of prototype Moulton bicycle
frames in a kalaedescope of colours, all with the weights written on- that’s the photo on page 25.
25