To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' The
Petersen Automotive Museum Auction event, 8 December 2018.
- An extremely rare French microcar with grown-up design!
Much like Italy and Germany, where very similar trends took hold,
France also saw the advent of a booming microcar industry after the
Second World War. They were affordable to build, affordable to buy,
and affordable to maintain.
The Rolux was one particular success, but survivors, particularly
ones restored as attentively as this one, are extremely rare. The
company was officially registered as a marque in December 1949, and
it was being built by the Soci�t� Rolux with a factory in
Clermont-Ferrand. The car, which was produced here for two years,
was the VB60 model, the "classic" Rolux, which went virtually
unchanged through its production run. The chassis employed leaf
springs in the front and rear, and the motor was a 125-cc Ydral
engine, driving the left rear wheel via a cardan shaft.
The beautifully proportioned roadster body, as offered here,
acquired an opening front hood and had more pointed rear fenders, a
steel-framed folding windshield, and a white steering wheel with
twin banjo-type spokes�a very stylish and period-correct design
derived from full-size sports cars of the era.
All told, only about 60 cars survive worldwide, and this car is one
of five VB60s exported to a Quebec, Canada, toy pedal car dealer in
1950. It was restored by the Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum to its
exceptionally high standards, and it exhibits a deep burgundy paint
finish, which is complemented by the supple biscuit interior and
perforated disc-type wheels.
Fully restored microcars are rare onto themselves, and a Rolux
�Baby' is no exception!To view this car and others currently
consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/ca18.
