aeronca65t
aeronca65t Reader
8/19/08 6:35 a.m.

OK, five young Czech people have decided to drive their five Velorexs on Rt. 66 for a 2500 mile American trip.

This sounds like a joke right? It's not. The cars are being shipped here right now and the kid's be on the road in Sept 7th. They're starting from Chicago on Route 66 and ending in LA.

What's a Velorex? Imagine giving a drunk blacksmith a moped and asking him to make it into a car.

You'd come pretty close.

~More Info~ (be patient...the server for this site is a bit slow...but it's worth it)

Velorex

Robert Bowen
Robert Bowen
8/19/08 8:41 p.m.

cool - i love velorexes. Czech design makes up for a lack of beauty with a certain inelegance. Witness the Cezeta scooter and any classic skoda.

Velorex
Velorex
9/8/08 10:30 a.m.

The Czech adventurers started off yestarday from Chicago. Along with a couple of my friends we "escorted" the Czech drivers 150 miles south of Chicago. We drove our own Velorexes, so in total there were 7 little trikes spewing two-stroke fumes and flapping their vinyl panels down the Rt, 66.

I will be posting some pictures on my web site soon (velorexus.com)

Velorexes are simple but durable and amusing to drive.

problemaddict
problemaddict New Reader
9/8/08 10:54 a.m.

Neat! keep us posted...

Stuc
Stuc HalfDork
9/8/08 10:55 a.m.

Hmmmmm.... yea, neat.

How are they getting past all the safety deals with imported vehicles though?

Velorex
Velorex New Reader
9/8/08 11:22 a.m.

The cars are on temporary permits. They are insured and are registered in the Czech Republic. They can be used for the duration of the permit.

I drive my Velorex here legally as well because the vehicle is over 25 yrs old so no DOT or EPA crap needs to be complied with.

By the way the Velorex is, technically speaking, mid-engine design with space-frame, using composite body panels. It has a motorcycle powertrain and sequential shifter.

Granted, it all is very primitive. As humorous as the aeronca65t's comment is (actually it is very funny and I will steal it for the use on my website-with credit of course) the true history of Velorex is not that different.

Actually, two brothers who owned a bicycle shop in Czechoslovakia wanted to build an alternative to a motorcycle and that's what they came up with. It is not known if they were intoxicated at the time though.

If you examine the design you will be surprised by the clever use of simple solutions to many an engineering challenge.

The Velorexes were produced from late 40s up to 1970. About 15,000 were produced.

AngryCorvair
AngryCorvair Dork
9/8/08 11:32 a.m.

it looks like if the bulimic nicole richie made a baby with a barn find old-school bug. the barn find bug shoulda made a face baby.

Velorex
Velorex New Reader
9/8/08 11:40 a.m.

Keep working at it. It may turn up funny.

aeronca65t description still rules.

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