AutoPuzzles - The Internet's Museum of Rare Cars!
Puzzles, Games and Name That Car => Solved AutoPuzzles => 2013 => Topic started by: del78 on June 23, 2013, 05:14:08 PM
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what is this for a point
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experts time
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God !
The wonderfully horrible BMA Brio ! ;)
One of my all-time fav microcar ever. Built in Italy by BMA of Alfonsine, already known (?) for their eccentric gullwing-Amica. Sachs 47,6 cc engine, one rear driven wheel !
Production started in late 1978, until... I don't really know...
Lambretta-Willam tried to sell it in France. I know some dealers that were at the launch event, they were, well, horrified. Just dunno how many were built at all !
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You are right
I have it as a Lambretta Brio but it is of course BMA
point for You
EDIT: I can't add You a point because of some kind of error >:(
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I have it as a Lambretta Brio but it is of course BMA
It is in fact one of those BMA Brios Willam tried to sell in France. You can see the "W" of the Willam logo in the rear window, and the sticker above the "bumper" also carries the Willam name.
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That's what I said. "Lambretta-Willam" was never a true builder (even if Henry Willame had business shares in Lawil of Varzi), but just a sticker nameplate for the french market on BMA, Casalini, Decsa and Lawil.
There was a difference between french and italians Brio, though : two headlights for France, only one for their domestic market. ;)
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Just meant as an addition, not a correction. ;)
Do you have a picture of the single-light Brio? I only know the twin light version.
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Here you are:
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Sweet!
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That's it, thanks Paul !
The white "hard-top" of the body was removable, to convert it into a beach version. Problem was that you were far more recognisable that way. :bag: :bag:
I've met Enzo Baldi once, and he admitted that the Brio failed badly, as it was his "city car project", tailor-built for the french market. Hence the Sachs Saxonette (2-speed automatic gearbox), very well known on our voiturettes, but totally unusual on italian ones, more accustomed to Minarelli or Morini with 3 or 4 speeds manual trannies. As far as I know, there was never another choice of engine, but B.M.A. did try much later to convert it to a golf cart with open body (just the lower "red" part) and 4-wheels. It was shown at the 1985 Paris Motorshow as "Lambretta Le Golf", but only a single prototype was ever made, as far as I know.
Some people who worked for Lambretta-Willam told me that the Brio failed so badly that more than five years later, dozens were still stockpiled in their warehouse, near the railway station of Bécon-les-Bruyères !
It seems that, even on our "big" voiturette market of the late seventies, the design really was too outworldly and ugly as sin. Even if you already bought a Flipper or a Comtesse Break, which is saying something ! :o
Moreover, I have a test made in 1979 by l'Auto Journal, and it is perhaps the worst ever made in this magazine. Again, what a feat, as the voiturette market was packed with atrocious things to drive.
Anyway, I'd die for a Brio, that's for sure !
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The white "hard-top" of the body was removable, to convert it into a beach version.
Here it is, with and without hardtop.