1913 Motosacoche 290cc Model V

• Highly original
• Very well known in Cotswold motorcycling circles
• Enthusiastically campaigned by a succession of owners
• Pioneer Certificate

Founded in Acacias, Geneva in 1901, Motosacoche took its name from Henri and Armand Dufaux's self-contained cycle-motor power unit, literally 'une moto sa coche' or 'engine in a bag'. The 211cc motor was soon being manufactured in substantial numbers and the brothers set up a subsidiary firm to market it in the UK. Motosacoche had factories in Switzerland, France and Italy, and supplied their MAG-branded engines to many British and Continental manufacturers, including Brough Superior.

The first machines had an atmospheric inlet valve and battery/coil ignition, and all developments used direct belt drive. Magneto ignition came in 1907 with a neat Cardan shaft driven from a grooved flywheel edge making mistiming a worry of the past.

The Veteran Motosacoche offered here is a relatively recent acquisition by the vendor, who has known about it for 35 years. The machine was owned for many years by Harry Baggs, a garage proprietor in Cheltenham, before being bequeathed to David Bovenizer. Number 'MV 23455' is the fifth incarnation of the single-cylinder Motosacoche engine ('V' is the Roman numeral for five and 'M' denotes a magneto model).

The vendor has been told stories about this machine by members of the VMCC's Cotswold Section suggesting that it was bought in 1913/14 by Cheltenham Borough Council and used to collect newspapers for local councillors from the London trains stopping at Gloucester. However, by 1914 Cheltenham had a direct rail service to London and the Motosacoche and its rider were no longer required.

Nothing more is known about this machine until Harry Baggs acquired it in the late 1920s. He is known to have ridden it in the 1934 and 1935 Pioneer Runs, for which the vendor has the medals awarded. His brother Bill also rode it in Pioneer Runs in the late 1980s as well in local events.  Next owner David Bovenizer took over riding the Motosacoche and used it for local Cotswold events and the Pioneer Run. It is a known machine in the Cotswolds.

Since its acquisition by our vendor, the Motosacoche has undergone extensive recommissioning to make it roadworthy, including a new drive belt and new tyres, while at the same time great care has been taken to conserve its originality. The vendor's detailed account of the works carried out was published in the VMCC Journal and is on file. The Motosacoche last ran in November 2022. The machine comes with a V5C document, Pioneer Certificate, and a truly massive file of history and marque-related information.