1939 Peugeot P53 Motorcycle. 100cc with 3-speed hand-change gearbox
After I bought my 1955 Peugeot S57 scooter, I took more interest in the Peugeot marque. I now seem to have one of each kind of Peugeot: as well as the scooter, a 1954 TN55 triporteur, a 1952 Bima moped, and this pre-war motorcycle. I’ve seen photos of P53’s being used during the war in France; I can easily visualize them being used by the Resistance for buzzing around the countryside.
This one is in excellent condition, having beeen restored by a friend of mine in France. I asked him about the footrests, as at first glance they look like pedals; I wondered if Peugeot made this model with an option of pedal-start? His explaination surprised me. Apparently, in order to encourage people to buy motorcycles in the thirties, the French government allowed pedal-assisted motorcycles under 50cc to be exempt from registration and the need for a driving license. (Although the current government may try to revoke this law, it still stands in France). Peugeot made this 100cc model with fixed foot-pegs that look like pedals so that people could break the law and ride it without a license or reg!
