- Extremely novel and rare vehicle, unlike any other

- High-quality restoration by Michel Magnin

- Unique experience to drive, sure to make an impression

 - No reserve

The Monotrace is undoubtedly the only vehicle of its kind ever to have existed! It was presented as “a motorcycle with bodywork” and was developed at the time of cyclecars and light cars, when the public was looking for inexpensive means of transport. Designed by the Swiss engineer Auguste Roten and introduced in France in 1923 as the Morgan-Monotrace, this curious contraption had a sturdy chassis with a suspended rear wheel, a tapered body with floor panels, a door on the left-hand side, two seats in tandem, a dashboard with a speedometer and clock, a traditional set of pedals, a large steering wheel directly connected to the fork and, at the rear, a single-cylinder 510cc water-cooled engine (with the radiator at the front of the car), mated to a three-speed gearbox. As the driver could not put his feet on the ground, two side wheels kept the vehicle steady when stationary. After pulling away, once it had found its balance (helped by the gyroscopic effect of its large flywheel), the driver could fold up the side wheels by means of a long lever. This curious machine sold in limited numbers and survivors are extremely rare.

This Monotrace was bought in the 2000s from François Jeanson, a doctor in Château-Thierry who, with his son, had opened a museum at Nogent-L’Artaud to house the cars he had acquired during the 1970s and ‘80s. It was then completely restored by Michel Magnin, Paul-Émile B’s mechanic; finished in grey and in good condition today, it is ready to take to the road in the hands of an intrepid enthusiast. It has taken part in numerous events, many of them at Montlhéry, including the Vintage Revival in 2024 to mark the centenary of the famous circuit.

Photos © Alexis Ruben